Bajaj unveils its ultra-low cost car RE60, promising 40 kmpl

Posted in: Automobile, Cars


India’s second largest bike maker, Bajaj Auto, finally unveiled it’s first four wheeler, RE60, an ultra-low cost car, at the 2012 Auto Expo in New Delhi. Bajaj claims that the car delivers a mileage of 40 km per litre under test conditions and could give a mileage of 35 km per litre under actual driving conditions and will have a 200 cc engine.

High fuel efficiency and lower emissions are the key factors. The 200cc rear-mounted engine’s emissions will be an incredible 60g of CO2 per km.

Rajiv Bajaj, MD at Bajaj Auto, made the announcement and said that the engine for the car is state-of-the-art and environment friendly. It is frugally engineered, he added.

The interiors get a central speedometer cluster, 44-litre boot space, 95-litre under seat storage, folding front windows and prominent seatbelts in cabin. It also has body coloured bumpers. This four-wheeler is also available in fuel injected CNG variant.

The engine is a new water cooled DTSi 4 (Digital Twin Spark Ignition) valve and able to accelerate to a maximum speed of 70km per hour. The car can accommodate four people. It has been designed and developed fully by Bajaj Auto and not with Renaultor Nissan Motors.

“RE60 will be produced at three-wheeler plant in Aurangabad,” Bajaj said, adding that it will be ready for production in the coming months.

“This vehicle has been designed for intra-city passenger transport keeping in mind intra-city duty cycles and safety requirements,” he added.

“We have made a remarkable transition from a scooter to a motorcycle company. We’ve gone from selling cheapest scooters in the country to some of the most expensive motorcycles. For the last 8-9 quarters, Bajaj Auto has been the world’s most profitable auto company. These are a host of features that are not normal for this segment just like when we launched Pulsar. It’s a testimony to our engineering,” Bajaj added.

Though Bajaj has not yet revealed the prices for the RE60, it is believed to be a ultra-low cost car, giving tough competition to the Tata Nano, currently the cheapest car in the world.