Qute, the first quadricycle of the country has been officially launched by Bajaj in India. Prices for Bajaj Qute start at Rs. 2.48 lakhs, ex- showroom Maharashtra. This puts the quadricycle below the cheapest car in the Indian market -- Maruti Alto 800. The first mover advantage lies with the Bajaj Qute as it faces no direct competition in the market as of now. The motive behind bringing out the quadricycle in the market is to provide a safe alternative to the unstable 3-wheeled autorickshaws in the Indian market. With Qute, Bajaj is trying to cash-in on the urgent need of a vehicle that is nimble and agile enough to tackle the city traffic, while at the same time it is also cheap, efficient and provides the basics of a 4-wheeler vehicle.
Therefore, the company wishes to bring quadricycle as an option in the segment currently filled with auto rickshaw, buses, cabs and two wheelers. Bajaj has also specifically stated that Qute is not a car and competes with no other car in the market. The dimensions of the Qute stand at 2750x1312x1652 mm respectively which actively makes the Qute smaller than any car currently on sale in the Indian market. Qute is a rear wheel drive vehicle that comes with petrol and CNG as fuel options. The engine powering the quadricycle is a 216cc, four stroke unit with liquid cooling, fuel injection and a four valve head rated to deliver 13 Bhp and 18.9 Nm on petrol and 10 Bhp and 16 Nm on CNG, mated to the engine is a 5 speed manual transmission.
Qute’s interiors are finished in all-black and have the seating for 4 people. The bench seats can only be tilted and there is no other adjustment option. Big windows and glasses do give a sense of openness. The dashboard is pretty simple too with the speedo and gear shifter both being mounted on the dash. An MP3 player with USB and Aux connectivity is standard on Qute.
Not only is there no air-con on offer on the Qute, the steering is also not powered. This ought to keep the private car buyers away from this offering by Bajaj. Space is plentiful on the quadricycle, rear mounted engine means front bonnet has been offered as a storage space. Apart form this, one finds two glove boxes in the dashboard and cubby holes between front seats.
This being a commuter vehicle, mileage is a major concern here. Qute is available in both petrol and CNG options. While the petrol clocks in 35 Kmpl the CNG variant registers 45 Kmpl. So as far as mileage is concerned the Qute scores full marks here.