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Bajaj Qute – All you need to know about India’s first-ever quadricycle
The Bajaj Qute arrived in the Indian commercial vehicle market after a lot of struggle and clearances from the Indian Government. Offering a safer and more practical alternative over a three-wheeled autorickshaw, the Bajaj Qute is currently a one-of-a-kind vehicle in the market. Here are some attributes that one should know about the Bajaj Qute:
Variants and Pricing
The Bajaj Qute is currently available in the commercial dealerships of Bajaj Auto in a single variant, which is priced at Rs 2.63 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi). The pricing of the Bajaj Qute puts it dangerously close to entry-level micro-hatchbacks like Datsun Redi-GO and Maruti Suzuki Alto. The Bajaj Qute is currently offered in four different colour options of yellow, red, blue and green. This single variant is available in three fuel options of petrol, CNG and LPG.
Is Bajaj Qute a car?
Running on four wheels, the Bajaj Qute might appear as a compact car to many. However, it is categorized under a special category of vehicles called quadricycles. This segment has vehicles having four wheels, but a very basic body structure and a sub-500cc engine, which does not make them as functional and practical as a compact hatchback. However, in comparison to a basic autorickshaw, the Bajaj Qute is much safer as it has one extra wheel and proper roof and doors. The Bajaj Qute measures 2752 mm long, 1312 mm wide and 1652 mm tall, which makes it much smaller than a conventional car.
Design
The Bajaj Qute was introduced as an entry-level offering and a better alternative to an autorickshaw. So, to keep its costs down, the Bajaj Qute has a very basic but functional design. Upfront, the Bajaj Qute has got two halogen headlamps, which look much bigger for a vehicle of its size. Moving to the side, the Bajaj Qute has got four proper doors with small vertical door handles and door-mounted rearview mirrors. Though, the Qute misses out on proper window panels on the side. At the back, it gets functional tail lamps placed on an almost vertical design for the boot. The front and rear bumpers are blacked out here to keep the costs low.
Interior
While the Bajaj Qute might look very small from the outside, it has a proper cabin with a seating capacity of four full-sized adults, including the seat of the driver. This gives the Bajaj Qute an advantage of carrying an additional person over an autorickshaw, which generally can accommodate only two passengers in its rear seat, with the front cabin having only the driver’s seat. However, as expected, the cabin of the Qute is very basic and doesn’t get many comfort and convenience features. It gets an all-grey dashboard with a basic two-spoke steering wheel and dash-mounted gear lever. It has hollow pockets in its door panels to store small things, while the rear seat can be folded down completely as and when needed. The Qute also gets roof-mounted fans for both front and rear seats.
Powertrain
The Bajaj Qute is powered by a four-stroke, single-cylinder, liquid-cooled, 216.6cc engine, which is the smallest engine for a four-wheeled vehicle in India. The engine is paired to a 5-speed manual gearbox with a reverse gear and produces a maximum power output of 13.1 PS and a peak torque output of 18.9 Nm. The Qute is also available in CNG and LPG powered variants with the same 216.6cc engine. While the CNG-powered engine produces 11 PS of power and 16.1 Nm of torque, the performance numbers posted by the LPG-powered engine are 12.4 PS of power and 18 Nm of torque.
Fuel economy
Apart from the power and torque figures, the Bajaj Qute also delivers a fuel economy comparable to an autorickshaw. While the petrol-powered Qute delivers 34 kmpl, the LPG-powered Qute returns 21 kmpl. The CNG-powered variant is the most fuel-efficient with an economy figure of 50 km/kg.
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