4th of January 2012 by Angela
Bajaj Auto is known as an important Indian car manufacturer that dates back to 1945 and built its ten millionth vehicle in 1995, operating in no more than 50 countries. The word "auto" in its name brings a new signification to the company's field as it has been producing passenger carriers, three-wheel models and motorbikes. The RE60 boasts to be the producer's first four-wheel car and it was unveiled at the 2012 Auto Expo in New Delhi, aiming to reach the owners of three-wheelers who wished to improve their ride. Rajiv Bajaj, the company's managing director, announced in an official statement to the Hindustan Times that they were not trying to make a car, but a four-wheeler that was meant to transport people in cities, being also a dramatic improvement as compared to a three-wheeler. He added that they were targeting a market that had over five million Bajaj three wheelers in the country. Although the price of the RE60 has not been released, Bajaj informed that it was going to be the world's cheapest car, being powered by a small displacement of 200 cc that delivers 20 bhp and a maximum speed of 70 km/h. Its impressive CO2 emissions of 60 g/km represent half of what the small cars are currently emitting in the market, while the weight reaches 880 pounds, returning an average fuel consumption of 83 mpg US. Back in 2009, there was an alliance formed between Bajaj and Renault for the development of the no-frills, ultra-low-cost car, and stopped after Bajaj's partners expressed their concerns regarding the quality of the product. However, the Indian company continued on its own. Tata Nano is RE60's closest competitor and it was also considered to be th world's cheapest car at its launch in 2009, but it did not accomplish its target of 25,000 units a month due to some technical problems and fire incidents. The Nano revamped last November and thus, Tata will continu with it, although it owns Jaguar and Land Rover. Whether the RE60 is a worthy opponent to the Tata Nano, it remains to be seen. Take a look at the pictures and videos below. Subscribe to Car news by Email |
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