Commuters in India will soon have yet another alternative to rickshaws and three-wheelers after Bajaj Auto pulled the covers off an all-new 'ultra-low-cost' car at a presentation in New Dehli.
Sadly the company did not disclose the price of its RE60, which looks something like a golf kart with doors, but it is billed as a rival to the Tata Nano, which is the cheapest car in the world.
Efficiency is a clear bragging point here - the 200cc car weighs just 400kg and is said to be capable of driving 35km per litre of fuel, while emitting just 60 grams of CO2 per kilometre.
Bajaj said that the vehicle's emissions were “typically half of what the small cars currently emit in our market.”
There is a performance penalty, however, the narrow four-seater being capable of just 70km/h, with Bajaj stressing that it had been designed specifically for urban commuters.
India has become a centre of small car design, engineering and production, with demand for cheaply-made cars booming as millions gain middle-class status each year.
The main customers targeted are drivers of three-wheeled motor-rickshaws, but also anyone else who “wanted to take it home” once it goes on sale some time this year, Bajaj said.
The Tata Nano was launched in 2009 and costs as little as 140 880 rupees (R22 298) for the no-frills model. -IOL & AFP