FIRST LOOK
This months new cars
UNBOXING THE QUTE
THE SMALLER THE car, the bigger
the storm it stirs up. And in most
cases, it is overblown. The Nano got
activists screaming prophetically
that hundreds of thousands of
them would choke our roads. More
recently, the Global NCAP has
painted every small car in India it
has crash-tested as a death trap.
PHOTOGRAPHY PRIYANK CHHAPWALE
CAMERA POWERED BY NIKON
The biggest storm, however,
surrounds the smallest car yet.
Except that its not technically a car,
but a quadricycle. Ever since the
Bajaj Qute was unveiled at the 2012
Auto Expo (as the RE60), its been
mired in controversy. The argument:
should quadricycles be clubbed with
cars and be allowed for personal
transport? Or, should they be in the
same category as autorickshaws for
50 AUTOCAR INDIA OCTOBER 2016
commercial use only (though the law
allows individuals to own and drive
a rick)?
The definition of Indian rules for
this all-new category is the core of a
heated debate that has the industry
divided ever since Bajaj Auto laid
bare its plans. Globally, quadricycles
have a different set of regulations,
which is not as stringent as those
regular cars have to comply with.
Here, the fundamental differences
in the regulations between cars
and autorickshaws centre around
emissions and safety, and its the
latter that has become a prickly issue.
It is understandably so, given our
nations inglorious claim of being
No. 1 in the world when it comes to
road deaths. The horrifically high
EXCLUSIVE
body count has made safety a highly
emotive subject, but the trouble is
the perception of what saves lives is
not always rooted in hard evidence
or facts.
Bajaj applied to the Ministry of
Road Transport for the creation of
a new quadricycle category, just
a few months after the RE60 was
unveiled. That raised the hackles
of rival automakers that saw Bajaj
with its first-mover advantage as the
main beneficiary of this new class of
vehicle. They wanted a level playing
Upto 30kph, the Qute feels
quite perky and responsive.
field but as its turned out, its a
minefield Bajaj has gotten into.
The government formed a special
committee to draw out quadricycle
regulations, but with everyone and
their uncle putting in their vested
two bits, finding a consensus wasnt
easy. When the first draft notification
came out in August 2013, there
were more inputs from various
quarters, and it was only in February
2014 that the final notification was
released. When the government
nod for quadricycles finally came, it
www.autocarindia.com
We drive the Bajaj
Qute to see if this
controversial quadricycle
is a genuine alternative
to an autorickshaw.
was based on regulations similar to
Europe, but with more restrictions
the main one being that the
quadricycle can only be used for
commercial (transport) purposes
and not as a private vehicle. Unlike
in Europe, which has no maximum
speed restriction, Indian regs set
a 70kph limit. Other restrictions
include a maximum length of three
metres, a maximum weight of 450kg
and power capped at 20hp.
These regulations havent given
the quadricycle a free run, but for
its detractors (read competitors)
who continue to question its safety,
they still arent tough enough. So,
though the Qute has been given
the green light by government
authorities and is being exported to
www.autocarindia.com
Qutes odd proportions the result of making most of space within regulated 3m length.
several countries, its been dragged
to court in India with several PILs
slapped on it to stop it from going
on sale. Entangled in this legal mess, Qute feels very basic. Uses roll-up plastic covers for windows. Saves cost and weight.
Bajaj has pleaded its case in the
Supreme Court, where a decision is
pending. Until then, all that a deeply
frustrated Bajaj can do is wait.
FROM THREE TO FOUR
Never in the history of the Indian
auto industry has a vehicle faced
so much resistance and the best way
to understand what the brouhaha
is all about is to get up close and
personal with it.
The Qute is oddly proportioned
in a cute (pun intended) sort
of way. The tightly regulated
dimensions have been used to
Q differentiates quads from passenger cars. Qute sold in several countries; not India.
OCTOBER 2016 AUTOCAR INDIA 51

Spartan, no-frills cabin has basics like instrument cluster and audio system. Centre console design looks inspired by Nanos. Inset: Sequential shift actually fun to use.
Large bins inside the doors can hold quite a bit of stuff.
make it as space-efficient as
possible, leaving no room for style.
Its absolutely basic and the cabin
feels as spartan as a cave. The
biggest challenge for the Bajaj Auto
engineers was to keep the Qutes
weight below the 450kg regulation.
Unlike in Europe where quadricycle
makers use lighter but more
Meeting the
weight regs for
the quadricycle
was a big
challenge.
52 AUTOCAR INDIA OCTOBER 2016
The 216cc, single-cylinder engine is liquid cooled.
expensive material like aluminium
and even carbon fibre to keep weight
down, the ultra-low-cost Qute
didnt have that luxury and had to
use conventional steel. That meant
stripping it of all amenities to get the
weight down. There are no carpets,
no interior cladding, no sound
insulation to speak of and not even
Under-seat storage good for concealing valuables.
windows you get roll-up plastic
flaps. An air-con? Forget it!
I have to keep reminding myself
that the Qute isnt meant to be a
car but an autorickshaw with a fourth
wheel, to re-calibrate my perceptions.
And to put it in the right perspective, a
regular three-wheel auto was wheeled
out for me to directly compare.
Lets start with the similarities.
Both the Qute and the RE rickshaw
have the same 180mm ground
clearance and are powered by a
single-cylinder, rear-mounted motor.
The Qute though gets a slightly
larger 216cc water-cooled motor
that develops 13.5hp. Bajaj claims
that it has achieved the optimum
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balance of size with the Qute and the
differences with the three-wheeler
RE become apparent when you look
at the weights and dimensions. The
Qute is 60kg heavier at 400kg and
though a bit longer and wider too,
it has a similar overall footprint. It
cant quite turn on a dime like a rick,
but has a seriously tight turning
circle diameter of seven metres to do
U-turns on the spot.
The biggest difference between
a three- and a four-wheeler is the
way they drive. Bajajs Chakan track
was a good place to compare the
Where to, sir? Ferrying passengers in a Qute less stressful than in an autorickshaw. dynamics of the two.
I cant remember when I last
drove an autorickshaw, but I had
completely forgotten what it was
like. The 1:1 steering on the single
front wheel is super direct, so sudden
inputs on the handlebar get the auto
to teeter like a drunkard. In fact, my
experience was an uneasy feeling
of instability. Pushing as hard as I
dared, I could feel the inside wheel
lifting up through all the corners like
a dog relieving itself at every tree.
The good thing is that speeds are
really low, so you have enough time
to react before you really keel over.
The brakes dont inspire confidence
either and you really need to stand
on the brake pedal if you have to
slow down in a hurry.
The rear seat is comfier than in a rickshaws but not as easy to get in and out of. Jumping into the Qute presented
me with an environment Im
completely familiar with a steering
wheel, three pedals, four doors, four
wheels, and a roof. Its roomy enough
for four adults and a bit of luggage
too, which works perfectly for short
rides. You cant slide in and out of it
as easily as in an autorickshaw, but
when its raining hard or freezing
Tiny 135/70 R12 tyres help manoeuvrability. Space for a small bag in the nose. cold, the Qute is the one youll want
to be in.
www.autocarindia.com
FIRST LOOK
The Qutes low weight gives it a
light-footedness you wont find in
a conventional car, and though its
no sports car for sure (compared to
a rickshaw it feels like one), it was
much nicer to drive than I thought.
Yes, it is crude with an engine that
whines loudly behind you and a
cart-like suspension that jolts your
spine through every pothole. But
the fairly quick steering and overall
stability were really impressive. The
sequential shift of the five-speed
gearbox was actually fun and the
brakes were pretty effective. The big
surprise, however, was the perky
throttle response and how smartly
it shoots off the line. Because the
Qute is speed-restricted to 70kph,
it can get away with ultra-low
gearing, which gives it a nice burst of
acceleration till about 30kph.
The Qute feels far more stable, safe
and secure than an autorickshaw,
which answers the question if its
a better alternative to one, pretty
emphatically. Its hard to fathom
why the Qute has faced such bitter
opposition, because, as a pure
transportation tool in cities, its a
no-brainer. Lets hope the Supreme
Court eventually thinks so too.
HORMAZD SORABJEE
BAJAJ QUTE
Price Rs 1.5 lakh (est, ex-showroom)
L/W/H 2752/1312/1652mm
Wheelbase 1925mm
Turning circle 7m
Kerb weight 400kg
Engine 1 cyl, 216.6cc, petrol
Power 13.5hp at 5500rpm
Torque 19.6Nm at 4000rpm
Gearbox 5-speed manual
Top speed 70kph (limited)
Tyres 135/70 R12 (tubeless)
OCTOBER 2016 AUTOCAR INDIA 53