Bajaj RE60 – High quality images and more details

One look at the Bajaj RE60 and you’d conclude that its a three-wheeler with an extra wheel. The boffins at Bajaj won’t be disappointed if you did because that is exactly what they had in mind. They designed the RE60 (RE is Bajaj’s commercial vehicle brand and 60 denotes its carbon dioxide emission/km) to play as the next step to their three-wheeler customer base. Bajaj has sold over 5 million auto rickshaws. These customers have nothing to upgrade to except for locally-assembled share-auto rickshaws.

5 reasons why Bajaj made the RE60

Here are some of the questions Rajiv Bajaj answered in today morning’s unveiling

Keywords -

Light weight – 400kg
Fuel efficiency – 40kmpl in Bajaj’s internal tests
Small dimensions – Comparable to Mercedes Benz’s Smart brand – it takes a little more than the parking space of an auto rickshaw.

Safety -

The four-wheeler by nature of its design, is safer than a three-wheeler. It has seat belts at the front and rear, hard top and doors. The body is seven times more rigid than the three-wheeler.

Powertrain – Why no diesel?

It is powered by a 200cc, water-cooled, DTSi engine (twin spark technology of Bajaj) that delivers 15-20bhp with a top speed of 70kph. The real world mileage is expected to be upward of 35kmpl while the tail pipe emissions are half as an average A-Segment car. The RE60, like we suspected last week, is a Tata Magic Iris with a petrol engine. Rajiv Bajaj told IndianAutosBlog.com that his company manufactures light vehicles and diesel engines don’t go very well with light weight. Bajaj insisted that CNG, LPG and petrol were the fuel options the 400kg RE60 will be rolled out with.

Features -

The company did not allow reporters and guests to sit in the vehicle. The interiors are bare bones and scantily equipped with a cost-saving dash-mounted gear lever, digital instrument cluster, two glove boxes instead of Nano’s scoops and a fare meter on the passenger side. There is 44 liters of boot space behind the rear passenger and 7 liters under the hood. There could be two variants, one missing basic amenities like windows and low-cost interior pitched as a three-wheeler alternative and a slightly more upmarket variant with body colored fitments, dual tone interior positioned for personal transportation.

Rajiv Bajaj on the partnership with Renault-Nissan -

“With small or big modifications, we’re in a position to supply the same vehicle to Renault and Nissan if they so wish.”

He then added “we’ve kept all our options open. In terms of what their response is, I can tell you they have not seen the physical product because it was put together just in time for today’s launch. They told us that they would come to the Auto Expo to see the product in its flesh so to speak and then they would discuss with us the matter of the cooperation further. So things stand exactly where they stood, we proceeded with the development, we have our own vehicle standing, Renault-Nissan are welcome to come and have a look, what they will decide is something you must ask them.”

Price -

We expect Bajaj to price the RE60 between 1.5-1.75 lakh rupees.

Bottom Line -

Bajaj RE60 is not a car. Bajaj terms itself as an anti-car company. It has set about making the next generation three-wheeler even if that meant adding a fourth wheel!

Spied-bajaj-ulc-re60

Come Jan 3^rd 2012, Bajaj would be hoping to recreate the magic Tata Motors created at the launch of the Nano a few years back. For the first time in 8 decades, Bajaj will present a car for the Indian masses. Very popular for its two wheelers, three wheelers and commercial vehicles, Bajaj has never had a single contender in the passenger car market. However, with the dawn of new year, the company will create history by introducing the ULC christened ‘RE60’.

Our pals BSMotoring have presented us a small pic which they claim is the actual model. The model presented in the picture sort of looks like the Reva (a.k.a G-Wiz). The RE60 is may look like a car but Bajaj Auto claims that it isn’t one. The company has made it quite clear that it doesn’t intend to build another Tata Nano. According to Bajaj, the RE60 will be perfect, low-cost transportation solution; a three wheeler with one extra wheel for stability. We have no idea how to make sense of it all. Seeing the vehicle on the 3rd is the only way to understand Bajaj’s proposition.

Anyways, coming back to the RE60. The ‘RE’ stands for ‘Rear Engined’ and the 60 stands for the 60 g/km of CO2 that the car produces. The RE60 will be powered by a 700-800 cc engine with priority given to fuel economy. The estimated figure is around 30 kmpl.

The RE60 will be a significant step forward for Bajaj Auto as the platform will spawn many variations in the future. Even the next generation Bajaj RE Auto Rickshaw three-wheeler could be based on the flexible ULC platform.

Although the project was initially conceived in partnership with Renault-Nissan, the car does not feature in Renault’s five product plan. So whether this car will carry a Renault/Nissan badge will only depend on they how perceive the final product.

Bajaj-re60-showcase

Pointers from the Bajaj RE60 press conference – Mr Rajiv Bajaj, CEO or Bajaj Auto talks about his new project. He repeats that Bajaj is an “anti car company” and the RE60 is seen as replacement to the 3-wheeler and not a car. This is a low cost solution, a commercial application for moving people.

What is the RE60?

A last mile transportation solution for people.

Dealership network – This will go through RE dealerships (commercial vehicle network). I hope this will motivate dealers to spruce up dealership.

Despite the success with the motorcycles, Bajaj has taken its eyes of the 3-wheeler business of which it is the largest auto market – half a million 3-wheeler sales this year.

Four year journey ends today with the launch of this four-wheeler.

This is a 4-wheeled vehicle – Pride and aspiration associated with a 4-wheeler present on this product.

100% new petrol engine – fuel injected, water cooled, 4 valves, twin spark technology – 60g/km of CO2 emissions – typically half what current small car emits. The engine is mounted at the rear.

We want to sell it as a mass volume price.

I’m happy to share that this vehicle returned 40kmpl in testing and on the road, users should experience 35kmpl at least.

Host of vehicle features – normally not associated with this segment – is present on the RE60 – We’re bringing features from segments above.

350 crore rupees saved because of space and tooling sharing at the Aurangabad factory. The same plant produces three-wheelers and production of RE60 will begin in the next few months.

A market like Sri Lanka uses the Bajaj Autorickshaw as a form of personal transport. Hence this vehicle may be out on the export market before it reaches local dealerships.

There are 5 million Bajaj three-wheelers on the market, and the RE60 is built to serve as a replacement with better features, safety and many more credentials.

Bajaj RE60 – Fast facts

• Light weight monocoque metal polymer hybrid structure
• Closed-loop fuel injection system
• Powered by a 200cc water cooled, 4 valve, DTSI technology will make around 20hp – Can ply in Europe as a quadircycle
• Petrol, CNG and LPG are the only fuel options – Diesel engine not under consideration as this is a light weight vehicle
• 44 liter rear boot storage, 7 liter under the hood and 400 liters when the seats are folded down
• Max speed 70kph
• Turning circle radius – 3.5m
• Length – 2,752mm
• Width – 1,312mm
• Height – 1,650mm
• Seating Capacity – 2+2 or 1+3
• Kerb weight 400kg

Bajaj RE60 Image Gallery

BAJAJ RE60

Few years back it was Tata Motors who created sensation by announcing ` 1 Lac car. And very soon it was Bajaj Auto ltd. , Two wheeler giant in India also announced the low price car to come. It was two different prototypes of four wheeler bajaj auto was working on the first one is bit fuller size both in engine capacity and the chassis, Where on the other hand second car was only targeted for a low price. And may be the cheapest possible car in India.

Much is said and done about Tata nano, Lets now see how’s Bajaj RE60 is all about.

In this blog about Bajaj RE60 we will talk about every aspect about this four wheeler & we will update you with every movement in bajaj auto regarding this bajaj four wheeler.

You will find all technical specifications, expert’s views, user’s reviews, Bajaj RE60 market price and every thing you want to know.

RE60 by Bajaj

What is the RE60 ?

A last mile transportation solution for people.

Dealership network – This will go through RE dealerships (commercial vehicle network). I hope this will motivate dealers to spruce up dealership.

Despite the success with the motorcycles, Bajaj has taken its eyes of the 3-wheeler business of which it is the largest auto market – half a million 3-wheeler sales this year.

Four year journey ends today with the launch of this four-wheeler.

India's second largest automaker Bajaj Auto Tuesday made its foray into the four-wheel segment, unveiling a low-cost, eco-friendly automobile -- RE60-- targeting three-wheeler customers to shift to the vehicle for a smoother ride inside the city.
"We are looking at the customers who currently operate three-wheelers to shift to this four-wheeler low emission segment," Rajiv Bajaj, company managing director, said introducing the vehicle, which is the first low-cost, four-wheeler commercial passenger carrier in the country.

"This is not a car but a four-wheeler vehicle, which is a new segment in its own right. We have put in a lot of technology and features which are not in three-wheelers or even cars," he told reporters.

The four-wheeler is powered by a 200cc rear-mounted water cooled DTSi four-valve engine that can churn out a top-speed of 70 km an hour.

The company did not disclose the price at which the vehicle would be launched, but said it would hit the showrooms in a few months.

It will come in three fuel variants -- petrol, CNG and LNG.

According to Bajaj, the four-wheeler holds a lot of potential in the Indian as well as the European, African and Asian markets.

It had taken four years for the company to develop the vehicle, Bajaj said, without revealing the cost of production.

"My competitors would love to know that (cost). But I can just say that just by going through our existing facility, we have been able to save Rs.350 crore."

The vehicle weighs 400 kg and the engine can provide an output from 15 PS (horsepower) to 20 PS. It would be produced at the firm's Aurangabad facility.

"This is a light weight vehicle which has primary position of a commercial passenger carrier, but it can be used as a personal passenger carrier, as well," R.C. Maheshwary, president, commercial vehicle business, Bajaj Auto, told IANS.

The vehicle travelled 40 km per litre under test conditions and the company said under realistic driving conditions it could deliver 35 km per litre.

On possible participation of Renault-Nissan in the RE60 project, Bajaj said: "They have not seen the physical product as yet, only the one on the virtual media. They will see it at the Auto-Expo 2012 after which we are expected to meet."

In 2010, both sides had signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on the ultra-low cost (ULC) project in which Bajaj was supposed to have developed the vehicle but marketed through Renault-Nissan.

Bajaj also said the company manufactured half-a-million three-wheelers, a majority of which are exported.

"We make about 5,20,000 three-wheelers a year, of which only 2,00,000 are sold in India andthe rest are exported. So we see markets for RE60 in Sri Lanka and Africa."

Bajaj RE60 Mileage: up to 35KMPL

• 200cc Engine
• Designed for city commuting maximum speed 70KM/H
• Eco-Friendly
• Four Seater – can easily accomodate 4 people
• Car size or dimension: 2752 x 1312 x 1650 mm (Length x Width x Height)
• Gross Weight: 400 KG
• Minimum Turning Radius 3.5m
• Luggage space: 44 Litres

Bajaj’s RE60: an auto, a car, a Nano killer

Will Bajaj Auto’s ultra-low-cost four wheeler, RE60, become a Nano (the small car launched by Tata Motors) killer?

Rajiv Bajaj, managing director of Bajaj Auto, would probably cringe at that question. “As a marketing position, we are an anti-car company,” he told a press conference in New Delhi on Monday, a fews days before the Auto Expo. “This vehicle was born out of the costs and skills of a two-wheeler market. There must be a starting point for a strategy, which, in our case, was a brand.”

The RE60 represents the culmination of a four-year project to introduce an ultra-low-cost four-wheel vehicle for Bajaj Auto. To be sure, the company, when it started on the project in 2007, did indeed set out to create a Nano rival in collaboration with partner Renault Nissan.

The RE60 represents the culmination of a four-year project to introduce an ultra-low-cost car for Bajaj Auto. AFP

However, the concept was dropped because “it did not make sense.” The better option was to go in for a “four-wheeler”, said Bajaj, adding that the RE60 was eventually completely developed in-house.

Just as well to call it a ‘four-wheeler” than a Nano killer. After all, there’s not much left to kill in the Nano; poor market positioning and distribution network has left the car, once touted as the world’s cheapest, struggling to find buyers in the Indian market. Plus, in terms of looks, the RE60 is a bit gawky and doesn’t quite look like a car either.

Nevertheless, it’s highly likely that comparisons will be made, at least in terms of pricing.

According to a Business Line report, the RE60, which weighs barely 400 kilograms, is expected to cost around Rs 1.18 lakh and will be produced in Aurangabad, Bajaj Auto’s production base for its three-wheeler range. Fitted with a 200-cc rear engine, it will have petrol and CNG/LPG fuel options.

During the unveiling of the model, the company outlined some parts of its strategy for selling the RE60.

One, in India, the company is eyeing the market of five million three-wheelers in India, nor ordinary individuals looking to buy their first car, as its target audience. Since Bajaj Auto is the dominant producer of three-wheelers in the country, that means it’s not trying to grab market share from other companies; instead, it will attempt to convert its own customers to opt for the RE60. “I feel that in the next 10 years, that entire fleet can be replaced with something like this,” said Bajaj.

Three-wheeler commuters are unlikely to complain — auto rickshaws and good-carrying three-wheelers have always been perceived to be somewhat of a safety hazard because of their instability (three wheels) and lack of a proper roof or side doors (in the case of auto rickshaws in particular).

According to a Business Today report, the company already has an ally in Delhi’s Chief Minister, Sheila Dixit, who apparently is quite eager to get rid of these “eyesores” (autorickshaws) from the city. “Do not be surprised if a diktat to replace all three-wheelers with products like the RE60 happens within a year or so,” the report noted.

Two, if priced right, the environmental friendliness and high fuel efficiency could add to the allure of the RE60 within its target three-wheeler market. According to media reports, the vehicle’s fuel efficiency is said to be more 35 kilometres per litre. In contrast, the Tata Nano offers about 25 kilometres per litre.

In addition, the RE60 emits just 60 grams of carbon dioxide per kilometre— the lowest for a small car anywhere in the world, according to experts, which should further bolster the appeal of the vehicle among state governments seeking to cut down carbon emissions in urban centres. It is being touted as a green replacement for autorickshaws.

Three, Bajaj Auto plans to aggressively market the RE60 in global markets. At the press conference, Bajaj said that Sri Lanka could, quite possibly, be the first market where the RE60 is launched, even ahead of India. In Sri Lanka, however, the target could be ordinary individuals looking for a cheap self-owned vehicle to commute. Bajaj Auto already exports 10,000 three-wheelers every month to Sri Lanka and 90 percent of them are used for personal travel, the company said.

Africa is another market that the company is keen to tap, especially since public transport in the continent is extremely poor. This strategy leverages on the company’s capacity to sell in overseas markets. “We make about 5,20,000 three-wheelers a year, of which only 2,00,000 are sold in India; the rest are exported,” said Bajaj.

So will the RE60 become the success that the Tata Nano hoped for but has not yet achieved? Only time will tell. But if all goes according to plan (and government regulations permit), we might soon be saying goodbye to our three-wheeler rickshaws.