Bajaj Auto bets on the RE60 Four Wheeler to fend off competition in the 3 wheeler space; Crucial details inside!

A Maruti Suzuki of the three wheeler world. That, in a nutshell would describe Bajaj Auto, a giant in the Indian passenger three wheeler market with an overwhelming 47% market share. In other words, one of every two three wheelers sold in India is a Bajaj. It isn’t India alone, Bajaj is a big exporter of its autorickshaws, exporting almost 35% of its production which is a massive number compared to its competition. Three other major competitors like Piaggio, Greaves and TVS make up for the other half of the market and hence dominant would be a mild word to describe Bajaj Auto in the passenger carrier three wheeler sector.

2012 Bajaj RE60 Four Wheeler

Yet, Bajaj sees competition intensifying over the next few years in the three wheeler segment and knows that it has to constantly watch its back. Add to this, the fact that many state governments aren’t giving out permits for autorickshaws in the already overcrowded big cities of India, the pressure to perform and maintain its lead becomes all the more imperative.

Bajaj hopes that a disruptive product that challenges status quo and becomes the new engine of growth in the three wheeler sector is what it takes for it to maintain its leadership and profitability. It is then somewhat ironic that Bajaj’s three wheeler business will see the next big growth cycle through a four wheeler.

That’s right, the Bajaj RE60 four wheeler that the Pune based automaker unveiled in early January is what Bajaj will be betting on to give it the competitive advantage. Bajaj Auto’s managing director, Rajiv Bajaj even goes on to add that the purpose of the RE60 is to raise the bar so high in the three wheeler segment that Bajaj’s competitors are left reeling.

2012 Bajaj RE60 Four Wheeler

* The RE60 is a four seat, four wheeled passenger carrier that can run on petrol and CNG.

* The load carrier variant of the RE60 is also in the pipeline.

* To do all this and more, RE60 is powered by a 200cc, four stroke DTSi, liquid cooled four valve engine delivering between 16 to 20 Bhp.

* The RE60 weighs 400 Kg and is touted to deliver a fuel economy of a whopping 35 Kmpl.

* The RE60 will be launched by the end of 2012, at a price anticipated to be about INR 1 Lakh!

Via MoneyControl

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January 20, 2012 | By Jay Prashanth · Tags: Bajaj Auto, Bajaj RE60 Four Wheeler, Rajiv Bajaj

Comments

One Response to “Bajaj Auto bets on the RE60 Four Wheeler to fend off competition in the 3 wheeler space; Crucial details inside!”

Sridhar on January 22nd, 2012 9:27 pm

I really wonder if this would work. Auto drivers don’t make much money in transporting 2-3 people in a trip, instead they do so by stuffing 5-7 people in most towns.

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