Dreams on wheels
Bajaj Auto’s new RE30 looks more like an auto on four wheels — that’s what makes it unique. It seems Bajaj Auto managing director Rajiv Bajaj was inspired by Sri Lankans who use three-wheelers as personal vehicles — 90 per cent of three-wheelers exported there are taken home for use as passenger vehicles. It may be recalled that Tata Group chief Ratan Tata was similarly inspired by seeing families of four and five riding a scooter — this eventually led to the birth of his dream mini-car, the Nano. Happily the Nano still has no competition. Bajaj executives say the RE30 can’t be called a car, instead they prefer to label it a “city taxi”.
It’s good to see top industrialists focusing on the needs of the aspirational classes, and taking them to the next lifestyle level. Their ideas are indigenous and novel. Bajaj was in fact due to come out with a small car in association with Renault and Nissan; later it junked that plan in favour of something that was its USP — the modest but ubiquitous autorickshaw. Another Indian company charting its own path is Hero MotorCorp, which will showcase the world’s first “hybrid scooter” at the ongoing Delhi Auto Expo, to run on petrol and electricity. “Small is beautiful” is a concept that carmakers have chased, both here and abroad, though with the number of high net worth individuals galloping in India, this year’s auto show will have a large number of SUVs, including a swish new one from Maruti.
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