In the modern day and age where everything that you read on the Internet is assumed to be true and every WhatsApp forward is considered the gospel truth, we are here to help sanity prevail. In the last few weeks, if you are a WhatsApp user in India, you would have more than likely received a forward that stated 'World's Cheapest Car from BAJAJ, Rs 60,000. Online Booking Started Today Onwards'.... Lets not beat around the imaginary bush then - it is FAKE! Not only is Bajaj not launching a car that looks like the one in the pictures that usually come along with this questionable WhatsApp, the car in question is actually 6 years old! Bajaj since has developed the car further and improved it substantially to make the Bajaj Qute. The Bajaj Qute (which is actually classified as a quadricycle and not a car) was originally launched in 2015 and comes with a single cylinder water-cooled DTSi, 4-valve engine that makes 13 bhp.
(Production version of the Bajaj Qute launched in 2015)
The Qute has a top speed of 70kmph and offers a fuel economy figure of 36kmpl! Although Bajaj has managed to export a few Qutes worldwide, the car is not available in India due to regulations that do not allow quadricycles to be sold in India for private use. Globally, countries that allow quadricycles - such as France - have a separate set of rules for these vehicles that can also usually be driven by individuals under the official driving age with a special permit. Interestingly, the Qute does meet international regulations like the European WVTA (Whole Vehicle Type Approval) certification awarded by RDW Netherlands.
That said, coming back to why we are writing about the Qute again in 2017, that questionable WhatsApp forward, the possibility of Bajaj selling the Qute in India anytime soon is unlikely. This will be compounded by the fact that the Qute might not meet future 4-wheeler crash test regulations that India will have soon as it does not have any airbags. So, before you get your hopes up about a car that costs as much as an iPhone 7, its always good to verify the facts.
