When Bajaj Auto unveiled the RE60 last Tuesday, the joke was that it had added another wheel to its autorickshaw. The company itself prefers the generic four-wheeler term, though 'car' does pop up in conversations with executives.
Bajaj veterans such as vice-president of commercial vehicle market development CK Rao say the RE60 was no big deal. So was the vehicle a romp for a company best known for motorcycles and three wheelers?
One person who begs to differ happens to be Bajaj chief technology officer A Joseph, who heads the R&D team credited with producing the RE60. Joseph, who has spent 22 years with Bajaj, says it was a massive challenge to get the RE60 right. The first problem was that the company had gone "substantially" into the small car project with Renault-Nissan. The idea was dropped (Bajaj says it didn't make business sense).
Bajaj veterans such as vice-president of commercial vehicle market development CK Rao say the RE60 was no big deal. So was the vehicle a romp for a company best known for motorcycles and three wheelers?
One person who begs to differ happens to be Bajaj chief technology officer A Joseph, who heads the R&D team credited with producing the RE60. Joseph, who has spent 22 years with Bajaj, says it was a massive challenge to get the RE60 right. The first problem was that the company had gone "substantially" into the small car project with Renault-Nissan. The idea was dropped (Bajaj says it didn't make business sense).
Joseph and his team now had to "redefine the product completely". "Everything...right from the 'specing' had to be redone," he says. From scratch. "There were no benchmarks. You had find the most effective way."
Clear Targets
Still, Joseph says the aim was clear. "We wanted to make do with conventional materials." The team built the structure on steel, which Joseph says is important from the Indian perspective. "There are cars abroad made with aluminium. That saves weight, but it is also bloody expensive." So the team got down to "optimise the product".
It wasn't easy. The car had to weigh under 400 kg. It had to offer a fuel economy of 35 km a litre. Those became the macro targets. The team then "decomposed"these targets down to what they meant for the power train and the vehicle side. "Then we got into designing each component."
Again, there were difficulties. Joseph says the vehicle or power-train configuration had to be done in compact size. "The rear passenger seat sits over the engine, unlike a conventional product. So the entire engine had to be very compact. It's flat so that you could achieve the lowest possible height for the rear seat."
Marrying low cost, performance and innovation was another challenge. "How were we to squeeze a five-speed gear box in the small space? The packaging had to fit in a tiny space and yet be serviceable from certain specific points. That took a lot of work," says Joseph.
Joseph says the power train and vehicle teams worked together and the symbiotic existence is visible. To cite an example, he says the power trains were begging for clean air. "Hence the grills on the side of the car." At times, Bajaj had to involve its two-wheeler teams in RE60. Soon, there was only the prototyping and testing left. The entire project took about two and a half years.
Joseph says his team of 850 is extremely experienced in design. He is also proud that it was an indigenous job. "We are not a bunch of guys nominated to go and buy technology. Whether it is bikes or cars, we do it ourselves." The car has been criticised for the lack of an air conditioner. Joseph, the chief technology officer, has a rustic solution. "Open the windows."
Car from Bajaj-Renault-Nissan: Three is not a Company?
With the RE60, Bajaj Auto now has a car, well, four-wheeler in its stable. Its off-and-on partner, the Renault-Nissan alliance, is jostling for space in a crowded Indian market. But what happens to the ultra low-cost car the three announced in 2008?
Bajaj had even showcased a concept car that year. But a year and many stumbling blocks, including differences over pricing and engineering solutions, later, the project was shelved. Bajaj quickly moved to the RE60. Nissan too was busy with its own products, notably the Micra and Sunny. At the Auto Expo, the company launched a multi-purpose vehicle called the Evalia while Renault unveiled the Pulse hatchback and the Duster SUV.
Auto Expo 2012: Full Coverage
Still, talk of their low-cost car refuses to die. This despite conflicting signals from both sides. Nissan executive vice-president Andy Palmer said the company is open to tie-ups with Bajaj. He also said there is no confirmation on the low-cost car. Bajaj Auto MD Rajiv Bajaj didn't really shed a light by saying Renault and Nissan can walk away if they don't like the RE60. In truth, chances of bringing the low-cost car back from the dead have never been so bleak.
Separate Paths
In the months to come, Bajaj will be busy with the RE60. Marketing apart, the company will launch improved versions and variants, says Bajaj Auto CTO A Joseph. After the RE60, confidence among Bajaj Auto R&D team members is at an all-time high. Joseph says if the company decides to make a car, "we will do it".
As for Nissan, the company is exploring the option of producing a car priced below the entry-level Micra, which costs about Rs 4 lakh. The lure is strong. Nissan vice-president Gilles Normand says 40-45% market of the Indian market is below Rs 4 lakh and it is a section that Nissan is not competing. "We definitely want to address the below Rs 4-lakh segment."
Normand says Nissan will announce the "how, when and what of the strategy in 2012". The company recently announced an alliance director for the development of the A (entry) level segment. "It is a strong statement of our intention to enter the below Rs 4-lakh segment."
So what are the chances of a product between a four-wheeler and a sub-Rs 4 lakh car? "Frankly speaking, the plate is already full. And we have so many plates in front of us," says Normand. Another factor working against the low-cost car is that the companies can do without the other. Bajaj made the RE60 on its own. In Nissan's case, Normand says 80% of Micra and 90% of Sunny is made locally. What does Normand think of the RE60? "It is fair to say the product is off our natural boundaries."
Car from Bajaj-Renault-Nissan: Three is not a Company?
With the RE60, Bajaj Auto now has a car, well, four-wheeler in its stable. Its off-and-on partner, the Renault-Nissan alliance, is jostling for space in a crowded Indian market. But what happens to the ultra low-cost car the three announced in 2008?
Bajaj had even showcased a concept car that year. But a year and many stumbling blocks, including differences over pricing and engineering solutions, later, the project was shelved. Bajaj quickly moved to the RE60. Nissan too was busy with its own products, notably the Micra and Sunny. At the Auto Expo, the company launched a multi-purpose vehicle called the Evalia while Renault unveiled the Pulse hatchback and the Duster SUV.
Auto Expo 2012: Full Coverage
Still, talk of their low-cost car refuses to die. This despite conflicting signals from both sides. Nissan executive vice-president Andy Palmer said the company is open to tie-ups with Bajaj. He also said there is no confirmation on the low-cost car. Bajaj Auto MD Rajiv Bajaj didn't really shed a light by saying Renault and Nissan can walk away if they don't like the RE60. In truth, chances of bringing the low-cost car back from the dead have never been so bleak.
Separate Paths
In the months to come, Bajaj will be busy with the RE60. Marketing apart, the company will launch improved versions and variants, says Bajaj Auto CTO A Joseph. After the RE60, confidence among Bajaj Auto R&D team members is at an all-time high. Joseph says if the company decides to make a car, "we will do it".
As for Nissan, the company is exploring the option of producing a car priced below the entry-level Micra, which costs about Rs 4 lakh. The lure is strong. Nissan vice-president Gilles Normand says 40-45% market of the Indian market is below Rs 4 lakh and it is a section that Nissan is not competing. "We definitely want to address the below Rs 4-lakh segment."
Normand says Nissan will announce the "how, when and what of the strategy in 2012". The company recently announced an alliance director for the development of the A (entry) level segment. "It is a strong statement of our intention to enter the below Rs 4-lakh segment."
So what are the chances of a product between a four-wheeler and a sub-Rs 4 lakh car? "Frankly speaking, the plate is already full. And we have so many plates in front of us," says Normand. Another factor working against the low-cost car is that the companies can do without the other. Bajaj made the RE60 on its own. In Nissan's case, Normand says 80% of Micra and 90% of Sunny is made locally. What does Normand think of the RE60? "It is fair to say the product is off our natural boundaries."
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