Rajiv Bajaj lashes out at cos opposing quadricycles

Rajiv Bajaj, the MD of two-wheeler maker Bajaj Auto, says the opposition by passenger car makers like Maruti Suzuki, Tata Motors and TVS Motor to the quadricycle is purely based on commercial reasons and is a case of "sour grapes."

In an interview with the Business Standard paper, Bajaj particularly took Maruti Suzuki head on. "It (Maruti) has a brand problem. It is stuck in the small-car business. If one has more than Rs 5 lakh in pocket, one does not buy a Maruti. It’s Toyota, Volkswagen, Honda or GM one goes for — not an SX4 or a Kizashi. Maruti already has five companies pressing it from above; now, if somebody looks to squeeze it from below, it gets sandwiched," he told the paper. The Union Government last month approved the quadricycle for commercial use. Bajaj Auto is the only company in the country, which has so far developed a quadricycle, the RE60, and is hoping to launch once the final notifications are issued by the government. Bajaj said the company spent five years developing the product. For others, its a case of missed opportunity and the companies want the norms to be delayed by 2-3 years just so that they can also develop similar vehicles, he adds.