About two years ago, Tata Motors had been one of carmakers who had been objecting against creation of a new vehicle category known as quadricycles. The company had objected to its creation citing low safety standards. This time around the company seems to thinking positively about the concept and has reportedly been working on its very own quadricycle with a new petrol engine under 'project Bravo'.
Sources have indicated that the vehicle is likely to be developed based on Tata's Iris light commercial vehicle platform and is expected to be launched sometime in 2008. Tata Motors is believed to be the last one in taking a step towards the new concept where Bajaj has already taken a lead with the RE60, whereas Mahindra and Piaggio has been closely trailing behind and have indeed sped up their process.
The company has denied to speak on its future products, however as source close to the development process has stated, “The quadricycle project is in a very early stage right now and the product is being finalized in many aspects. One can expect requests for qualification to be sent to suppliers in a few months.” Commenting further, Gaurav Vangaal, senior analyst for light vehicle forecasting at IHS Automotive, said, “The potential of quadricycles has been well recognized by Bajaj, and Tata’s entry into this segment should not be seen as a surprise. Most big manufacturers will follow suit. The worry, though, is Bajaj’s first-mover advantage.”
Source: BS
