Footage from a South African news broadcast showed dozens of Bajaj Qute vehicles driving through the streets. The quadricycles have mainly been used as transport app vehicles.
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The Qute project began in 2009, when Bajaj announced a partnership with the Renault-Nissan Alliance to produce the vehicle. Only Bajaj remained in the project, and in 2012 it unveiled the RE60, designed for taxi service.
However, the model was only approved in 2019 to operate in India, and then only as a quadricycle, not as a car. The vehicle was renamed Bajaj Qute, but it failed to take off domestically due to its price.
The small quadricycle then began to be sold abroad, and between April 2024 and March 2025 more than 6,400 units were sold in countries such as Egypt, Turkey, and Russia.
In South Africa, it started selling for around $5,000, shaking up the transport market and even causing conflicts with conventional taxi and minibus drivers.
The Qute has four seats and measures just 2.75 m in length, 1.31 m in width, and 1.65 m in height, weighing 449 kg.
Its engine is a rear-mounted, liquid-cooled, four-stroke single-cylinder, delivering 13.4 hp and 2 kgfm of torque, with 216 cm³, fuel injection, and dual ignition.
The vehicle reaches a top speed of 70 km/h with fuel consumption of up to 36 km/l, making it highly economical for short commutes.
Photos: Bajaj. This content was created with the help of AI and reviewed by the editorial team.
