As Bajaj and NCAP are engaged in a war of words over the safety of the Qute, it was time for Volkswagen to join in and come out in favour of NCAP.
As if the growing competition in the auto industry wasn’t enough, we now have Bajaj and NCAP tussle over the credibility of the accreditation system employed by the latter. And to add to it, Volkswagen has joined in along with NCAP, in response to the statements made by Bajaj Auto. During a press statement issued by Bajaj, they mentioned the Volkswagen Polo, along with other cars who had received a 0-Star NCAP rating.
This didn’t go down too well with Volkswagen, as they responded by calling the information issued by Bajaj Auto misleading, incorrect and without merit. Volkswagen then reminded Bajaj of a press statement that it released in January 2014 which clearly stated that the Polo had received a 4-star safety rating by NCAP, also claiming it to be one of the safest cars in its segment. With Bajaj Auto colliding head on with the UK based passenger car safety evaluation organisation, it wouldn’t be surprising to see other manufacturers join the debate in favour of NCAP.
For those who have just joined in on the issue, the Global NCAP had given a single star safety rating to the Bajaj Qute quadricycle. Bajaj Auto then seemed quite amused with the rating, going on to call the Qute ‘safer’ than several European cars which received a 0-star rating. The NCAP however, was not too amused and they clarified that the procedures employed for testing of quadricycles and cars have a vast difference, and that the ratings must not be confused across platforms.
The Bajaj Qute is aimed to be an eco-friendly alternative to the traditional auto rickshaws. It will run on CNG or LPG, and is powered by a 216cc engine which makes 13 BHP of power at 5500 RPM and 19.6 NM of torque at 4000 RPM with a respectable top speed of 70 km/hr. What’s even better is that the Qute is said to return a mileage of 36 km/l with a fuel tank capacity of 44-litres.
Volkswagen Calls Bajaj Information On Polo Safety Misleading
– Bajaj had claimed that the 1 star rating of the Qute is better than the 0-star rating of cars like the Polo
– VW in reply claimed that the information revealed by Bajaj Auto is misleading and without merit
– They also said that the VW Polo received a 4-Star NCAP rating
