The Hindu : SIAM splits over quadricycle

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Saturday, Nov 22, 2003

Business

Business

SIAM splits over quadricycle

Venu Srinivasan-led TVS Motors is entering the four-wheeler! No, TVS Motors is not going to make cars. It has announced its intention to design a quadricycle (QC). The poor man's four-wheeler, as Mr. Srinivasan claims, is just for the city drive and will have 20bhp 200-250cc capacity engine. After all, with a price tag of around Rs. 75000, a QC should satiate the desire of a two-wheeler owner to graduate to four-wheeler before buying a passenger car. A QC can also be used as a goods transport vehicle. The move, however, has brought a division within SIAM (Society for Indian Automobile Manufacturers), which has been asked by the Government to recommend norms for a QC. Some carmakers in SIAM are up in arms against the move. They fear that QCs may after all be positioned as mass personal transport vehicles for the family. Should this happen, they want QCs to be treated on a par with passenger cars. The safety and environment norms applicable to cars should also be adhered to by QCs. Three-point seat belts, front/side impact norms, crumble zones, collapsible steering and what not. QCs should also have these, say these car manufacturers. The QC issue has brought the TVS, Tatas and Bajaj on the one side. It should prove a quality contest in the end.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Business