DHAKA: It’s got four wheels and seatbelts, but Bajaj Auto, the creator of India’s first quadricycle, would rather you didn’t call it a car.

Bajaj Auto is marketing the RE60 as a more stable and comfortable alternative to the three-wheeled autorickshaws ubiquitous on India’s roads even though it looks like a small hatchback car and is expected to cost less.

Weight, top speed and other specifications, including safety standards, mean the RE60 will not be classified as a car. But that didn’t stop executives from India’s top automakers such as Tata Motors from comparing it to a car and finding its safety features come up short.

Rajiv Bajaj, the company’s managing director, insists the RE60 is neither a car nor an autorickshaw.

The government is even creating a new classification category for the vehicle, which is expected to be launched within months, reports The Straits Times.

BDST: 1314 HRS, FEB 24, 2014