It recently came to light that Bajaj Auto will be launching a new generation model of the Chetak electric scooter. This will be the first major upgrade for Chetak ever since it was first introduced in the market in early 2020. The new-gen Chetak Electric is slated to break cover on December 20.
Ahead of its launch, a test mule of the electric scooter was recently caught on the camera. The partially camouflaged test mule was spotted testing near Bajaj’s Chakan plant, near Pune. As suspected earlier, the images suggest no major changes in design of the new Chetak.
New-gen Bajaj Chetak: Changes expected
The new-gen Bajaj Chetak is expected to be underpinned by a brand new chassis which although the top hat will remain unchanged. The main purpose of the redesigned chassis is to make it a more practical scooter for everyday use. The current Chetak offers very little underseat storage since the battery pack takes up most of the space.
As a result, in the upcoming iteration Bajaj will reposition the battery pack, most probably underneath the floorboard. This will help free up space underneath the seat. As for the recent sightings, the spy shots reveal the same retro design featuring a round LED headlight, curvy body panels, and bulbous rear profile although the sleek taillamps appear to be reshaped slightly.
The scooter was also seen carrying some load at the rear in order to give the scooter a near-perfect assumption of the range offered in the updated Chetak with a pillion onboard. Since the chassis will be reconstructed, we expect Bajaj to make minor changes to the hardware configurations of the Chetak.
As seen in the images, the new Chetak rides on steel rims and uses drum brakes at both ends. Another notable miss is a lockable glovebox in the front panel which is seen in the current model. The upcoming iteration will also miss out on keyless start/stop and will make do with a physical ignition slot. Further, the new Chetak is likely to boast of a more humble LCD instrument panel instead of the TFT unit offered in the existing model.
New-gen Bajaj Chetak:Expected specs & price
There is no word on the specs of the new Chetak, but given the repositioning of the battery, there are chances that Bajaj might offer a battery with different capacity for the new Chetak. Currently, Bajaj Chetak comes with two battery options: 2.88 kWh and 3.2 kWh. The company also offers an optional TecPac package across all variants, enhancing the vehicle with features like a Sport ride mode and a color TFT instrument panel.
The updated battery is expected to extend the range beyond the current models’ 123 km and 137 km, depending on the variant. Given the more humble equipment on offer, the new Chetak is expected to be slightly more affordable than the current version which is priced between Rs Rs 96,000 and Rs 1.29 lakh (ex-showroom).
