2024 Bajaj Chetak Premium will be launched officially on January 9 in India and it will get a larger battery pack enabling higher range capabilities
Bajaj Auto is planning to launch a new variant of the Chetak electric scooter on January 9, 2024, in the domestic market. Ahead of its arrival, the Bajaj Chetak Premium has been spotted at a dealership and courtesy of a YouTube video, all of its details have been divulged. The Chetak carries a starting price of close to Rs. 1.27 lakh (ex-showroom) right now and is available in Urbane and Premium grades.
The Urbane will now become the base offering while the Premium will differentiate itself with a slew of updates as it will be positioned a bit higher in the lineup. The 2024 Bajaj Chetak Premium has gained a new TFT instrument cluster as opposed to the LCD display found in the regular variant and is loaded with more features and technologies.
It enables Bluetooth connectivity while a turn-by-turn navigation system will help largely for city users. The new version gets a remote immobiliser, TPMS (Tyre Pressure Monitoring System), call and SMS notifications along with the music. The under-storage capacity has grown by 3 litres to 21 litres and no changes have been made as far as ride modes (Eco and Sports) are concerned.
While the existing Bajaj Chetak is equipped with a 2.9 kWh battery pack with a claimed range of 108 km on a single charge, the larger 3.2 kWh battery will be utilised in the Chetak Premium and it contributes to a longer ride range of 127 km in the Indian Driving Cycle. Thus, the real-world range will also improve compared to the old model.
The top speed has increased to 73 kmph but it is nowhere near some of its main competitors. The charging time is also up by half an hour and it is unknown whether the electric motor will have higher capacity or not. The Bajaj Chetak takes on the Ola S1 series, Ather 450 and TVS iQube and it draws design inspiration from the original Chetak resonating with a retro vibe.
The electric scooter segment has been hotly contested over the last two years and more mainstream manufacturers as well as start-ups are stepping in to make it even more competitive.