Bajaj Chetak

This is the new Bajaj Chetak C25. While it shares its name with Bajaj’s long-running electric scooter, everything else about it is new. It has been built from the ground up to cater to a new set of buyers - young riders looking for an affordable city runabout. At Rs. 91,400, ex-showroom, it is quite attractively priced. But does that mean making many compromises in various areas? We attempted to answer that by spending a brief amount of time with the new Chetak C25.

Bajaj has done a splendid job of keeping the iconic Chetak silhouette intact while giving C25 its own identity. The overall bodywork looks more compact, sharper, and sleeker. Apron-mounted turn indicators, as seen in the other Chetak models, have been moved to the handlebar while the tail lamp has also seen a major revision, with there being a single LED tail light instead of the split setup on the bigger Chetaks

Moreover, there are new colour options, most of which look youthful and swanky. To add to this, there are minimal graphics only on the rear underseat panels, which blend nicely with the scooter, in my opinion. What I felt was missing was some decals on the front apron to add some substance to the fascia. That said, the Chetak C25 continues to be easy on the eyes and is a good combination of modern and retro design elements.

The quality levels are acceptably good for this class. The paint finish, to be specific, looks premium and well executed, while the panels are tightly put together, though you might notice a few uneven gaps on the handlebar and around the floorboard when looking closely.

As mentioned before, the new Chetak C25 doesn’t share anything with the existing Chetak 30 and 35 series, apart from the name. It is built around a new frame, the wheelbase is more compact at 1225mm, and, at 107kg, the kerb weight is 23kg lower than the older Chetak models. It rides on 12-inch wheels with telescopic forks up front and dual springs at the rear. The braking setup includes a disc and a drum at the front and rear, respectively.

The new Chetak C25 runs on a 2.5kWh NMW (nickel manganese cobalt) battery, which powers a 2.2kW hub-mounted motor. The rest of the Chetaks, on the other hand, get a swingarm-mounted motor and bigger battery options.

The claimed battery range is 113km, and juicing it up from 0 to 80 per cent through Bajaj’s 750W offboard charger takes 2h25m. The top speed of the scooter is 55kmph.

For storage, the Chetak C25 offers a 25-litre underseat boot, which is down from 35 litres on bigger Chetak models. Plus, you have two cubby holes at the front, which can easily accommodate a one-litre bottle each, and the floorboard is pretty spacious. On the feature front, what you get as standard is a sizeable colour LCD console, single ride mode (Drive), and a reverse mode. When you opt for the TecPac by paying an additional Rs. 3,000, you get access to two ride modes (Eco and Sports), music control, hill hold, sequential rear blinkers, guide me home lights, and a display theme change option. You can unlock more connectivity and safety features by opting for the data pack, which starts from Rs. 1,300.

The new Chetak C25 seats you in a natural riding position. You sit upright, the seat is accommodating, and the floorboard offers adequate space. Adding to comfort is the absorbent suspension setup, which smoothens out undulations with commendable plushness. It’s a little on the firmer side, but that helps in keeping the scooter composed over bumps. That said, the ride feels even more settled with a pillion onboard.

Where it might leave you wanting more is in the performance department. Even in Sport mode, the acceleration doesn’t feel sprightly enough to pull off overtakes easily in traffic. While the pickup is decently quick off the line, acceleration feels flat once you get going, and reaching the top speed of 55kmph takes some time.

The Eco mode, as expected, feels even mellower, and there’s a lot of play in the throttle before power comes in and scooters pulling ahead from a standstill. It feels right at home while trundling along through crowded streets, but it starts feeling too slow when the road opens up a bit and almost everyone else outpaces you.

The light kerb weight and narrow tyres come together to deliver nimble handling. It feels super light on its feet while changing directions without feeling unnervingly tippy. That should make it easy for the young target audience to manage the C25 in urban environments.

Stopping power is equally impressive, with the front disc offering ample bite with enough progression to prevent easily locking up the front wheel. Even the rear drum brake is quite efficient at slowing down the scooter.

The new Chetak impressed me the most on the practicality front. Courtesy of the depth of its underseat provision, I could easily squeeze in my size S, full-face KYT helmet by placing it upside down. Each of the front cubby holes is big enough to store a one-litre water bottle, and placing a fairly huge camera bag on the floorboard is doable, with some space left for my feet.

The new Bajaj Chetak C25 is a promising product in the affordable EV segment. After riding it briefly, our first impression says it ticks a lot of the right boxes. It scores quite high in terms of practicality while looking elegant. The seating ergonomics and ride quality are comfortable, while the handling is nimble enough to make it a stress-free city companion. The list of features, though not elaborate, covers most of the crucial bits. We just feel the top speed should’ve been higher and the acceleration (in Sport mode) brisker to make it suitable for occasional, short-distance highway runs.

Having said that, we are waiting to test the new Chetak C25 more comprehensively to verify some important aspects, such as whether the performance is suitable for the application it is meant for, what the actual battery range is, and what the scooter feels like over a longer period of usage.

Photography by Kapil Angane