With a logo that is almost a mirror image reflection of Japanese auto giant Suzuki, Bajaj Auto on Tuesday pulled out one of the biggest surprises that promises to be huge for the auto industry — it displayed a prototype of its own Rs 1-lakh car. With an eye to steal the thunder from Tata’s car, that will be unveiled in two days, one would have expected Maruti Suzuki to come up with a ultra-low-cost model, but it is the country’s second largest two wheeler manufacturer that decided to wrest the initiative. However, Bajaj’s car will not hit the market before 2010 — full two years after Tata’s car.

The car that has an uncanny similarity with Maruti’s Zen Estilo, will be developed jointly by Bajaj and Renault-Nissan at an upcoming plant at Chakan in Maharashtra. The company is conducting a feasibility study that will be completed by next month on the basis of which the car would be developed further. “This is definitely not the exact model that will finally be launched and it may see major changes,” said Bajaj Auto managing director Rajiv Bajaj. “The USP of this car will not be its price tag but its fuel efficiency. We are planning to bring out a car that will double the fuel efficiency figures of cars in the country today.”

Bajaj was evasive on the price reiterating that achieving a cost benchmark is not what he is looking for, but Renault-Nissan president and CEO Carlos Ghosn, who has been in talks with Bajaj, has already said that he is interested in developing a $3,000 car with Bajaj that would compete with the Tata car.

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