A cheaper Bajaj Freedom test mule may be on the cards – based on inferences that can be drawn from a fresh spotting of a mule – with differences…
Bajaj Freedom 125 has caught the fancy of an average Indian commuter. This is because the motorcycle has become the first product in the world to come with a CNG tank. This has been done to offer a claimed major reduction in running costs and Bajaj projects that the Freedom can halve your fuel bills as compared to similar petrol powered motorbikes.
The motorcycle currently starts at Rs 95,000 and goes all the way up to Rs 1.10 Lakh – offering the capability to run on dual-fuel – CNG as well as Petrol, if needed. Eagle-eyed readers may have already noticed that Bajaj tagged the Freedom 125 with ‘NG04’ at the rear panel – which is the variant number that the company has finalized for commercial launch.
Well, now it seems the company is gearing up for another surprise as another camouflaged test mule of the motorcycle has been snapped – with differences.
This Freedom test mule is running a much simpler headlamp bracket and the position of the side blinkers has also been changed. The premium fork cover (that has the ‘Freedom’ branding on the current model) has been taken away and what we spot here are tubes covered with cheaper fork gaiters. The mudguard is, again, a simpler unit and this may also get a smaller underbelly engine cover. There may be some other changes as well hidden underneath that camouflage.
What does this lead us to?
This means that Bajaj is planning to offer a cheaper alternate to motorcyclists to make its CNG preposition even more luring – by keeping all the other stronger mechanical aspects intact and taking away a few bells and whistles!
FREEDOM CNG: How Much Can You Save Per Year? An Example
How Cheap?
Well, nobody can simply tell the price by just looking at a test mule as we all are unaware about the actual thought process of the boardrooms. But if I have to guesstimate – a mere 5000 drop may not really do Bajaj a lot of good, so, may be, an 85ish starting price tag for the Freedom could be on the cards.
There is another way to look at it. The 95k entry price tag for the current variant may not be sustainable – which means the current Freedom may see a price rise in the coming months. And then, this cost-cut variant may sneak in with an under-1 Lakh price tag – keeping the preposition affordable for a sustained period of time.
