Bajaj Chetak Premium: Same Price, Other Options

What else can you get for the price of the top-end variant of Bajaj’s electric scooter?

After a long and storied development phase, the Bajaj Chetak was finally launched in two variants last year - Urbane and Premium. The difference between the two is a front disc brake and some premium trim. However, the higher variant, at Rs 1.15 lakh, is Rs 15,000 more expensive than the Urbane. So, what else can you pick up for this sort of money?

Bajaj Pulsar 220F BS6

You don’t have to go far because right under the Bajaj umbrella, you could get yourself a Pulsar 220F, recently updated to BS6 emission standards. The bike has been around for a while but its semi-faired design has aged well and its 220cc motor churns out a healthy 20.4PS and 18.55Nm even in BS6 form. All this can be yours for Rs 1.17 lakh.

Royal Enfield Bullet X 350 BS6

At the opposite end of the design spectrum sits the Royal Enfield Bullet - a model name so ubiquitous that it’s often used to describe any and every motorcycle built by the Chennai manufacturer. The Bullet X 350 is the most affordable of the lot, at Rs 1.21 lakh, and has recently received fuel-injection as part of its BS6 update.

Bajaj Avenger Cruise 220 BS6

Despite its seemingly large 346cc motor, the Bullet isn’t too much fun out on the highway. A bike that is well suited to long distance cruising, though, is the Bajaj Avenger Cruise 220. The relaxed ergonomics and tall front screen mean that you can stretch your legs and munch miles in comfort. Also recently updated to BS6 standards, it’ll cost you Rs 1.17 lakh.

Suzuki Intruder BS6

If you fall on the ‘love it’ side of the Intruder’s ‘love it/hate it’ looks, you can buy yourself a refined, comfortable and eye-catching 155cc cruiser that’s as suited to highway miles as it is to the urban commute. In this BS6 guise, it features fuel-injection, churns out 13.6PS and 13.8Nm, and will set you back by Rs 1.20 lakh.

Vespa SXL 125 BS6

The Chetak is a scooter, and a pretty stylish one at that, so we should tell you what other stylish scooters you can get in this price range. Well, if charging is an issue for you, and you can instead pick up a Vespa SXL 125. Breaking away from the traditional round Vespa theme, this one features a smart rectangular headlight and rear view mirrors, and can be all yours for Rs 1.14 lakh in BS6 form.