Piaggio's NT3 Concept : Futuristic 'Rickshaw'

Unbeknown to many, at this year's Milan Motorcycle Show a couple of weeks ago, Italian bike major Piaggio took the wraps off a concept which it has been working on for a long time. Given that Piaggio came up with a three-wheeled version of its Vespa scooter in the early 1950s, that theme was taken to both goods and passenger carrying variants. Interestingly, almost five decades on, these goods carriers and autorickshaws remain are pretty much the bedrock upon which go all the way back to the original Ape three-wheeler.

Many have tried to push the envelope as far as the basic design thrust on the three-wheeler theme is concerned but practically everyone got mired in some detail or the other and that clean simple character of the original three-wheeler could never be encompassed. In fact none other than Bajaj Auto was one of the early movers to initiate such a move on the three-wheeler theme and had a project underway with Italian design house I.De.A. Institute sometime in the late 1980s to try and rethink the autorickshaw for the next century. Nothing much came out of that for the simple reason that it was too cost intensive for its time.

Pioneer Piaggio however kept on trying and with the advent of not just the Tata Nano but also the Magic and the Ace from India's largest vehicle manufacturer, it was time to strike out on the original Ape theme but fast forward it to the second decade of this new century. Enter the NT3 then, which despite the figure 3 in the model nomenclature is a proper four-wheeler which retains many a design detail from the original Ape but harnesses them to optimize ergonomics, internal cabin packaging, overall proportions and better vehicle control while coming up with an all contemporary style.

The NT3 certainly does look like a futuristic auto rickshaw albeit with one key difference. Instead of the 3-wheel standard of Piaggio's commercial vehicles and despite the misleading name, the NT3 features 4 wheels in the locations where you would expect them to be. And while the seating solution might seem traditional at first, on closer inspection it seems more like that from a McLaren F1 (with the driver in the centre and two passengers a little farther back on either side) than from an auto rickshaw.

Design-wise, the NT3 not only resembles Piaggio's 3-wheelers, namely the Ape, but also takes distinct styling cues from the Italian company's line of legendary Vespa scooters. These can especially be noticed in the car’s profile view, with its uncovered front wheels and a rear wheel cover reminiscent of the rear mud guards from the Vespa scooter, while the front end design brings over many elements from the Ape 3-wheeler. Nostalgic design apart, the underpinnings of the NT3 are radically modern. The entire vehicle is designed around a lightweight yet robust spaceframe chassis with a crashbox made of high resistance steel, meeting current safety standards in the process. Even the NT3’s powertrain has been integrated within its rear suspension layout allowing the engineers to keep the mechanicals extremely compact, while at the same time, lowering the NT3’s centre of gravity. This solution is also said to provide a more comfortable ride as well as lower NVH levels.

Innovations just don't end here though because the NT3 is much more than just the chassis and its unique drivetrain placement. The entire base of the driver and passenger compartment is a seamless tub, which is not only kinder to the environment with its liberal use of recycled materials, but also keeps helps keep not just manufacturing costs on the lower side  but also reduces weight significantly. To make it as versatile as any current 3-wheeler, the NT3 also features reclining or removable passenger seats allowing larger objects to be carried in the back. The doors, which are available on the higher-end version, feature an innovative style of opening which allows them to slide forward, making parking in tight spaces more convenient. MacPherson strut suspension up front and Omega suspension at the back endows this compact 2.4 metre long and 1.5 metre wide car with nippy handling, making it ideal for the modern urban street beat.

The NT3’s flexibility is not just limited to its seating and carrying abilities though. Piaggio says that this custom compact car will be available with three engine options – a 200cc petrol engine for ultra-low emissions, high mileage and lower operational costs especially in markets like India, a 300cc engine derived from the high-tech Piaggio MP3 3-wheeled scooter for maximum performance and a 300cc petrol-electric hybrid engine for the zero-emissions paradigm. The computer controlled hybrid motor can provide the performance of the petrol engine, allowing speeds of up to 80km/h, as well as a zero emissions mode which is limited to 30km/h.

I must come in here and expound on the top line variant which comes with the sliding doors. This is the logical rival to the Tata Nano if ever there is to be a pukka city car true to its name. In the 1950s Piaggio had built and marketed a small peoples car known as the Piaggio P400. This was a much more moderner version of a two-door two-seater automobile patterned on the lines of the Fiat 500 Topolino. This vehicle was small and light yet strong and beautifully made. However, when the Agnelli family bought Piaggio, this car was discontinued for obvious reasons. The new NT3 in its top end version could be the one to offer the well heeled a good city car with all modern conveniences and features built in. Much like Gordon Murray's T.25 citycar, the Piaggio NT3 could be just the ticket for a big move by Piaggio to tap the minds for a honest-to-goodness citycar, be it in India, south-east Asia or Europe.

Speaking exclusively to ZigWheels, Piaggio India's CEO Ravi Chopra said "The NT3 is a clear highlight of the innovation and the technological capability of the Piaggio group for it marries tradition with innovation. The NT3 is now beyond the concept stage and is very much into the prototype test phase in Italy. In fact, both models on display at Milan were runners and our group chairman Mr Roberto Colannino is bullish on this vehicle doing large numbers in India."

Piaggio says that the NT3 will make it to production by end 2012 - early 2013 and that the company has big plans for India. Not only is Piaggio looking at selling large numbers here (obviously in both autorickshaw passenger carrying application as well as a version or two for personal use), it also plans to manufacture the NT3 locally in India. Piaggio has already announced plans for a major expansion in India wherein not only will it get back to scooters come 2012 (with the P125 EX) but that it is also far advanced with plans to set-up an integrated manufacturing facility for powertrains. The latter will come in handy when it comes time to making the engines and transmissions for the NT3 along with the other vehicles in the Piaggio India portfolio. Expect a diesel-engined version as well but for sure the petrol looks the more likely and logical powerplant for India given its power to displacement ratio.

If costs can be kept low and the manufacturing simple, the NT3 could just be the next big thing in the people carrier movement as also the low cost car segment for the developing world. I am sure it will complement the Tata Nano but having said that, the NT3 does look all set to completely change the way all of us look at the auto rickshaw. Enough time therefore for the Magic Iris and the Magic Ace to tweak their repertoire.