2024 Bajaj Chetak Premium First Ride Review: The Perfect Commuter EV

Chetak has been a scooter for multiple generations, and in most families, it must've been the humble steed of grandparents, then parents and now us – the grandchildren, but of course in different avatars. In its modern-day electric avatar, the Bajaj Chetak has grabbed a lot of attention since its launch in 2020 with its classiness, practicality and sheer charm. 

However, there were a couple of drawbacks, namely features, range and top speed. And Bajaj has tried to address them all with the new update.

Features

Let’s head right into the most important aspect of the update – the features. Sure, the Chetak had a lovely neo-retro style appeal to it, but the lack of modern features, especially compared to its rivals, was a little bit of a downer. And changing that up for 2024 is a new TFT console, smartphone connectivity and a few more things. 

So now, instead of the classy round LCD console, you get a rectangular TFT unit. Sure it doesn’t have the same charm, but the console has a really clean layout with all the information that you would need right in front of you. It is very easy to get used to it and read it at a glance. It now features turn-by-turn navigation, music control, and call/notification alerts, all via the Chetak app on your smartphone. 

Connecting your phone to the scooter is a pretty quick, simple and hassle-free process. And using the maps or controlling the music is pretty intuitive. Now you need to keep in mind that these cool features come with the TECPAC packages, which cost a bit more.

So in terms of features, this is a major upgrade, and all pretty seamless to use. That said, I do have one grouse with the console: it is a little difficult to read under harsh sunlight.

A City Trotter (performance)

The second aspect of the update is the performance, which has gotten better by 10kmph, the Chetak now claiming a 73kmph top speed. The funny thing is, riding in the city, I managed to clock almost 80kmph on the speedo – a happy revelation. 

Now, sure, most people might think that this is a rather slow number, but the Chetak is a true city trotter which will mostly be used for short commutes, and these speeds for that is perfectly acceptable. And the important thing to note is that the overall performance is pretty fun and can get you out of the traffic quickly enough. If I may be honest, I had a lot of fun zipping this electric scooter through the traffic-laden roads of Pune during the day time.

There is one thing, though: with the particular scooter that I was driving, the throttle body felt too sensitive and would twist almost immediately and yet had a small delay. It won’t be much of an issue after a while of riding though, as you would get used to it easily.

One of the more satisfying things to observe was that even though the battery percentage on the scooter drops, the performance that it delivers remains consistent. This makes for a lively riding experience no matter what.

Range

Even though the range of the electric scooter has increased, we haven’t been able to do the drain test on it yet so we won’t be able to give an accurate figure just yet. However, in our road test of the previous-gen Chetak, we were delighted to notice that it managed to offer more than what Bajaj claims it would.

Ride Quality

Similar to its predecessor, the new Chetak is a pretty easy-going, light and nimble electric scooter which makes it excellent for crowded roads. One of the most fascinating things about the Chetak is the comfort, even for a 6’2” large guy like me. The seat, riding posture, handlebar position and floorboard just partake in making you comfy.

The suspension setup on the Chetak is really good as well, offering an extremely plush riding experience. It takes on everything – bad roads, cement strips, bumps without batting an eyelid. To give you a perspective, I decided to take the Chetak on an offroad patch along with a pillion, and both of us were really comfortable through the entirety of it.

Verdict

Apart from the above-mentioned updates, the Chetak, especially its classy design and styling with the neo-retro charm, remains to be more or less the same. And the updates have only made the electric scooter more modern and a better contender in the electric scooter space.

So while the Premium variant costs Rs 1,35,463, the addition of the TECPAC package brings it up to Rs 1,44,463. Sure it is a premium price to pay, but at this price, you do get a no-nonsense, feature-packed, good-looking and solid electric scooter that is quite reliable.