Bajaj Auto's quadricycle Qute received a one-star rating-- second to lowest on a band of five--in safety standards test by Euro NCAP. This makes the vehicle one of the least safest vehicles.

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The company, however, is delighted with the rating. In a statement, it said, "Bajaj is further delighted to note that in its maiden endeavor at developing a quadricycle it has, by virtue of the Qute, matched the 1 (one) star rating of European quadricycles such as the Axiam Crossover, as also exceeded the 0 (zero) star rating of others including the Ligier IXO JS."

It said, "The Bajaj Qute was accorded a 1 (one) star rating, superior to the 0 (zero) star rating of popular cars including the VW Polo, Ford Figo, Hyundai i10, Maruti Alto, and Tata Nano."

Bajaj Auto's shares at the end of Thursday's trade on Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) were down 0.92% or Rs 21.95, at Rs 2,374.80 per piece. 

Watch Euro NCAP safety test of Bajaj Qute here:

Touted as world's cheapest car--Tata Nano--had received a zero star by Global NCAP in 2014.

In a statement quoted by news-agency PTI, S Ravikumar, President Business Development and Assurance, Bajaj Auto, said owing to its higher safety, lower emissions, and unparalleled fuel Qute is finding favour amongst two and three-wheeler consumers who cannot afford a car.

The company did not respond to emails sent by dna. 

S Ravikumar, President Business Development and Assurance, Bajaj Auto, in the press statement said, "Even as Qute goes from strength to strength in its global markets, Bajaj continues to await clearance for the sales of Qute in India." He added the vehicle has also been accorded one star safety rating by Euro NCAP.

The European New Car Assessment Programme (Euro NCAP) is a European car safety performance assessment programme based in Brussels (Belgium). It was founded in 1997 by the Transport Research Laboratory for the UK Department for Transport and backed by several European governments, as well as by the European Union, Wikipedia says.

The two-wheeler maker has set an ambitious target to export 10,000 units of Qute in this fiscal (FY17).

The company on Thursday said the mini four-wheeler which had been introduced in October last year has exported a total of 334 units in 19 markets which include Turkey, Russia, Indonesia and Peru in FY16.

"With a strong positive reception in all markets without exception, production at Waluj (plant) is being ramped up to export over 500 Qute in April 2016 alone. Currently total exports for FY17 are estimated at 10,000 units," Ravikumar said.

However, most of the vehicles in the quadricycles segment received either a one-star or two-star rating, exposing fundamental safety problems.

Toyota iQ is the only vehicle in the category to receive a five star rating.

Euro NCAP, secretary general, Michiel van Ratingen, in a Mint report, said that it was disappointing to see that quadricycles are still lacking the basic safety features that are common in small cars.

He further added that by not challenging the manufacturers to do more, legislators continue to give a false impression to consumers that these vehicles are fit for the purpose.

Qute is not yet sold in India as the Supreme Court is currently hearing the public interest litigation filed by the Automotive Engineers Association and the Auto-rickshaw Drivers Association. The two had approached the Court on the grounds of Bajaj Qute's safety and their potential to affect the livelihood of auto-rickshaw drivers.

The government on the other hand has told the Supreme Court that the introduction of the vehicle will improve the last mile connectivity in the country.

Bajaj however is not leaving any stone unturned and has launched an advertising campaign on social media titled '#FreeTheQute' urging people to support the vehicle. The company says that Qute is “The greenest and the leanest 4-wheeler with a global footprint needs your support to be on Indian roads”.

The company has even created a special micro-site for Bajaj Qute which features “safety videos” of the vehicle.  

Watch Bajaj's safety test video here: