There's nothing new about a four-wheeler maker entering the two-wheeler segment or vice versa. Yamaha, the Japanese two-wheeler maker, is the newest brand to do that. The two-wheeler giant is planning to enter the four-wheeler segment with a city car.
Yamaha is readying Gordon Murray's Motiv City car, which will be introduced by 2019. At the 2014 Tokyo Motor Show, the maker showcased the Motiv e and also announced its intentions to enter the four-wheeler market.
The company will open a manufacturing unit in Europe to develop the Motiv City car; however the location for facility is yet to be decided. The small car will compete against the likes of the Smart City car, it will be launched in Japan and other emerging Asian markets. The car has been designed by Gordon Murray, the creator of McLaren F1. The Yamaha Motiv is likely to be made available in both the petrol and electric versions. The concept showcased in Tokyo was powered by a 33bhp electric motor, which had a claimed range of 161kms. It takes three hour to get full charge, while the quick charger takes 1 hour to do the same.
The petrol version of the car will be powered by a 1.0-litre, three-cylinder engine which is expected to produce around 70-80bhp. Both automatic and manual version of the car will be on offer.
