Toyota Innova, this is the first name that comes in the minds of those planning to buy an MPV. Other MPVs in the market are not quite popular. But there could have been another rival to the Innova. Before even Innova came to India, and I am taking like the 1990s before, a company which goes by the name Rajah came up with a rarely known MPV named Kajah Kazwa. Why were only 7 of them made? Was it that bad? Or was is that good? Let’s find out.
1998 – Kajah Kazwa is born
Rajah group, an ayurvedic healthcare service provider planned to diversify their business. This is when the plan to manufacture automobiles came in mind. Back in the 1990s, the company decided to make a kit sports car, but the idea remained in minds as there was no partner for the business.
Then in 1994, an idea for building an MPV arose. And the idea took a shape of the car in 1998 which was known as Kajah Kazwa.
Powering the MPV was Hindustan Motors Contessa’s 2.0-litre turbocharged diesel engine. This engine was capable of producing 70hp of power, which was a decent number considering the fact that the Qualis which was launched 2 years after had a power output of 75hp.
The wide windshield made it a great MPV to drive because of the increased visibility. The suspension of the car was also soft and absorbing. Another unique thing about the Kazwa was the chassis. Rajah Motors chose to take a shift from the ladder on frame chassis and instead used a base sheet steel platform on which the car was built. And the body panels were made of fibreglass (now that’s a big NO). We’ll get back to this in a bit.
The Kajah Kazwa was spacious as it was 30mm wider than the Innova. The comfortable seats, power windows, power steering, power mirrors, standard air-conditioning, rear blower, sunroof and alloy wheels, which are common today were a luxury at that time. Kazwa had all of these at the table. But even being this good, why was the MPV never able to hit the roads?
Why did the MPV fail even before hitting the roads?
Well, one reason has been stated earlier. We all know what happened to the Sipani Badal and other fibre-glass cars. The cars failed due to safety issues. This one would have also failed but before that, the company chose not to produce the MPV.
Have a look: SAIL Badal | The Reliant Robin of India
Actually, the automotive industry in India was at that time in a very good condition with many players in the arena. So launching the Kajah Kazwa nationwide would have required marketing and sales team, which unfortunately at that time was missing at the Rajah group. But the company was able to have a launch event for the Kajah Kazwa.
Another reason was the striking resemblance to the Renault Escape MPV. The launch would have resulted in an infringement case thus the idea had to be shelved.
Another one: Sipani Dolphin | The Fiberglass Hot Hatch from the 80s
With some modifications to the body panels (and by some, I mean a change of material), this MPV might have proven a real success in the country due to its wide usage capability and nice features. What do you think about the Kajah Kazwa? Let us know in the comments section below.
Source(s) – [1]
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