A Day With The Multix — India’s First Personal Utility Vehicle

Together, Eicher Polaris Pvt. Ltd. announced the launch of India's first Personal Utility Vehicle - the Multix, a vehicle specially designed for entrepreneurs with an offering of 3-in-one adaptability i.e. family, business, and electricity. Yes, you heard it right!

Polar Experience Zone is best known for riding ATVs, Quad bikes, and other off-roaders. However, this time, Eicher Polaris invited journalists from across publications for a media drive, which neither involved an ATV nor an off-roader.

We drove the 3-in-one vehicle - Multix MX variant around the Polar Experience Zone at Roaring Farm in Mumbai. The drive kicked off after the CEO of Eicher Polaris Private Ltd., Mr Pankaj Dubey briefed us about the vehicle. At first, Mr Dubey himself decided to give us a tour of the track, a perfect cocktail of off-road obstacles that included huge speed humps, a steep ramp, logs, and tyres.

Mechanically, a 652cc single-cylinder diesel engine powers both the Multix MX and AX+. The diesel engine produces 12.74hp of power and 37Nm of peak torque.

The engine comes mated to four-speed manual gearbox, which transmits the power to the rear wheels. In return, a mileage of around 28km/l is achievable, which is more or less worthy for a multi-utility vehicle.

Back to the drive, the vehicle tackled all obstacles with ease, thanks to its independent suspension system, coupled with a best-in-class ground clearance of 225mm.

In fact, at one point, five individuals including me roared up a 40-degree angle ramp in the Multix, executing the climb without a cough. A mention must be made of the 5-person accommodation, which was by no means cramped.

The ride quality of the Multix despite being a utility vehicle performs its duty well as an off-roader. The utility vehicle operates smoothly even on the road; the only concerning factor is the top speed of 60km/h.

Enter the cabin, and you're welcomed with enough headroom, yet people taller than 6 feet will find it difficult to sit in the front, as the seats are not adjustable.

The lack of power steering is felt when you have to steer the vehicle from a standstill, but, once on the move, it's easy to manoeuvre. Braking duties are handled by drum brakes, which are effective when the thrust is hard.

The vehicle offers an ample storage space of 418 litres. If you are still in need of a larger boot space, simply fold the rear seat, and you're left with a massive storage space that can gulp in 1918 litres of luggage, carrying loads up to 450kgs.

Another unique feature about the Multix is the X-PORT. This exciting power-take-off feature can generate up to 3KW of electricity with the help of a generator (additional accessory) and can be used for lighting a house with very minimal loss of fuel.

The Multix is available in 2 variants and four colours. The AX+ variant, the one with the hood will be available at price of Rs. 3,19,000 and the MX variant at Rs. 3,49,000 ex-showroom (Mumbai) respectively; you can even book one for yourself at just Rs. 2999.

DriveSpark Thinks! Though the Multix does not have too much on offer, at this price point, we must admit that this Personal Utility Vehicle does stand up to the expectations of being the first-of-its-kind in India.