Kajah Kazwa: First made-in-India MPV launched way before Innova & Ertiga [Video]

India, as a country, holds a lot of potential for car manufacturers. This potential has attracted many new brands that are entering the market and experimenting with a variety of products. The majority of car manufacturers in India are actually not Indian; however, they do offer products suitable for Indian conditions and customers. Back in the late nineties, we had brands like Hindustan Motors and Maruti present in the market. During this time, the Kerala-based beedi manufacturer and ayurvedic healthcare service provider, Rajah Group, also conceived the idea to enter the automobile sector. They developed a brand new product from scratch for India, but due to various reasons, they could not sell the vehicles. It was an MPV named Kazwa. Here, we have a video discussing the history of India’s first MPV.

The video was shared by Talking Cars on their YouTube channel. In this video, the presenters discuss the history, design, exterior, and interior of the MPV. Only three units of Kajah Kazwa remain in the country, and the car seen here is one of them. The car was manufactured by Rajah Group, a company known for tobacco-based products in Kerala. They were also involved in the Ayurvedic healthcare segment. Their aim was to expand their business by entering the automobile sector. They started working towards that and developed 4-5 prototype vehicles in 1998, two years before Toyota officially entered the Indian market with the Qualis.

However, the brand did not receive government approval to manufacture the car. The exact reasons for the denial of approval are not clear. Kajah Kazwa used components sourced from other cars available for sale at that time. This was because sourcing parts from other cars was cheaper than building new ones or looking for vendors to manufacture parts. The exterior of the Kazwa, which still looks contemporary, was built from fiberglass and sheet metal. Although Kajah is no longer manufacturing cars, they are still involved in fiberglass panel manufacturing. They have built panels for manufacturers like Ashok Leyland, Tata Marco Polo, and others.

The MPV seen in the video features a custom-made front grille with an infinity loop logo. The overall design of the MPV appears futuristic for a car launched back in 1998. The MPV was painted in a dual-tone shade, with the upper part finished in violet and the lower half in grey. Violet is a shade not commonly seen on cars even today. The car features 13-inch wire-spoke wheels, and the rear doors are not of the sliding type.

Kajah Kazwa offered a decent number of features for its time. It came with AC, power steering, power windows, and central locking. The MPV is extremely spacious on the inside, and the lower window line contributes to its airy appearance. Kajah Kazwa is actually wider than the Toyota Innova. The engine, suspension, and brakes were all supplied by Hindustan Motors. Kajah even offered a sunroof and alloy wheels with the MPV as optional extras. These features were offered at a time when they they were not very popular in the Indian market.