Showing posts with label Bajaj. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Bajaj. Show all posts
Monday, August 31, 2015
Will Bajaj Pulsar 200 NS help drain Hero Honda’s market?
Hero Honda is clearly the leader in the Indian bike market even though its share is slipping below the 50 per cent-mark, and now with Bajaj unveiling a new model under its Pulsar series christened the Pulsar 200 NS, an economically-priced sports bike, will it be able to drain the market share of Hero Honda further?
After all, the Pulsar 200 NS is undoubtedly one of the finest sports bikes which will be within the reach of the middle class. It will be commercially available in around three months.
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| The Bajaj Pulsar 200 NS |
An upbeat Bajaj Auto managing director Rajiv Bajaj averred, “The Bajaj Pulsar 200 NS is the best sports bike for the middle class. It will be commercially launched from start of the next fiscal through our 600 dealers in the country. The price will most likely be lower than Rs 1 lakh.”
The model is expected to have cutting-edge engine which sets new standards in performance, emission as well as fuel efficiency, Bajaj Auto’s chief technology officer Abraham Joseph said.
The engine of this new Pulsar will be based on the 200 cc mill from the KTM 200 Duke. The engine will be liquid cooled SOHC using not two (surprise!) but three spark plugs – Digital Triple Spark ignition is what they term it, claiming it to be the first in the world.
The company also unwrapped its triple spark technology. “You can hope for some more triple spark motorcycle roll outs this year,” Bajaj added.
The engine of the Bajaj Pulsar 200 NS is capable of 23.5 PS@9,500 rpm and 18.3 Nm@8,000 rpm, indicating low-down performance, which is a plus.
However, the fuel capacity is only 12 litres. The bike maker claims a fuel economy of 58 kms to a litre. So, with a full tank, the Pulsar 200 NS can travel only 696 kms. The bike weighs 145 kg, which is a tad heavy.
Production of the new Pulsar 200 NS will begin at Bajaj’s Chakan plant. There were more surprises in store. “We are also planning to launch a gigantic Pulsar next year,” Bajaj further said.
Bajaj revealed that growth for the two-wheeler industry would be 2-3 per cent this quarter. “This annual growth for the industry is likely to be only 10 per cent,” he said.
With its economic pricing (below Rs 1 lakh), which is a steal for a sports bike, Bajaj will surely get a big chance to erode the market share of Hero Honda to below 50 per cent in the near to medium term with the Pulsar 200 NS launch.
Wednesday, August 26, 2015
Quadricycles would not bring end to three-wheelers
We are going to see new four-wheelers on our roads soon with the government giving green light to quadricycles to ply on the city’s streets but are they going to be a threat to our omnipresent auto rickshaws?
So, what is a quadricycle? Well, the simplest answer would be that it is something in between a Tata Nano and an auto rickshaw. It is a hard-bodied structure with doors and is safer than auto rickshaws. The maximum speed they can touch is substantially lower than four-wheelers.
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| The Bajaj RE60 is a quadricycle. |
But the engine is almost the same as an auto rickshaw. These quadricycles will come with engines in the range of 250 cc, which are similar to that of auto rickshaws.
In contrast, the engine of the Nano is 615 cc, which implies that these quadricycles do not even come close in comfort levels in comparison to the Nano.
On the other hand, four-wheelers have an engine which is above 800 cc and luxury cars have engine capacity above 2,000 cc.
So, the comfort levels and stability are much higher for four-wheelers compared to a quadricycle.
So, the comfort levels and stability are much higher for four-wheelers compared to a quadricycle.
But the sad part is that you cannot buy one for your family as these quadricycles have been allowed only for commercial use, such as a taxi. If allowed to buy, a quadricycle, like the one developed by Bajaj (the RE60) would come for Rs 1.25 lakh.
A government panel has given permission to the quadricycles to ply as a public transport vehicle but within the city’s municipal limits.
This decision would bring smiles to the faces of certain companies like Bajaj Auto, which would immediately step up production of the RE60. So are India’s metro cities going to see RE60 taxis in the near future, say in about six months to a year?
After the decision to introduce quadricycles, a road ministry statement said, “A separate category has been set aside for the quadricycle adopting present norms notified in the three-wheeler category of the Central Motor Vehicles Rules (CMVR) or the European Union quadricycle, whichever is more stringent.”
Quadricycles have been distinguished from cars – they will have to carry a ‘Q’ sign written on them in a bid to distinguish these vehicles from ‘other’ four-wheelers.
The nod for quadricycles finally came after a dispute with car makers, who wanted to stall the entry of these new four-wheelers, ended.
It was initially thought that these quadricycles could end the dominance of three-wheelers but that is unlikely to happen even in the long run as four-wheelers, quadricycles and three-wheelers would operate in their own space while catering to India’s burgeoning population.
Saturday, August 22, 2015
Bajaj Pulsar now comes in metallic orange
With Diwali just a couple of weeks away, Bajaj Auto seems to be cashing in on the Hindutva sentiment to rev up sales of its new vibrant orange metallic Pulsar, one of its premier brands.
The models that will be available in the new colour are the Pulsar 220F DTSi, the 220 DTSI and the Pulsar 180 DTSi. Bajaj has priced the new range between Rs 71,430 and Rs 82,400.
The models that will be available in the new colour are the Pulsar 220F DTSi, the 220 DTSI and the Pulsar 180 DTSi. Bajaj has priced the new range between Rs 71,430 and Rs 82,400.
With the new and vibrant colour, Bajaj is eyeing the Indian youth in a big way, especially as its arch rival Hero Honda tries to wean away motorcycle buffs with a litany of launches ahead of the festive season. The orange metallic Pulsar also comes with a two-tone paint job with black centre panels and the black footpeg stays.
Previously, the Pulsar was available in only four colours - silver, black, red and blue. This new addition is to give Bajaj’s sales a fresh push.
Bajaj Auto president (motorcycle business) S Sridhar said, “Pulsar has proven its performance both on the road and on the sales charts. It is one of the leading sports machines in India with a consistent 50% market share, beating its Indian and Japanese competitors by a wide margin. To add more zest to the Pulsar, we have introduced a new two-tone orange colour that is definitely going to make heads turn. The colour is specifically for the young Pulsar lovers and shows a good spectrum from a fresh yellowish orange in the sunlight to a deep, reddish orange in the shade, adding a fresh new perspective to the bike.”
Pulsar has always been driving Bajaj’s sales. With an unparalleled 50 per cent share among sports motorcycles in the second quarter of the current financial year, Pulsar has consistently outdone the segment, making it the largest brand so far.
Pulsar’s domestic sales in quarter stood at 67,468, a surge of nearly 56 per cent over the same period in the previous year. This growth figure is highly commendable, taking into account that the sports segment has grown 32 per cent and the industry 21 per cent during the same period.
Bajaj Auto posted an almost 70% surge in the second quarter net profit at Rs 682 crore against Rs 403 crore in the same period of the previous fiscal. Bajaj’s Pulsar and Discover account for 80% of its domestic sales and the new colour could add some vibrancy in the short term though.
Bajaj’s rival Hero Honda is on the verge of a split and this could mean advantage Bajaj as Hero Honda (or the new company) will have to shore up its network agressively to keep pace with Bajaj. In October, Bajaj opened its second plant at Pantnagar, which will accelerate its manufacturing capacity by 1.5 million motorcycles a year by the end of 2010-11, helping the company meet its additional demand.
So, Bajaj could use these to its advantage to rev up sales and profit. But it will also have to come up with more variants of its top brands Pulsar and Discover to match market leader Hero Honda’s slew of offerings and only then can Bajaj hope to see itself on top of the pecking order.
Friday, August 14, 2015
Will Kawasaki Ninja 650R rev up niche luxury segment?
Bajaj Auto has the potential to fill in the vacuum (in the medium to long term) between the category of superbikes, prices of which begin from above Rs 8 lakh, and the basic segment (bikes priced below Rs 80,000) with the launch of the Kawasaki Ninja 650R and this niche (as well as nascent) market could see sales of the 650R grow over 100 per cent or more than double every year.
In India, Bajaj Auto is the sole distributor of Kawasaki motorcycles.
Kawasaki has priced the Ninja 650R at a very competitive Rs 4.75 lakh (ex-showroom Delhi). The motorcycle is expected to give tough competition to the recently-launched Hyosung’s GT650R, which is priced a tad higher at Rs 5 lakh.
Bajaj is bullish on this market, which it feels has the potential of witnessing 30 motorcycle sales every month.
“With our new bike, we expect to double or may be triple the market size. We are upbeat that we will be the biggest player in this category,” Eric Vas, president, new projects, Bajaj Auto, said.
Realising that divisions in the premium category will create several niches, Vas added, “While evaluating the segment, we realised that there is a huge potential in the Rs 3-8 lakh bracket as there are very few players here. Currently, only Harley Davidson and Hyosung have offerings in this segment. Hence, we see an opportunity to grow.”
The luxury segment includes players such as Honda, Ducati, Harley Davidson and Aprillia. “It gives a good value proposition to introduce a bike in the Rs 3-8 lakh category,” said Vas.
Ninja 650R will be Kawasaki’s second model in the country’s market. The Japanese firm had rolled out the Ninja 250R a couple of years ago and registered healthy sales of 1,500 bikes.
Apparently, this burgeoning segment has prompted the Japanese two-wheeler maker to contemplate launching more models but no plans were revealed.
Apparently, this burgeoning segment has prompted the Japanese two-wheeler maker to contemplate launching more models but no plans were revealed.
On the company’s pricing plans, Yoshiro Segawa, managing director, India Kawasaki Motors, said, “We have an assembly unit in Thailand for the Ninja where we have tried hard to cut the prices without compromising on quality.”
The company could source components locally to maintain its competitive pricing. According to a company official, Kawasaki currently sources only 2-3 per cent parts from India. However, Kawasaki is looking at increasing this percentage substantially.
Kawasaki Ninja 650R will roll out through Bajaj’s pro-biking business, which currently sells high-end bikes of Bajaj. Bajaj will also market KTM bikes through its pro-biking outlets, going ahead.
As of now, the pro-biking business registers around 3,500 vehicle sales a month. The two companies are also eyeing the overseas market in a big way. Currently, the duo is working together in the Philippines and is in talks to roll out more models in other geographies also.
In the super premium bikes, currently 26 models are being offered in the market and around 35 bikes are sold monthly. This means that the number of models available compared to the number of offerings is quite high, in other words the market is crowded, at least for now.
The lower-end luxury market is set to see over 100 per cent growth and if Bajaj is able to rev up its offerings, it could be one of the big players in this segment also.
Also, since Bajaj and Kawasaki are considering export as an option, this could accelerate sales even in the short term of the Kawasaki Ninja 650R, which falls in the lower end of the luxury segment.
Wednesday, August 12, 2015
Kawasaki Ninja 650R will have price advantage
Bajaj Auto has just given itself (and the Kawasaki brand name) a fillip in the high-end motorcycles market by introducing an upgraded version of the Kawasaki Ninja 650R sports tourer superbike for less than Rs 5 lakh, and this move is going to give Bajaj a price advantage for sure.
Propelled by a four-stroke, DOHC, eight-valve, Parallel Twin engine (which is BS III compatible), the Ninja 650R can reach from 0 to 60 km per hour only three seconds and can touch 100 km per hour in 8.1 seconds. The top speed the Ninja 650R can achieve is 176 km per hour, which is commendable for a low-end superbike.
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| The Kawasaki Ninja 650R. |
Amit Nandi, vice-president of the probiking division at Bajaj Auto, averred, “The new green monster from Japan’s Kawasaki comes with competitive pricing of Rs 4.99 lakh (in Delhi).”
Bajaj Auto is in marketing as well as production pact with Kawasaki in India and sells Kawasaki Ninja 250R and Kawasaki Ninja 650R (introduced in June last year). And now, the new model will give a further fillip to Bajaj’s and Kawasaki’s plan to roll out superbikes.
Nandi added, “The new Ninja 650R motorcycle has significant upgrades such as sharper styling and improved handling dynamics. Also, the new model gets better low-end as well as mid-range power delivery.”
The new Ninja 650R will be assembled at Bajaj’s facility in Chakan, Pune, from completely knocked down (CKD) kits, which will be imported from Thailand.
The motorcycle will be sold through Bajaj’s 53 probiking dealerships across the country and may be available from October.
“We have sold over 3,000 bikes till date from the Ninja family,” Nandi said.
Besides the Kawasaki Ninja 250R and the KTM 200 Duke bikes, the new Kawasaki Ninja 650R will be the third premium motorcycle rolled out by Bajaj Auto in the country.
Bajaj Auto will vie with the likes of other superbikes above 650 cc categories, like the Harley-Davidson, BMW, Hyosung and Ducati, some of which are priced above Rs 10 lakh.
However, for beginners the Kawasaki 650R may seem okay, but the real pros would not seek anything less than a Harley-Davidson or a Ducati.
But Bajaj Auto and Kawasaki, by pricing the 650R below Rs 5 lakh, has carved a low-end category for superbikes. So, if some wannabe biker, who cannot afford Rs 10 lakh or Rs 15 lakh superbikes, aspires to own a high-end bike, he will most probably flock for the upgraded Kawasaki Ninja 650R.
So, this price bracket (the below Rs 5 lakh category) will be a new segment in itself (offering a price advantage), with aspiring bike buffs helping spur sales of the Kawasaki Ninja 650R and with India’s roads not being among the best (except for those in the National Capital Region or NCR), buying a 650 cc category bike would make more sense than picking a 1000-cc motorcycle.
Monday, August 10, 2015
Cutting-edge tech could propel Bajaj Pulsar 200NS sales
Bajaj Auto’s most sought-after bike the Pulsar, which had crossed the 5 million sales mark around a month ago, has seen the roll out of an upgraded variant, the Bajaj Pulsar 200NS (Naked Sport), for Rs 84,000, and cutting-edge technology, along with great looks, could propel Bajaj’s strongest brand to new heights.
The new Pulsar 200NS comes with a monoshock suspension and disc brakes, which are available in both wheels. With cutting-edge next generation technology, which will surely be a big hit among the youth, the performance of the Pulsar 200NS is unmatched, offering a liquid-cooled SOHC four-valve triple spark engine technology.
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| The Bajaj Pulsar 200NS. |
The Pulsar 200NS’s motor pumps out a solid 23.52 PS of power@9,500 rpm and 18.3 Nm of torque @ 8,000 rpm.
With a new six-speed gearbox, the new Pulsar 200NS can reach from zero to 100 km/hour in just 10 seconds and can touch over 140 km/hour.
This would be fascinating news to the youth, and the slew of features, along with the price (which is a tad steep though) could prompt many to make a beeline for the Pulsar 200NS.
The 200NS has most of its mass concentrated at the centre, helping the bike with superb handling and cornering abilities. It also helps the bike to attain stability.
The 200NS is the first bike from Bajaj Auto that comes with a twin-spar frame and a monoshock suspension unit at the rear for a smooth ride.
The 200 cc bike will hit the roads in various cities of Maharashtra from this month itself and bike buffs in other states can hope to get their new Pulsar in two months time, according to a senior executive of Bajaj Auto, the makers of the Pulsar brand.
Initial reports pouring in have some encouraging figures: Sales in Maharashtra as a whole has already been 150 units and Pune itself witnessed 60 bookings.
With Honda recently launching the Dream Yuga for Rs 45,000, the bike market in the country could see the slugfest intensifying.
India is a price-sensitive market but the urban population has also been flocking for high-priced bikes (especially the young generation) in order to flaunt their monetary standing.
Even as the Dream Yuga could make inroads into the rural market (as Honda has kept in mind the needs of the middle-class Indian customer), the Bajaj Pulsar 200NS may be the favourite of the urban youth not only because of its cutting-edge technology but also owing to its snazzy looks.
Tuesday, August 4, 2015
Bajaj RE60 at Rs 1.25 lakh may hit Nano sales
With a slew of fire incidents last year, and with higher input costs seeing the Rs 1 lakh Tata Nano’s price shoot up to over Rs 2 lakh (for the high-end variant though), the Tata car will now have to brace for competition, with Bajaj Auto launching its first four-wheeler, the RE60, for Rs 1 lakh to Rs 1.25 lakh.
But Bajaj Auto has ruled out competition with the Nano with its managing director Rajiv Bajaj stating that the car will compete with three-wheelers.
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| The Bajaj RE60. |
The RE60 will be fitted with a one-cylinder 200 cc engine and deliver 35 km to a litre. It will offer a top speed of 70 km per hour.
Bajaj said, “As per our company’s marketing position, we are an anti-car company. Our customers will be the ones who use three wheelers.”
The RE60 car is priced substantially lower than the Nano and could eat into its market. While a Nano’s price begins from Rs 1.4 lakh now, the Bajaj car’s high-end variant will probably cost that much.
Bajaj has also been swift with its commercial launch plans with the company planning to roll out this revolutionary car within four to six months.
The Bajaj MD said, “Scooters were the roots of our success in the last century. Motorcycles defined our success in the current century.” Now, he expects all that to change with the RE60.
Also, Bajaj Auto hopes to grab a big chunk of the market in countries like Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and in African nations, as these developing nations will have appetite for an affordable four-wheeler.
Bajaj will keep the RE60 platform flexible, which implies that other vehicles from the Bajaj stable could be derived out of it.
The RE60 could turn out to be a hot seller, with its clever pricing, which is just double of the base variant of a motorcycle.
It would especially become popular in medium-sized (Tier II and Tier III) cities and if free of bugs (unlike the Nano), the Bajaj car could set a new benchmark in mini car sales, owing to India’s fad for inexpensive cars.
So, what can we expect from Tata Motors, makers of the Nano. A heavy discount or more freebies from Tata could counter a negative impact on Nano sales, owing to the launch of the RE60.
But one of the negatives of the RE60 is its shape with the car wearing the looks of a small commercial vehicle, which could prompt the customer to rethink before buying the new small wonder.
Also, with the engine being a 200 cc one, the comfort level could be a stumbling block (compare this with a Nano which has a 624 cc engine) even though the mileage of 35 km to a litre is awesome. But unlike the Nano, space inside the RE60 is inadequate.
So, Bajaj’s RE60 could take a large chunk of the two-wheeler market and hit the Nano’s sales unless Tata comes up with a strategy to counter the negative impact on the Nano’s numbers.
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