Reference Auto

So, TVS has revved up in the 125-cc bike segment with the Phoenix, and wants to close in with the top two players, Hero Honda and Bajaj Auto, with some judicious pricing.

The 125 cc Phoenix has been intelligently priced around Rs 53,000 ex-showroom, which is almost a steal for a 125-cc bike and will vie with the likes of Honda Shine, Bajaj Discover and Hero MotoCorp Glamour (with a price advantage, of course). The Chennai-based firm plans to re-launch the 100 cc Victor in about nine months.

The TVS Phoenix.

The Phoenix is propelled by a new, 124.5 cc, single-cylinder, air-cooled and four-stroke engine, which TVS calls Ecothrust. The new engine has a CV carburettor, which is still unique in this segment.

Some of the attractive features in the Phoenix are a digital speedo with amber backlight, a digital fuel gauge, a low battery reminder and petal disc brake in the front.

The Phoenix comes with 10.9 bhp of maximum power at 8,000 rpm, and 1.1 kgm of torque at 6,000 rpm.

The Phoenix can rev at an amazing acceleration, and reach 60 km per hour in 8 seconds and the highest speed limit is 96 km per hour. It has a mileage of 68 km to a litre.

The motorcycle has an unusual blend of a conservative bike with a contemporary look. There are six-spoke alloy wheels, and its engine along with the exhaust system and a few other parts have a black look.

The seat is well-padded and comes with a dual-texture fabric, giving a very comfortable and stable ride. There is a hazard warning switch, which comes as standard on the Phoenix, and this is a first for this category of motorcycles in India.

Arun Siddharth, general manager, marketing and head of motorcycles at TVS Motor said the company planned a litany of product launches in 2012-13, along with upgrades of some existing products. TVS has already launched the 2012 Apache Series RTR.

An upbeat Siddharth added, “Our market share in motorcycles segment is likely to go up by 2.5 per cent to 9.5 per cent owing to the launch of our deluxe Phoenix 125 cc motorcycle.”

At the price of just above Rs 50,000 (which is very affordable for a 125 cc bike), the Phoenix, considering its features and comfort, is the first such bike from TVS stable and as a result, the Chennai firm may depend heavily on it to rev up sales and keep TVS among the top three players in the Indian two-wheeler market.

Two-wheeler manufacturer TVS Motor Company, riding on a boom of the mid-segment bikes (priced in the range of Rs 70,000 to Rs 1 lakh), is joining the fray with the new Apache RTR 2012 series, where it has undertaken certain cosmetic changes and this slight overhaul will probably spur sales of the new Apache RTR (which is already a very popular brand) manifold.

The new TVS Apache RTR series bike is available at all dealerships in the country now. The TVS Apache RTR 160 comes for Rs 67,505 (ex-showroom Delhi) and the RTR 180 is priced at Rs 72,090. The RTR 180 ABS version would be available for Rs 82,780.

The Beast’s power remains the same with the TVS Apache RTR 160 offering 15.2 PS power and the RTR 180 allowing 17.03 PS.

The new design and styling has been made in all Apache models, the RTR 160, RTR 180 as well as the RTR 180 ABS.

Moreover, the new range would come with pilot lamps incorporated with LED light and an aerodynamic styling, that will go a long way in reducing the engine heat, the company said.

The new TVS Apache RTR 160 will come in four-dual tone colours of green, red, yellow and grey. Black will be the base colour. The 180 RTR series will also be available in four colours of white, yellow, grey and black while the ABS version will come in white and black.

TVS Motor president (marketing) HS Goindi had said during the launch, “We have taken the Apache RTR to the next level, making it an engineering marvel with menacing design. The priority in the Apache brand development has been race-bred performance. Every system, detail as well as component, has been made to offer maximum performance.”

The Chennai-based two-wheeler giant has had a great going with the Apache RTR, which had been rolled out with the “new Beast-themed styling.”

Rolling out such a popular model with changes has its advantages. It not only saves costs for a company but also spurs the popularity of a new model as well as the brand (in this case the Apache).

India is still a very conservative market and a company has to go on an ad blitz, spending astronomical sums to establish a new brand. So, why not refurbish an already existing brand and reap the benefits?

One of the TVS Apache series bikes, TVS Apache RTR 180, has been neck-in-neck with Bajaj’s Pulsar 180 DTSi, one of the most popular motorcycles in the market.

TVS Motor sales growth fell 3.48% in March 2012. The two-wheeler maker had sold 1,80,274 units in March this year compared with 1,86,781 units in March last year.

So, to tame this slide in sales, the redone TVS Apache RTR of the popular series will surely make Apache as well as bike fans ecstatic and go a long way in scaling up sales of TVS Motor in the short to medium term.