Hot Indian Bike Bazaar in 2007, 60 New Models Coming soon

The Indian bike market is going to be a scorcher in 2007 with a slew of launches planned. According to a report by Money control, as many as 60 new bike models are lined up for launch in the next calendar year by new and existing players alike as they seek to consolidate their position in the fast growing domestic motorcycle market. Players such as Hero Honda, Bajaj Auto and Suzuki Motorcycles have firmed up plans to roll out between 8-12 new bikes each, while Kinetic, TVS, Honda Motorcycle & Scooter India, and Yamaha plan to launch between 3-5 each in 2007.

New brands will also be entering the market next year with Chinese firms firming up launch plans as well as several electric bike makers set to go full throttle. The Guangzhou Motor Company recently signed a technology partnership pact with Kolkata-based Xenitis Group to launch its bikes in India early next year. Another Chinese motorcycle manufacturer Zongshen Motorcycle Company has tied up with the Salim Group for its two-wheeler project in West Bengal. These Chinese bikes are sure to give sleepless nights to Indian manufacturers on the pricing front however it will be difficult for them to match with the large service network of the Indian counterparts.

Further, electric bike makers including Hero Group/Ultra Motors and Electrotherm are set to sell their products from next year. According to analysts, with margins at the entry-level (100 cc segment) segment being wafer-thin, most of the new launches are likely to be in the higher engine capacity segments. The Bajaj Pulsar 220 being a perfect example of this.

Hero Honda launches four models for festive season

Chairman of Hero Honda motors Brijmohan Lall (L)

poses with the Pleasure scooter, as son

and MD Pawan Munjal poses with the Achiever motorcycle.

NEW DELHI

Aiming to cash in on the festive season sales, country’s largest two-wheeler maker Hero Honda today unleased four new variants of its e xisting models with a target to sell about 6 lakh units during this period
The company on Sunday rolled out self start versions of 100cc bikes Passion, (Passion Pro Power Start) and Splendor NXG ; a refreshed new CBZ Xtreme (150 cc bike) and refreshed Pleasure (100 cc gearless scooter).

“These launches are part of our strategy to boost sales during the festival season. Last year during the festival period we sold about five lakh units, this year we are looking to better the mark,” Hero Honda Motors Senior Vice-President (Marketing & Sales) Anil Dua told PTI.

While he did not specify the numbers that Hero Honda is looking at this festive season, company insiders said it has kept a target of six lakh units.

“What we are looking is to offer as much choices as possible to customers,” he said.

The ‘Passion Pro Power Start’ is priced starting at Rs 44,000 (ex-showroom Delhi) and the newlook Pleasure would be priced at Rs 36,950 (ex-showroom Delhi). The company has, however, not disclosed the prices of Splendor NXG self and the new CBZ Xtreme.

Dua said in order to promote the models the company would be carrying out campaigns across different media and also at the retail outlets.

Asked about the sales prospects for the rest of the year, he said the company expects to keep the momentum it has had so far.

In September the company had registered 22.4 per cent growth in sales at 3,85,262 units compared to 3,14,567 units in the corresponding month last year.

World Exclusive-Suzuki Concept A-Star spotted without comou in India

Here’s some mighty exclusive news. The Concept A-Star from Suzuki sent out strong reverberations throughout the world when the wraps were taken off it at the Delhi Auto Expo in January earlier this year. The design of this small car was the reason for the buzz and company officials declared that they would embark on producing it from the later months of this year. They also confirmed that in India, it would run alongside the existing models rubbishing claims which suggested it would replace the Suzuki Alto.

The leap of an automobile from concept stage to mass-production stage sometimes takes years and that was one of the reasons Suzuki’s statement was taken lightly. But No! It looks like they will stick to what they said and the car could go out on markets including Europe on the promised date. But it also seems like they haven’t stuck to all the design elements of the concept car. Looking at the photographs one can make out the similar grille and headlamps but the rest aren’t carried over. There is still some time left, and we hope the thin-striped LED rear tail lamps are present on the production model. C’mon Suzuki!

The A-segment five-door hatchback will be manufactured exclusively in India and will be shipped to overseas markets (read- Europe, India and other non-US markets) similar to its competitor Hyundai’s i10 hatchback. It will use the help of a Euro 5 compliant 1.0-litre petrol engine which is said to have CO2 emission levels nearing 109g/km making it a fiercely green car! No plans as of yet on a diesel version.

Diesel Corolla Altis in 2009

Yaris-derived turbodiesel engine will power the Corolla Altis. Toyota ups the ante in this segment, and diesel will contribute to sales in a big way.

Toyota is considering a diesel version of the Corolla Altis for the Indian market. The all-new Altis was launched this month with only the 1.8-litre petrol carried over from the previous model. The new Corolla has a 2.0-litre engine for the European market.

It would have been logical to introduce this motor to the Indian market, where diesel luxury saloons are fast gaining popularity. However, the European Corolla has different mounting points for the engine which makes the transplant of the diesel motor to the Altis a complicated process. “There will be serious engineering changes to adapt the European Corolla’s diesel to the Altis and given the volumes we anticipate, we don’t think it’s viable to do this,” said a senior Toyota executive.

However, Toyota is considering its smaller 1.4-litre turbo-diesel that powers the Yaris hatchback for the Corolla as well. Toyota engineers have hinted that its compact 1.4 motor could be boosted to give more power in the 90-100bhp range and transplanting it to the Corolla is a relatively straightforward process.

There is no official confirmation from Toyota on its plans for a diesel Corolla but we expect it to be in Indian showrooms by mid-2009.