Maruti, GM, Bajaj gear-up for another car price hike in India

The auto biggies in India are gearing-up for another round of price hike in the country in a bid to level the mounting pressure from rising cost of input materials such as steel and tyres. The auto makers like General Motors, Maruti Suzuki, Tata Motors, Toyota Kirloskar, Ashok Leyland and Bajaj Auto are mulling over to increase the price of their respective vehicles in India.

We should mention here that this is the fourth time in the year 2010 when car prices are going to be increased in the Indian market. The industry, first witnessed the price hike in January due to the increasing raw material cost, following another increase in price in March and April due to an increase of 2% in the excise duty and implementation of new BS-IV emission norms, respectively.




The price of raw materials like steel and rubber has increased sharply in India in the last few months. As most of the car makers source steel from foreign markets, its price surges with the weakening currency. During the period of April-May 2010, the price of steel and rubber has increased by more than 20 to 25% due to whooping demand and increase in the rate of coking coal.

According to Mr Mayank Pareek, Maruti Suzuki India's Managing Executive Officer (Marketing and Sales), the raw material prices are increasing day-by-day and which is pressurizing the margins of the company, He added that the company is in the process of finalizing its contracts with its suppliers and any decision on the price increase will be taken after that.

General Motors India has already indicated that it is planning to increase the price of its cars in India by 2 to 3 percent from the 1st of July. The company will be increasing prices across all eight models, by 2-3 per cent to offset rising input costs, said company's vice-president Balendran.

Source:- Maruti, GM, Bajaj gear-up for another car price hike in India - New Cars

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Bajaj-KTM 125cc bike may hit Indian roads by 2011

Bajaj Auto India Limited, India's second largest two-wheeler maker, may introduce the new world-class premium bike jointly with KTM Power Sports AG in India in the next financial year (2011-12). Besides, Bajaj-KTM has been jointly developing the new 125cc machines for India. According to some news sources, the new Bajaj-KTM 125cc motorcycle will first be launched in Europe and then available in the Indian auto market. It will be developed at the Bajaj's Chakan plant in Pune. S. Sridhar, CEO of Bajaj Auto said, "The new premium bike will be available in the market under the KTM brand and would be priced at more than 100,000 rupees.




The all new Bajaj-KTM 125cc will be represented as India's first premium motorcycle which comes loaded with impressive power and advanced technology like liquid cooling, dual discs, a monoshock suspension and power output of 15 bhp from its 125cc engine. The company is reported to develop a range of motorcycles displacing 125cc to 350cc engine capacity bikes in India. The bike will be introduced as CKD units for lowering the tax issues. Meanwhile, Suzuki Motorcycles has expanded its superbikes range by launching two new massive superbikes in India including Suzuk Gsx-R1000 and Suzuki Bandit 1250S. Apart from that launch, Indian scooters and bikes lovers will see more launches in India that includes Yamaha Sz, TVS Neo, TVS MAX , TVS Apache 220 and TVS Streak Hybrid.

Source:- Bajaj-KTM 125cc bike may hit Indian roads by 2011 - Bikes in India

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Pulsar 135LS crosses 100,000 sales mark

The Pulsar 135LS has reached landmark 100,000 units sale since launch. This new addition to the Pulsar family has been one of the most talked about brand with a unique product proposition. The Pulsar 135LS, where LS stands for Light Sports, is the ‘first of its kind’ bike in the country, has cutting edge technology mixed with great looks and features.



The Pulsar 135LS is powered with a state of the art 4-valve DTS-i engine delivering 13.5 Ps power. With its chiseled lines and aggressive stance, a sporty split-seat, aluminum clip-on handlebars and a host of other features this 135cc Pulsar delivers a power packed performance. The light kerb weight of only 122 kg gives it a great Power-to-weight ratio of 110.6 Ps/tonne to make it optimum balance of agility and comfort to maneuver hustle-and-bustle of urban traffic. It comes at an attractive price point (Rs.52,997 ex-showroom Delhi).



The Pulsar 135LS had been the most appreciated bike by Auto-Experts this year. It has not only won “Bike of the Year” awards from Auto Magazines and Channels but also awards for its cutting edge technology. Mr. S. Sridhar, CEO-2Wh said “With the launch of the Pulsar 135LS, our aim was to democratize the thrill of biking by making performance accessible. Not only have expert bikers and specialist auto magazines and channels greatly appreciated the bike, the response from customers too has been overwhelming. The strong growth numbers have been achieved with innovative activations and digital campaigns backed by a very strong product offering”

Source:- Pulsar 135LS crosses 100,000 sales mark - Bikes in India

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Bajaj Auto aims to sell 3 lakh bikes per month

Bajaj Auto is targeting to sell three lakh bikes per month from beginning of May 2010. The company is also eyeing to increase 50 percent sales in the current fiscal year. Previous year, the company's average sales was 2.09 lakh per month. Mr S Sridhar, CEO, Bajaj Auto (two wheeler) said," We have already sold 2.85 lakh bikes in April 2010. Besides this, Bajaj Auto has recently introduced a new version of Bajaj Discover, which is equipped with 150cc engine. The new Bajaj Discover 150cc is priced at Rs. 46,000 (ex-showroom-Delhi). After launching Discover 150cc, the company hopes to get higher market stake in the premium segment.



On the other hand, Bajaj Auto is ready to launch new premium Austrian KTM bikes in India from FY12. The market stake of Bajaj increased of 27 percent from 17 percent in the Q4 period of 2009-10, he added. The all new Bajaj-KTM premium bike will be available around Rs. 1 lakh. Mr. Sridhar Said that the new premium bike, after the launch in Europe auto market, will be available in the Indian auto market. The company had invested 20 million euros to grow its market stake with KTM at 35.7 percent from 31.9 percent. The new bikes will be marketed under the KTM brand through Probiking outlets. Bajaj-KTM jointly developed bikes to be manufactured in Bajaj's Chakan Plant in Pune. Meanwhile, Honda Motorcycle & Scooter India (HMSI) has also introduced a new 150cc version of Honda Unicorn, called as Honda CB Dazzler in India.

Source:- Bajaj Auto aims to sell 3 lakh bikes per month - Bikes in India

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Bajaj KTM Bikes Rs 1 lakh

A good news for street bike lovers, Bajaj Auto India Limited, one of the largest two-wheeler manufacturer, is going to launch high-end capacity street bikes in the Indian auto market. The company has allied with the Austria-based manufacturer, KTM Motor company, which is the most popular manufacturer of performance bikes in Europe. Before 24 months, both auto makers have been involved in the development of various quality motorcycles in the country. All the Bajaj-KTM co-developing bikes will be expected to come here over Rs 1 lakh. They are developing bikes in Bajaj's Chakan plant.



Rajiv Bajaj, managing director of Bajaj Auto, said," The all new 125cc bikes would be double costlier than the average 125cc segment bikes in India, which are presently being sold between Rs. 43,000 to 46,000. Bajaj Pulsar is sold at around Rs. 70,000 (ex-showroom, Delhi). It's a higher capacity (220cc) bike in the Pulsar family. Besides, the most costliest Royal Enfiled classic 500 with the price tag of Rs. 1.47 lakh (ex-showroom Mumbai). One more launching, we need to know that Bajaj Auto has recently launched a premium segment Bajaj Discover 150cc in the market. The company has announced the price tag of it, it is available at Rs. 46,000 (ex-showroom Delhi). On the other hand, Honda has also introduced its premium segment Unicorn bike another sports version in India, the Honda CB Dazzler.

Source:- Bajaj KTM Bikes Rs 1 lakh - Bikes in India

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Honda not to follow suit Baja

India's biggest two-wheeler manufacturer, Honda Motorcycle & Scooter India is uphappy with its rival Bajaj on the issue of cheap premium motorcycles. According to the news sources, Bajaj Auto started price war in the 150cc segment by launching Bajaj Discover 150cc at Rs 46,000 (ex-showroom Delhi). Customers want sports and excellent performance bike in this class at lower price.




The two-wheeler companies also want to come up with their expectation by launching valuable products in the category. On the other hand, HMSI has refused to plunge in the price war in that class. Shinji Aoyama, HMSI President and CEO said, "It is impossible to bring a premium segment bike at this price tag like Bajaj Discover 150cc (Rs 46,000) to carry whole vehicles more stable and better performance so it will have to cost more.



The new Bajaj Discover 150cc price is cheaper by at least 6,000 INR from other rivals. Aoyama said that we have no plan to response to the pricing of Bajaj products, he added that there wouldn't be any price reduction for its present model CB Unicorn, it is available at Rs. 59,285. HMSI has recently launched a new upgraded version of Honda Unicorn, called as Honda CB Dazzler. The company priced it at Rs. 62,900 (ex-showroom-Delhi).

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