Mahindra Two Wheelers will launch their new range of motorcycles on 2nd January, 2013. The company is planning to launch three new products which include one scooter.
A few days ago, we had reported spy pictures of their rebadged and re-engineered Stallio, which will now be called the Pantero, will be one of the first of the new Mahindra range.
The second motorcycle might be the Mojo which was first unveiled in 2010 but the company never officially sold this motorcycle which is powered by a 300cc single-cylinder liquid-cooled engine. The third offering might be a scooter. The company already has three scooters in their product portfolio, but with the launch of a new scooter, the company is making an aggressive move in the scooter segment.
The three products that Mahindra has picked are logical ones: the 100cc segment is bread-and-butter for most manufacturers. This is where the least profits per piece sold lie, but the incredible numbers that this segment generates more than makes up for it. With the Splendor’s hold growing tenous and an all-new replacement on the way, other manufacturers like Bajaj are hoping to crack this segment while they can. Mahindra can make a good job of it if they’ve learned from the Stallio.
The Mojo might seem like another odd choice, but the premium segment is where the action is hotting up: the Duke 200, R15, CBR150 and 250R all occupy the sub-Rs 2 lakh segment, and the upcoming 390cc KTM looks to expand the typical Indian motorcycle consumer’s mindset to over Rs 2 lakh. If Mahindra can price the Mojo right and offer value – something which they are doing admirably with the two scooters they have on sale right now – there is no reason that the premium market will not respond to a motorcycle powered by a torquey 300cc liquid-cooled single.
The scooter is the obvious choice – it still remains the fastest-growing segment by a country mile, and good products are rewarded. The Activa/Dio twins still rule the roost, but there is space for more premium scooters, a segment that Piaggio has just recently opened up inIndia(the Kinetic Blaze notwithstanding) so we’re quite interested to see what Mahindra can offer.
