Automaker is betting big that its latest offering will go a long way in leveraging the potential of the volume segment.
Bajaj Auto, the country’s second-largest motorcycle manufacturer, on Tuesday announced the launch of its new 100 cc bike, the Discover 100M, further expanding its entry-level segment.
Priced Rs45,996 (ex-showroom Delhi), the Discover 100M, based on a completely new platform, will compete with Hero MotoCorp’s Passion and the Splendor segment and Honda Motorcycle and Scooter India’s Dream Neo.
The Discover 100M will be positioned between Bajaj’s existing Discover 100 4G (Rs45,000) and Discover 100T (Rs52,000) in the 100cc category.
Driven by perceived values like mileage and affordable pricing, the 100cc segment contributes about 45% of the overall motorcycle sales in the country, and is currently dominated by market leader Hero MotoCorp.
“Currently, bikes in the this category do not offer anything other than mileage. The Discover 100M will offer features like better styling, higher power and sporty looks in addition to mileage of 84 kilometres per litre,” said K Srinivas, president (motorcycle business), Bajaj Auto.
Bajaj Auto, which has been selling around 95,000 100cc bikes per month on average this fiscal, is betting on the Discover 100M to tap the potential of the volume segment.
“This month, we will be manufacturing 35,000 Discover 100M units and next month, we will be producing 40,000 bikes,” said Srinivas.
The company is also looking at exporting the bike.
Asked if the Discover 100M would cannibalise Bajaj’s other 100cc bikes on account of the minor price differentiation, Srinivas said: “We expect some customers to upgrade from the Discover 100 4G to the Discover 100M. We do not expect any compromise on the numbers for the Discover 100T.”
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