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K. Giriprakash

Also plans to launch a new 125cc motorcycle

Bangalore , Nov. 15

TVS Motor is planning to enter the 100cc plus four-stroke scooter category to take on Honda Activa and Kinetic 4S.

Mr Prasad Narasimhan, Senior Vice-President (Marketing) told Business Line that TVS Motors is expected to launch a scooter in the segment in which the 102cc Honda Activa is the leader. There are also plans to launch a new motorcycle in the 125cc executive segment to grow its sales. Mr Narasimhan said that it would be the second time the company would be entering this category. TVS was forced to exit the segment after its product failed to notch up good numbers.

Scooter Segment

He said that the main reason for launching a 100cc plus scooter was because the 90cc TVS Scooty was associated with women and hence was not able to rope in male customers. The entry into the segment could happen sooner than expected. The scooter segment forms 10 per cent of the two-wheeler market whose size in volume terms is between 5 lakh units and 6 lakh units per month.

TVS sells between 22,000 units and 25,000 units of Scooty every month. The company does not believe that it is entering the market a bit late as it finds that the growth in that segment has stagnated and it is the right time to launch a product, which could shake up the market. On the executive segment motorcycle, Mr Narasimhan said that the launch of a right priced bike could in fact grow the company's sales further.

5-year warranty for StaR

The company launched TVS Assurance, a five-year warranty scheme for its motorcycle, TVS StaR, and an engine oil brand, TVS TRU4. The five-year warranty is transferable even if the motorcycle is sold to another customer. The scheme is open to both new and existing customers. The decision to float the scheme was taken on the occasion of the 100 cc TVS StaR crossing the 1 million mark in sales. TVS TRU4 engine oil is specifically for the 4-stroke two wheeler engines. The company has tied up with Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd for blending, bottling and distributing the product.

Earlier, an official with TVS Motors said that the sales of TVS 100cc Centra had fallen to around 1,000 units a month from its peak of 10,000 a month.

TVS Motors' Senior Vice-President for Sales and Service, Mr R.C.M. Chandramouli, said the product had not been phased out but was being delivered against orders.

More Stories on : Outlook | Two/Three Wheelers

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