The Hindu Business Line : Scooterette competition crystallises with Kristal

Bajaj is banking on the novel features, fresh design and youthful looks of its new scooterette, the Kristal, to make inroads into this segment of the two-wheeler market.

KRISTAL, BAJAJ'S new-age scooterette. — S. Muralidhar

It is ironical that the company whose brand was once synonymous with scooters now barely has a presence in that segment.

There was a time when the `Hamara Bajaj' campaign conjured up the image of a cheery Indian family riding the company's then ubiquitous metal-bodied scooter. But for the current generation , Bajaj is more of a bike manufacturer which has just a couple of scooters and scooterettes in its portfolio for merely marking its presence in this currently stagnating segment of two-wheelers.

Scooter and scooterette sales zoomed quite unexpectedly six ago and the ones that found willing takers were not the traditional, geared, metal-bodied conventional scooters of the previous century, but the new-age gearless, variomatic variety. Though the Honda Activa has been the only blockbuster hit of the last six years, there have been other notable variomatic scooters that have also had a fair share under the arc lights.

But after the few years of scorching sales, the growth of gearless scooters and scooterettes has been slowing, with the total sales during the nine-month period ended December 2006 being an abysmal one per cent. Even as the overall picture is bleak, owing to the fall in sales in the 125cc to 250cc category, the 75cc to125cc scooter and scooterette segment has not performed poorly at all. Sales growth in this category has been steadier, at about 17 per cent.

Bajaj has had quite a few products in this segment in the last six years or so. The Safire, Sunny, Sunny Spice and the currently selling Wave DTS-i have had mixed successes, with the Safire being the model that got Bajaj the most in terms of volumes. Despite the Bajaj Wave having its share of positive attributes, the model has not been able to seriously dent the sales of the segment leader — Honda Activa.

Instead, again ironically, Hero Honda, a company that never had a presence in this segment of two-wheelers, has met with considerable success with its first offering — the Pleasure.

Kristal Clear

Undeterred by the relatively unflattering performance of the Wave, Bajaj has lined up a couple of new scooters and scooterettes that will be loaded with new technology and features that should help the company take on the competition with new verve. The first to hit the market will be the Kristal, which will be available nationwide from next week.

The Kristal is clearly a fresh start in terms of design, but it still seems to have drawn on the Safire for some of its lines. A sharp, simple front profile gives the Kristal its very recognisable new-age scooterette looks. Headlamp with a pilot lamp is mounted on the handlebar and is V-shaped to take the contours of the handlebar. Aerodynamic rear-view mirrors, vertically oriented turn-indicator, and the Bajaj (in chrome) and Kristal logos round off the front view of this new scooterette. Unpainted matt-black plastic side panels at the front is an interesting and practical feature that will save Kristal owners quite a few nicks and scratches in crowded Indian parking conditions.

Housed within the handlebar panels is a simple, but pleasing, instrument cluster that features a fuel gauge, speedometer, analog distance counter, and indicators for the side-stand, turn lights and for the high-beam. Handlebar grips, made of soft and durable rubber, have been contoured to give the rider a comfortable feel. An accelerator lock, which can be activated with the scooterette's key, is offered for added safety.

Novelty

Three novel features in the new Kristal include a mix of new technology and practical features that will be appreciated by prospective buyers, especially women. First, the fuel tank is located under the floor or footboard instead of the usual `under the seat' and `above the engine'.

Thanks to the new position of the fuel tank, Bajaj has been able to locate the fuel filling point at the front. The fuel tank cap is now to the left of the handlebar right opposite to the stem lock. Now, unlike other scooterette owners, Kristal riders will not be required to get off and lift up the seat to fill fuel. Steel reinforcing and cross bars protect the fuel tank under the floorboard.

The other novelty in the Kristal is the automatic headlamp. A sensor detects low light conditions and switches on the pilot or parking lamp bulb. This also lights up the instrument cluster, prompting the rider to also turn on the main headlamp bulb.

New chunky, colourful, easy-to-use switches have been introduced to improve the youth appeal of this scooterette. With the fuel tank not under the seat, the Kristal's under-seat storage area is a large 22 litres. Open and close sensors for the seat also feature a beeper and a bulb to light up the storage area.

The third unique feature in the Kristal is the multi-control stem lock that also doubles up as the opener for the fuel lid and the seat. So, to open the fuel tank lid at the petrol station and to access the under-seat storage area, the same key needs to be pressed down and twisted clockwise or anti-clockwise, and the lids pop open.

The Kristal's broad and soft-foam seat makes it relatively comfortable and supportive. Painted and matt-finished side panels at the rear complete the designer looks of the scooterette. Square, but pointy, rear tail-lamp cluster and a die-cast alloy grab rail make up the rear profile of the two-wheeler.

Engine

The Kristal's new engine is a 95cc unit, which puts out a peak power of 7.2 PS at 7,500 rpm and a maximum torque of 7.7Nm at 5,500 rpm. There is adequate power and torque, thanks to Bajaj's in-house (by now time-tested) technologies such as digital twin spark ignition (DTS-i) and the torque expansion chamber — ExhausTEC. One other in-house technology in use is the SNS (spring-in-spring) suspension that we first saw in the Bajaj CT100. The Kristal also features a one-speed variomatic gearbox.

The Kristal's performance is a tad above its direct competitor — TVS Scooty Pep+. The top speed we clocked on our test ride was about 75 kmph. Vibration transfer is well contained during speeding, but at idling there is still considerable vibration, though the handlebar grips do a good job of dampening much of it.

Comparison

The Kristal's direct competitor, the TVS Scooty Pep+, has a 90cc engine that puts out about 5bhp of peak power at 6,500 rpm. The build quality of both the scooterettes is similar. The Kristal also features an electrically operated fuel pump/feeder for easier cold-engine start. This makes starting much more consistent, and has enabled Bajaj do away with the choke.

The Kristal has to rely on its novelty and possibly a slight edge over its competitor in the mileage department. The differences between the two narrow to just these two. Both are targeted at the modern Indian woman.

The price difference between the two scooterettes will be about Rs 1,800. At about Rs 35,000, the Kristal will find takers but it still will be a hard climb, as the TVS Scooty Pep+ has had an enviable head-start.

More Stories on : Two/Three Wheelers | Strategy | Bajaj Auto Ltd | Auto Focus

Article E-Mail :: Comment :: Syndication :: Printer Friendly Page