Exclusive: Suzuki Motorcycle India to reveal all-new 110cc scooter soon

January 21, 2014: Besides breaking the news on Suzuki Motorcycle India Ltd (SMIL) planning to roll out its 250cc Inazuma on December 14 (the bike was officially launched yesterday), Autocar Professional also broke the news on the company readying at least one new scooter and a new motorcycle model/variant for an early 2014 launch.

While one of the top priorities for Suzuki Motorcycle India is to consolidate its position in the fast-growing scooter market, it is now confirmed that the company has readied an all-new automatic scooter, which will be powered by a newly developed four-stroke, single-cylinder, 110cc engine, which is likely to deliver maximum output in the range of 7-8bhp. The newly developed scooter model is expected to break cover very soon.

A top company official has confirmed the development to Autocar Professional. Though the company has tightly guarded the advancements on this front and has kept the model strictly under wraps, it is clear that the company is betting big on the new upcoming scooter model, which will be aimed at garnering substantial volumes for the firm in the immediate future.

An industry insider also told Autocar Professional that “Suzuki has been developing a 110cc scooter engine for some time and it is in a production-ready stage currently. The company aims at the more voluminous scooter segment (110cc) with this new model and plans to unveil the same shortly.” The new scooter will help SMIL’s entry into the 110cc scooter category as its other existing models – the Suzuki Access and Suzuki Swish scooters – both use the same 125cc engine. Interestingly, Honda Scooter & Motorcycle India (HMSI) plans to ride into the 125cc scooter category with its new Activa 125 which is most likely to be revealed at next month’s Auto Expo.

Revamped Hayate coming soon

On the motorcycle front, Autocar Professional learns that SMIL also plans to unveil a revamped version of its commuter model, the 113cc Hayate. According to sources, the new Hayate variant has undergone some mechanical as well as cosmetic changes, which will translate into the commuter motorcycle now offering more mileage with improved appearance through added graphics respectively.

Besides the Hayate, SMIL’s current motorcycle portfolio includes one model each in the 125cc (Slingshot) and 150cc (GS150R) categories. Speaking to Autocar Professional last month, Atul Gupta, executive vice-president, SMIL, had hinted that the company would touch the 450,000 unit sales mark for FY2013-14. Clearly, the company will be aiming to give its sales numbers a much-needed fillip with the new 110cc scooter and the revamped Hayate. In December 2013, SMIL sold 18,732 two-wheelers, down 43 percent over December 2012 sales. And in the April-December 2013 period, it sold 275,946 units, which accounts for average sales of 30,660 units a month but down 12.36 percent on year-ago sales.

SMIL’s current annual production capacity at its Gurgaon plant stands at 500,000 units and the company is expanding the same by 25 percent.

AMIT PANDAY

Photograph: The Suzuki Swish.