Honda Motorcycle & Scooter India has tightened its stranglehold on the scooter market in India. In the first fourth months of 2015-16, it has a market share of 60 percent across the 90cc-125cc categories. 

While HMSi has maintained its leadership position in the scooter market in India, Yamaha's new models have helped it improve its market performance. Hero MotoCorp and Suzuki see their sales drop in current fiscal. Meanwhile, TVS Motor Co is smoothly chugging along. 

The company registered total scooter sales of 892,006 units between April-July 2015 as against 742,581 units it sold in the corresponding period last fiscal, growing a healthy 20.12 percent YoY.

The total scooter sales across the 90cc-125cc scooter categories for seven prominent scooter makers stood at 1,479,009 units for April-July 2015 compared to 1,321,750 units in April-July 2014, a growth of  11.90 percent YoY.

HMSI’s four-month sales this fiscal highlight a whopping 60.31 percent market share in the scooter segment in India. In terms of value, while the market has grown by 157,259 units during the said period this year, HMSI’s sales alone have grown by 149,425 units year on year.

This can be attributed to the insurmountable demand for its popular Activa brand of scooter variants, which not only enjoys customer loyalty but also a very strong brand recall in India. It is known that the company offers three variants of the Honda Activa scooters – the 8bhp, 109cc Activa 3G and Activa-i and 8.6bhp, 124.9cc Activa 125.

Replacing the Activa model in February earlier this year, HMSI had launched the refreshed version named Activa 3G (or the third generation) giving this successful model a sleeker look with three- dimensional Honda emblems, and had also introduced its patented Honda Eco Technology (HET) on this model.

In June this year, the company had rolled out updated the Activa-i and Aviator scooters, which though carried over the same air-cooled, 8bhp, 109cc engine but were given new paint schemes and colours. Interestingly, the deluxe variant of the Activa-i model was launched, which came with floral graphics – specifically to woo female customers with its popular scooter brand. It can be noted that prominent scooter models that are targeted at female riders include Hero MotoCorp’s 102cc Pleasure, TVS Motor Company’s 109cc Scooty Zest, and India Yamaha’s 113cc Ray model among others.

YS Guleria, senior vice-president, sales & marketing, HMSI, had told Autocar Professional recently that the company adds close to 75,000 new female customers (buying scooters) every month. The company, according to the official, is the No. 1 two-wheeler player across the top 35 cities in India.

HERO MOTOCORP REGISTERS A SHARP DROP

Hero MotoCorp has sold 194,059 scooters during April-July 2015 as against 238,570 units sold in the corresponding period last year, down by 18.66 percent. The company market share in the 90-125cc scooter market now stands at 13.12 percent.

Sources say that Hero MotoCorp plans to roll out two new scooter platforms (110cc and 125cc) soon to boost its scooter sales.

Closely following Hero is TVS Motor Company that has sold 190,120 units in the said period, and has registered a decent YoY growth of 28.17 percent. TVS’ market share in the 90-125cc scooter segment stands at 12.85 percent.

However, being the only company that sells models (88cc Streak and Pep+) in the 75cc-90cc engine displacement range, it has registered total sales of 32,785 units during April-July 2015 as against 59,411 units sold in the corresponding period last year. The sales of these entry level Scooty variants, which are also aimed at the first time female riders, has seen a de-growth of 44.82 percent for the four month period.

YAMAHA OVERTAKES SUZUKI

Selling more scooters in the April-July 2015 period than Suzuki Motorcycle is India Yamaha Motor which has sold 85,489 units as compared to Suzuki’s sales of 82,006 units. While Yamaha has grown by 4.98 percent, Suzuki has de-grown by 11.98 percent. This can be attributed to Yamaha’s active scooter model portfolio that saw a new 113cc model named Fascino launched in May earlier this year. Further, it has also given new colour options to its Alpha model recently to keep up the sales.

Suzuki, on the other hand, had launched its 110cc Lets scooter model in June last year. A refreshed version of the 125cc Access 125, once a strong competitor to Honda Activa, was last rolled out a year ago and a refreshed variant of the Swish 125 was rolled out in January earlier this year.

Gathering some steam, Mahindra Two Wheelers recorded sales of 26,145 scooter units during the same period this year on the back of the demand for its 8bhp, 109cc Gusto scooter model. Piaggio Vehicles sold 9,184 Vespa models in the domestic market between the April-July 2015 period.

Going forward, while the scooter segment is expected to grow stronger in the remaining months of this financial year, it would be interesting to see if Hero MotoCorp’s upcoming scooter models would be able to change the current dynamics of the scooter market. 

Also read: Honda Activa: 0-10 million sales in India in 15 years