The subsidiary will directly sell to dealers and even to customers as a well as directly conduct all market development and support activities such as marketing, service, after sales etc for the Royal Enfield brand in North America.

To cater to the North American market, niche bike maker Royal Enfield has set up a direct distribution subsidiary in the US, its first outside India.

The company, the two-wheeler division of Eicher Motors, also plans to open its fully-branded retail stores in the US that will sell its entire product line up of motorcycles and gear.

The subsidiary will directly sell to dealers and even to customers as a well as directly conduct all market development and support activities such as marketing, service, after sales etc for the Royal Enfield brand in North America, the company said in a filing to the BSE.

"North America is a key international market for Royal Enfield with a rich history of riding enthusiasts. Given the lack of attractive options in the mid-size segment, we are well poised to fill the gap and serve potential customers at a close, intimate level by localising our operations in North America," Royal Enfield President Rudratej Singh said.

This strategic announcement is in line with Royal Enfield's focused international thrust of leading and expanding the global mid-sized motorcycle segment (250cc-750cc), with North America representing a priority market for it, the company said.

Royal Enfield's current product line up in North America includes Bullet 500 cc, Classic 500cc and the Continental GT 535 cc cafe racer, priced between USD 4,995 to USD 5,995.

Royal Enfield North America, President, Rod Copes said: "Royal Enfield's first fully branded retail store in the US will soon be launched in Milwaukee that will retail its entire product line of motorcycles and gear."

Over the next 18 months, the company plans to launch several such stores in key metropolitan areas across the US, he added.

"We are also focussing on building a strong independent dealer network that will maximise our brand awareness and sales," Copes said.

The company's current distributors - Classic Motor Works (CMW) located in Fairbault, MN, would be transitioning out of distributing Royal Enfield motorcycles by the end of 2015, he added.

The Chennai-based bike maker has been exporting bikes to North America for 15 years.

All manufacturing activities of the company would continue in Chennai, while global headquarters would also continue to reside in Gurgaon, it said.

In 2014, Royal Enfield sold more than 3 lakh bikes globally. In 2015, the company aims to produce 4,50,000 motorcycles to support its growth strategy globally.

Courtesy : Autocar

Fiat is likely replace Linea with production version of Aegea concept or Brazil’s Grand Sienna in late 2016.

Fiat is evaluating a replacement for the Linea, which is nearing the the end of its lifecycle.The possible options being considered are the production version of the Fiat Aegea concept that was unveiled in May 2015 at the Istanbul Motor Show or the Grand Sienna that the manufacturer currently sells in the Brazilian market.

The Aegea concept is yet to go on sale internationally as a production car (albeit under a different name) and Fiat has only developed the car for left-hand-drive markets.  But to launch it in India, Fiat will have to invest in tooling for a right-hand-drive (RHD) version which will be hard to justify if India is the only market for the RHD car.  The current Linea sells on average 171 units a month and these volumes are too low to amortise the costs of expensive tooling for a new RHD dashboard and other ancillaries.

The other option is the Grand Sienna. The car is essentially a heavily reworked derivative of the Linea developed for the Brazilian market. As with the Aegea concept, the Sienna is also a left-hand-drive and will go through the same steps to adapt it for right-hand-drive markets.

Fiat is set to significantly upgrade its model range sometime in 2018 with a family of new cars spun off an all-new platforms. The Aegea or Grand Siena hence may only be a stop gap arrangement till then.

Courtesy : Autocar

The Daihatsu FX concept hints at a production mid-size SUV; larger FT concept is expected to give rise to a flagship SUV.

Daihatsu has showcased two SUV concepts at the ongoing Gaikindo Indonesia International Auto Show, the FX concept and the FT concept. The FX concept hints at a future crossover for the brand while the larger FT concept is expected to make way for a full-size flagship SUV.

The FX concept uses a B-pillar-less design with the front and rear doors hinged on opposite ends. At the front, the concept crossover features LED headlamps on either side of a narrow rectangular grille, with a thick strip of chrome running the width of the front fascia just below. The front bumper gets a prominent hexagonal central air dam along with LED daytime running lamps, black body cladding and a faux skid plate. On the flanks, the concept continues to sport body cladding along with black wing mirrors and blacked out door elements. The rear of the concept car features LED tail-lamps, and also gets a thin band of chrome running the width of the rear and a bumper with black body cladding and a faux skid plate flanked by vertically stacked exhausts.

Inside, the concept crossover gets a dual-tier all-digital instrument cluster along with sporty- looking front seats, a dual-tone interior, a panoramic sunroof, a flat-bottomed three-spoke steering and chrome and silver trim inserts across the cabin. No details were revealed about the engines to be featured in the FX concept.

The second reveal, the FT concept, gets a large vertical slat grille with LED inserts with LED headlamps placed on either side. The bumper gets high set fog-lamps with chrome surround and black body cladding along with a faux skid plate. On the sides, the SUV gets a tapering window line with chrome along the lower edge, black body cladding and silver side skirts. The roof line of the concept tapers gently towards the rear. At the back, the SUV concept gets large wrap-around LED tail-lamps, black body cladding, and silver body cladding on the bumper with LED fog lamps on the edges. An integrated spoiler is seen above the tailgate.

Inside, the FT concept gets a dual-tier dashboard split by a section of blue ambient lighting elements. The dashboard is finished in contrast-stitched leather on the top and gets a brushed aluminium finish on the lower section. The instrument cluster is an all-digital unit. In addition, the concept features a freestanding display for the infotainment system. Other details include white leather upholstery for the seats and doors, and chrome and brushed aluminum inserts around the cabin.

As with the FX concept, Daihatsu did not provide any engine details about the FT concept SUV.

Courtesy : Autocar

The Z250SL is powered by a single-cylinder 249cc, four-stroke, liquid-cooled engine; Kawasaki may use locally sourced components.

Kawasaki is expected to launch the Z250SL in India, its first single-cylinder offering in the market. Unlike the Z250, which uses a parallel-twin, 249cc, 31.5bhp engine, the Z250SL uses a similar displacement, single-cylinder, liquid-cooled, four-stroke motor which is expected to develop around 27bhp.

The Z250SL is 20kg lighter than the Z250, thanks to the use of high tensile steel for its trellis frame. The models weighs 148kg for the non-ABS model, while the ABS-equipped model weighs 150kg.

A source close to the development told our sister publication Autocar Professional, “Components such as handlebars, clutch plates, front and rear suspensions, wheels, tyres, head- and tail-lamps, electrical switches, switch housings, radiator fans and other similar parts may be locally sourced for the Z250SL. The engine and its parts are, on the other hand, imported from Thailand. Kawasaki is working on localising this model to keep costs low and is sharing the part vendors of Bajaj Auto. Also, the single-cylinder engine will ensure that this model (Z250SL) would be the most affordable model from Kawasaki ever.”

However, deputy MD of India Kawasaki Motors, Shigeto Nishikawa, in an official communication to our sister publication, refused to make any comments about the upcoming new model.

The Z250SL is expected to be launched by end-2015, with a cost likely to be hovering around the Rs 2 lakh mark. Once launched, the motorcycle will compete against the likes of the single-cylinder 199.5cc, 25bhp KTM Duke 200, the single-cylinder 249cc, 26bhp Honda CBR250R and other models in the entry- level performance bike segment.

Kawasaki stated that it has no plans to discontinue the Z250.

Courtesy : Autocar