IKM, a 100 percent subsidiary of Kawasaki Heavy Industries, Japan, is building its own motorcycle assembly plant in Chakan, scaling up its local operations, restructuring and expanding its teams and retail network as it prepares to go solo in India.

Bajaj Auto and India Kawasaki Motors ended their eight-year-old alliance with effect from April 1, 2017. The alliance between the two companies covered sales and aftersales services for Kawasaki motorcycles from Bajaj Auto-owned Probiking network (comprising over 300-plus showrooms) since 2009.

The Bajaj Probiking showrooms increasingly got converted into KTM dealerships after KTM’s entry into India via the 200 Duke model in 2012.

India Kawasaki, on the other hand, has been looking to standardise and benchmark activities across several operations ranging from local assembly, parts procurement to retail and aftersales services.
Speaking on the condition of anonymity to our sister publication, Autocar Professional, a reliable source aware of the new developments said: “Kawasaki is very serious about its game plan in India. All was not well between Kawasaki and Bajaj Auto for some time now. The company was apparently upset with the product cannibalisation between Kawasaki and KTM brands and customer overlap at the Bajaj Probiking showrooms. While the Kawasaki bike sales did not grow as per the expectations, sales of KTM motorcycles took off well.”

“Going forward, Kawasaki will have full control over their operations ranging from parts procurement and warehousing, quality checks to aftersales services to its customers. The Japanese management at IKM are diligently working to set up teams for all core responsibilities as they continue to expand their operations. They plan to move to their own plant now very soon,” the source added.

India Kawasaki Motors, which was officially established in July 2010, is learnt to be silently undergoing a critical transition during these months.

Kawasaki heads for Make in India at Chakan

Although details of the new upcoming facility in Chakan, proposed investments, targeted annual production capacity and other critical areas remain unknown, the move is good news for the component supplier community located in the western region.

Largely, Kawasaki setting up its own standalone unit in Chakan will not only mark a big milestone for the company’s journey in India, it will also translate into a solid boost for the fast growing premium motorcycle market.

Our sister publication, Autocar Professional, estimates that IKM may shift into its all-new assembly plant and commence operations before the festive season approaches, if not for unforeseen delays and change of plans.

“We may have some news to share with you but we won’t talk about it now,” Yutaka Yamashita, managing director, IKM, who refused to comment on this development, recently told our sister publication.

The company’s annual production capacity at Bajaj Auto’s Akurdi-based assembly line is close to 10,000 units, understood to be on a double-shift basis. According to the senior company official, Kawasaki sold nearly 1,400 units in CY2016, which translates into almost-flat growth for IKM YoY.

“CY2016 was a challenging year for us as we are trying to improve our business. We are very positive for our future growth, we are expanding our operations, working on parts procurement and localisation step-by-step. Our highest priority is to take care of our customers. So we are working to increase our network, which we plan to grow by 30-40 percent this year. We have already launched six new models this year and more new motorcycle will come,” Yamashita had told Autocar Professional on the sidelines of the Z1000 / R models in Pune on April 23.

New models rolled out by the company this year include Z650, Z900, Z1000R and updated Ninja 300, Ninja 650, Z250 and Z1000.

Impact on the midsize motorcycle market

India Kawasaki is a formidable player in the growing midsize motorcycle segment, which is roughly understood as models with 250-800cc engines. The range is further defined in two sub-categories of 250cc to 500cc, which forms the entry-level premium space, and the 500-800cc sub-category.
Royal Enfield, currently the leader in the midsized motorcycle segment, retails models in the 250-500cc sub-category.

The midsized motorcycle segment has been witnessing new entrants with more affordable models lately, thanks to the local manufacturing and CKD operations by various OEMs. Bajaj Auto can be credited for the growth of this premium category by giving it a substantial push through local manufacturing and retailing of KTM models in India.

Many other OEMs including India Yamaha Motor, Honda Motorcycle & Scooter India, Harley-Davidson Motor Company India, Triumph Motorcycle India and DSK Motowheels (via Benelli and Hyosung brands) followed suit by locally assembling their midsize bikes.

The midsize class is expected to further see new players stepping into this booming territory later this year, including TVS Motor Company and BMW Motorrad, which will not only heat up the competition in the market, but will also bring new set of choices for the customers.

Kawasaki has had an early presence in India and has witnessed the building-up of the midsize motorcycle league. The company, which had first introduced its Ninja 250 at the Auto Expo 2008, is now aggressively driving its operations to match the right price points through localisation of its globally renowned models.

Although IKM officials have declined to comment on the development, company’s localisation plans for its 300cc and 650cc engines would directly impact the demand for its rivals that include Yamaha’s R3, Honda’s CBR650F, Triumph’s Street Triple among others.

Courtesy : Autocar

Next-genSwift, updated S-Cross and Celerio in the pipeline.

Maruti has already launched models this year, the Ignis, the Baleno RS and the new 2017 Maruti Suzuki Dzire. The carmaker had lined up four launches for this financial year, out of which the first one was the new Maruti Suzuki Dzire sedan. In the pipeline are three more new car launches for the Indian market by the end of the financial year. Speaking at the new 2017 Maruti Suzuki Dzire launch, R.S. Kalsi, Executive Officer (Marketing and Sales), Maruti Suzuki India Ltd, confirmed that out of the three, one will be an all-new offering.

Sources close to the company confirmed that the all-new model that will come to India before the end of this financial year will be the next-gen Swift hatchback, which is slated to be unveiled at the upcoming Auto Expo 2018 in February. The new Swift hatchback, unveiled in late 2016, managed to retain the overarching design language of the original car. The 2017 Swift is built on the same platform as the Baleno, though it will be 10-15 percent lighter. The India-spec Swift will continue to use the 1.2-litre petrol and 1.3-litre diesel engines as the current car, though the diesel engine might be tuned to produce more power. The novelty that the 2017 Swift will offer will be automatic options on both the petrol and the diesel variant.

The other two models that will see mid-cycle refreshes are the S-Cross crossover and the Celerio hatchback. While the crossover was unveiled earlier, the India-spec car is likely to get similar styling tweaks as the international model. Expect Maruti to launch the S-Cross sometime during the festive season. The Celerio hatchback will also see minor tweaks to its exteriors and interior. Details are scarce at the moment, but it will be safe to expect Maruti to add more equipment and creature comforts to make the car more competitive against its rivals like the Tata Tiago and the upcoming Chevrolet Beat.

Courtesy : Autocar

A hybrid Karoq could also be developed in the future as well; no decision has been made on either model so far.

Skoda CEO, Bernhard Maier, has revealed that a hot Karoq vRS performance SUV could be the company’s next vRS-badged model.

The Karoq compact SUV is being targeted squarely as a practical family car, but Maier said Skoda could respond to a demand for a performance version to be made.

Speaking at the launch of the Karoq SUV in Sweden, Maier said: “We have from our customer base very clear feedback that there is obviously a demand in having an SUV with our vRS logo as well, and that has all the ingredients which make the Skoda a vRS."

“We are investigating. We have not made a final decision as of yet. But there might be at least a substantial discussion about that.”

The development comes following reports that called into question the future of the vRS brand. The Fabia vRS hot hatch was discontinued for this generation of the supermini. Two generations of Fabia vRS were made, but now the only remaining vRS model in the Skoda range is the Octavia.

If the Karoq vRS were to make it to market, it’d likely share the same 304hp, four-cylinder, turbocharged engine found in the Seat Ateca Cupra; the closely related cars would also be each others’ main competitor. The Volkswagen T-Roc R would also fall into the same hot SUV category.

Maier also said that a hybrid Karoq could be developed in the future. Internationally, Skoda will launch its first plug-in hybrid, a version of the Superb, in 2019. Maier added: "The [MQB] platform [that the Karoq is built on] is prepared for that, but there's no decision made so far. Until we launch the plug-in Superb we have enough opportunities to really check and balance what car is ready for the market at that time."

Courtesy : Autocar

Both bikes will come to India from Thailand via the CKD route

Ducati is all set to launch two entry-level models in India: the Monster 797 and the Multistrada 950. Both the bikes are targeted towards novice riders. The Monster 797's design harks back to yesteryears' Monster 795/796 models and also uses a motor derived from these models.

The Monster 797 uses the Scrambler's 803cc L-twin motor and makes an identical 74.7PS @ 8,250rpm though torque is up by 0.9Nm. The Monster 797 makes 68.9Nm @ 5750rpm. The Monster 821, in comparison, makes 112PS. The Monster 797 employs the same suspension parts and tyres as the Monster 821. At 175 kilos, it weighs 4.5kg less than the Monster 821. The Monster 797 is a more accessible entry-level Ducati aimed towards first-time superbike buyers. 

The same goes with the Multistrada 950, which is a more accessible Multistrada and is aimed towards those who like the idea of adventure touring but are intimidated by the Multistrada 1200. The Multistrada 950 looks similar to its larger cousins but has been designed to visually look lighter. The 937cc Testastretta L-Twin is based on the Hypermotard and has the same bore and stroke though it gets revisions to the cylinder heads.  It makes the same 113PS @ 9000rpm as the Hypermotard though torque has gone down by 1Nm and is 96.2Nm @ 7750rpm. 

The Multistrada 950 employs 48mm KYB forks up front and a Sachs monoshock damper at the rear, both fully adjustable. Braking is via twin 320mm discs clamped by 4-piston Brembo Monobloc calipers at the front and a 265mm rear disc clamped by a 2-piston floating caliper. ABS is standard. Tyres are touring-spec Pirelli Scorpion Trail II tyres mounted on 19-inch front and 17-inch rear wheels. 

The advent of these bikes will make the deal sweeter for first-time superbike buyers. When launched, the Monster 797 will go up against the Benelli TNT 600i and Kawasaki Z650. The Multistrada, meanwhile, will compete with the Triumph Tiger 800, Kawasaki Versys 1000 and Suzuki V-Strom.

Courtesy : Zigwheels

Spy pictures confirm that a faired version of the FZ25 is close at hand.

The Fazer has been Yamaha’s moniker for the semi-faired versions of their naked roadsters – a case in point (in India) being the Fazer FI, which is basically an FZ16 with an added half fairing and twin headlights. It was just a matter of time that Yamaha India gave the Fazer treatment to its latest FZ25 which launched earlier this year. And it seems that time is upon us as a few spy pictures have captured the Fazer 25 being tested.

While it is clear that the spy pictures show a faired version of the Yamaha FZ25, there’s no other information regarding what’s really changed on the bike. Compared to the Fazer FI (150cc), the fairing of this bike seems to be a bit larger, extending into a belly pan as well. So, at first glance at least, this seems to be more of a full-fairing setup; a departure from the standard Fazer formula.

Everything else seems to be kept as is from the FZ25. Just like all the Fazers before it, the mirrors have been fairing-mounted, and the standard handlebars have been carried over as well (no clip-ons here). The 14-litre fuel tank, tail section, wheels, brakes, and even the rear tyre hugger look identical to the naked version. It’s safe to assume that this new Fazer will run a dual headlamp setup.

The FZ25 is powered by a 249cc air-cooled, single-cylinder motor which runs fuel injection and makes 20.9hp of peak power at 8,000rpm and 20Nm of torque at 6,000rpm. It gets standard telescopic forks at the front, and a preload adjustable monoshock at the back. Braking duties are handled by a single, 282mm front disc and a 220mm rear disc. The Fazer 25 should run the exact same mechanical setup (engine, chassis, suspension, brakes) as the FZ25. The FZ25 has a kerb weight of 148kg and we expect the Fazer to tip the scales at about 4-5kg more, thanks to the added weight of the fairing.

There’s no word on when the Fazer 25 will be hitting showrooms, but given the near-production ready nature of the bike in the spy pictures, we can assume that Yamaha is looking at a launch this festive season. There is also a slight possibility that this new faired bike might be christened as the Fazer 250. Given that the FZ25 costs Rs 1.20 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi), expect the Fazer 25/250 to be priced around the Rs 1.30 lakh mark.

Courtesy : Autocar