In what is an indication of the scooter market moving towards 125cc models, the recently launched Grazia sees strong initial demand.
30 Nov 2017 | 14576 Views | By Amit Panday
Honda Motorcycle & Scooter India (HMSI), the largest scooter company in the country, has reported sale of more than 15,000 units of its latest 125cc premium scooter model Grazia within 21 days of its commercial launch on November 8. It had started accepting bookings for this model from October 25.
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Honda Motorcycle & Scooter India (HMSI), the largest scooter company in the country, has reported sale of more than 15,000 units of its latest 125cc premium scooter model Grazia within 21 days of its commercial launch on November 8. It had started accepting bookings for this model from October 25.
Elaborating on the latest 125cc scooter’s initial market response, Yadvinder Singh Guleria, senior vice-president (sales and marketing), HMSI said, “Loaded with many segment-leading features and a fresh styling that stands out, the Grazia has taken the style and performance-loving customers by storm. We are overwhelmed by the initial response and are confident that with its expanded scooter portfolio, Grazia will take Honda’s leadership to the next level.”
The Grazia is Honda’s second model in the emerging 125cc scooter category. Along with the Honda Activa 125, it competes with the Suzuki Access 125, which has witnessed strong sales (an average of nearly 33,250 units per month so far in the ongoing fiscal) over the last year after its facelift was launched in the domestic market in March 2016.
Revealed: Honda’s scooter market penetration strategy
Honda’s rollout of the Grazia scooter underlines its intent to aggressively take on the potential competition expected in the 125cc scooter category. The premium 125cc scooter category, which stands small in comparison with the 110cc scooter market, is expected to see a flush of all-new models coming from Honda’s arch-rivals – TVS Motor Company and Hero MotoCorp in the near future.
The Japanese two-wheeler manufacturer clearly seeks to command the upcoming 125cc scooter market just like it undisputedly rules the 110cc scooter category in the domestic market. With Grazia, HMSI also appears to be striving for creating yet another successful scooter brand in the market, just like the Activa, Dio and the Aviator.
It is to be noted that introduction of every new scooter model in the market by Honda contributes in the expansion of the overall segment. For example, industry data reveals that Honda has sold close to 25,000 units of its 110cc Cliq scooter model until October 2017. The model was first launched post mid-June 2017 and saw pan-India roll out under several phases.
Positioned at rural customers, the Honda Cliq has not only managed to acquire as many conventional motorcycle customers under its umbrella during this time frame, it has also driven scooter market’s rural penetration adding average sales of close to 6,000 units per month. Notably, Honda has not started exporting its Cliq scooter.
The Navi, on the other hand, has reported domestic sales of about 14,000 units and exports of more than 8,000 units during the April-October 2017 period. The 110cc Navi, which borrows its powertrain from Honda’s Activa scooter(s), has contributed in terms of bringing additional 3,000 customers (domestic + exports) every month thus far in this fiscal.
In October 2017 alone, Honda reportedly sold about 4,000 units of Navi, which clearly highlights how Honda is leading the charge even in such niche category. The company is expected to remain aggressive across the 110cc and 125cc scooter categories in the future too. However, it would be interesting to take note of how the market would react when TVS Motor and Hero MotoCorp will enter with their respective Honda Grazia rivals.
Also read: India Sales: Top 10 Scooters in October 2017 | Suzuki Access 125 shines amid surging demand