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Piaggio Plans To Enter Middleweight Motorcycle Segment: Wants Piece Of RE’s Market Share
Italian auto giants Piaggio is planning to enter the middle weight motorcycle market in India. The manufacturer wants a piece of the Royal Enfield dominated segment.
*image for representational purposes only
Piaggio has announced earlier that it was planning to launch Aprilia motorcycles in the 150cc segment, but has quickly realised that the consumers are moving towards higher-displacement motors. According to the Economic Times Auto, Piaggio is planning to launch products in the 250cc to 350cc range.
Mr Graffi, the Managing Director at Piaggio said, Definitely, we are looking with a lot of interest at the motorcycle segment in India. It is natural, having a brand like Aprilia, which is well known across the world for winning in racing competitions."
The last financial year saw 7,73,855 motorcycles sold in the 250cc to 350cc segments of which Royal Enfield's sales stood at 7,64,012 units, translating to close to 99 per cent of the market share.
Piaggio remarked that they were looking in to the 250cc to 350cc range, were studying markets, and running research & development. The company said they needed time to make an entry in to the segment, but that they have plans for it.
In addition, Piaggio is working towards launching an India specific scooter sometime during June next next. The company is also working towards upgrading its products under the Vespa brand.
Data from SIAM indicates that sales of two-wheelers have dropped by 15.74 per cent during this financial year. The collective industry sales stands at 1.29 crore units during the financial year starting April 2019.
SIAM reports also indicated that sales for Piaggio two-wheelers, that currently retail under the Vespa and Aprilia brands, declined by 16.86 units, translating to sales of 48,471 units during the same period.
In Piaggio related news, the company intends to continue to manufacture diesel, petrol, and LPG/ CNG three-wheelers even after the BS-VI norms come in to effect starting 1 April 2020. Piaggio also intends to launch electric three-wheelers in India.
*image for representational purposes only
The company has partnered with SUN Mobility with the idea of setting up battery swapping stations for its Ape Electrik range of three-wheelers. The partnerships aims set up these facilities across 15 cities in the country.
Thoughts About Piaggio Making A 250-350cc Segment Entry
Well, times have changed. Until a few months ago, an entry in to the mass segments would have helped generate higher sales for any manufacturer. The 250cc to 350cc segment is the busiest in terms of sales, and Royal Enfield have manages to price their products at a reasonable price. If Piaggio manages to price their motorcycles right, they could eat in to the Bull's market.