Honda Plans To Launch 100 cc Motorcycle Next Fiscal

The Hindu Business Line

Honda Motorcycle & Scooter India plans to launch a 100 cc motorcycle soon and expects to end the current fiscal with a growth in sales of about 10 per cent.



The Honda Motorcycle & Scooter India President and Chief Executive Officer, Mr Shinji Aoyama, told newspersons after inaugurating the companys dealership, Dream Honda here, that a 100 cc motorcycle will be launched during the next fiscal (2009-10).


He said the new vehicle is expected to be priced at about Rs 40,000. The company has already announced that it plans to invest about Rs 300 crore during 2009-10 for consolidating its Indian operations.



Sales target

He said the company expects to post sales of about 10.6 lakh vehicles, including scooters and motorcycles, for 2008-09, which is about 10 per cent more than the previous fiscal. During 2009-10, Honda expects to sell about 12.5 lakh vehicles.

Mr Aoyama said there are currently 332 dealerships across the country which will go up to about 370 by this year-end.


Some banks and finance companies have started offering vehicle loans again though the outlook for the two-wheeler industry is still hazy. He said even though some of the companys vehicles were competing with similar products of its joint venture, Hero Honda, there is no possibility of both of them eating into each others market share.

We have a similar example in China where we have two joint ventures, and our experience shows that both of them can co-exist, he said.