TVS Motor banks on Centra to rev up sales

TVS Motor Company expects its recently launched Centra, the 100 cc popular segment motorcycle, to help drive sales across the country.

The 100 cc segment is the biggest, with as many as 3.50 lakh bikes being sold all over the country in a month alone.

By the year end, TVS will sell around 11.50 lakh bikes, said Ashesh Dhar, general manager, sales (west) of TVS Motor Company. "This will represent a five to six per cent growth over the past year," Ashesh said.

He said with Centra, the company expects a much stronger growth, because the 100 cc segment is the highest selling. "There are already so many motorcycles in the 100 cc segment and the Centra is the latest entrant. But we are confident it will do extremely well because this product has come in after over two years of research and is the best in the 100 cc class. I can safely state that there is no other bike in the 100 cc segment that is designed to give a mileage of over 100 kms per litre under standard conditions and 75 kms per litre in city driving conditions," the official said.

Dhar said this is the first time that the concept of variable timing intelligent (VTi) engines has been introduced in a motorcycle. "This technology was so far available only for cars," Dhar said. Centra was first launched in Chennai on January 8. It sold 8,000 units in January and the number will cross 15,000 in February, the official said.

"We expect Centra to form a major chunk of sales in the next financial year. Centra will sell over three lakh units. In Gujarat, which is one of the best markets for the 100 cc segment, we expect annual sales of around 40,000 unit next year," Dhar said.

He said while 60 per cent of the sales in Gujarat will come from the motorcycle segment, 40 per cent will be from the moped segment, mainly Scooty.

Dhar said the amount normally spent on research and development projects for vehicles is to the tune of Rs 150 crore.

The VTi technology reduces friction in the engine, improves combustion of fuel, reduces fuel wastage during deceleration and also reduces variability, which is the rider's influence on the bike, Dhar said.