Benelli, one of the oldest Italian motorcycle brand, is all set to reposition itself in the 300cc to 500cc superbike segment. Good news is that the company will be rolling out at least 12 models in India by 2019.
Confirming the news, senior director of Benelli Dante Bustos, said, “We are making a re-entry by introducing three bikes by this year end and nine by 2019.” He added, as reported by NDTV, “In the first phase, we will roll out TNT 300, TNT 302 and TNT 600i superbikes.”
“The 200cc market has matured. People will look to upgrade seeking more power and better riding experience and that’s why we are focussing on 300cc to 500cc bikes, which will grow more. We will offer these bikes across Naked, Adventure, Sports, Modern Classic and Heritage categories from 250-600cc. Cruizer bikes will be unveiled during 2020,” the official said.
The Italian manufacturer recently announced its tie-up with Hyderabad-based Adishwar Auto Ride India (AARI), a subsidiary of Mahavir Group, to assemble and market its motorcycles in India. The company is the process of setting up a manufacturing plant in Telangana.
According to Bustos, in the next two to three years, more players would be competing in the 500CC category. The market size for superbikes in India is tremendous. In the last three years, Benelli had sold nearly 5,300 bikes and plans to sell 3,000 units during 2019. Bustos said they would be revamping the existing dealerships with more facilities.
Keeping the Indian market in mind:
Vikas Jhabakh, Director, Mahavir Group, said Benelli was looking at setting up an R&D centre in India and make India-specific bikes that have global demand. “Besides, we are setting up the manufacturing plant in two phases. The first phase will become operational by October 2018,” he said. Currently, Benelli has 18 touch points (dealerships) in the country and will add 20 more in the next 12 months.
Also Read: Planning to buy a car? Nissan India has lined up August 2018 BIG discount