Husqvarna in India
Husqvarna India is expected to introduce the Vitpilen 401 and Svartpilen 401 in the domestic market soon
After registering its best ever sales performance in August 2020 so far, the newly introduced premium motorcycle brand Husqvarna India saw its sales dip in both domestic and export sectors. The fluctuation in monthly numbers could be attributed to supply chain and production constraints rather than demand.
Husqvarna in India
The KTM-owned Swedish brand is still in the initial phase of its medium displacement motorcycle plan. Based on the KTM Duke platform, Husqvarna’s Vitpilen and Svartpilen is made in India with three engine options – 200, 250 and 401.
Husqvarna Sales and Exports Sep 2020
Only the 250 is currently on sale in the domestic market while all the three variants are being exported. Just like its KTM counterparts, the Huqvarna Vitpilen and Svartpilen 200, 250 and 401 variants are made at Bajaj Auto’s Chakan facility for the entire world.
The Husqvarna Vitpilen 250 and Svartpilen 250 are priced at INR 1.84 lakh (ex-showroom). The dynamic duo take on their sibling, the KTM Duke 250. All the three quarter liter street fighters are powered by the same single-cylinder, liquid-cooled motor which produces 30 hp and 24 Nm of torque. Transmission is a 6-speed unit.
September 2020 sales
Last month, Husqvarna Vitpilen 200 and Svartpilen 200 managed to clock combined sales volume of 724 units as against 972 units in August 2020. When it comes to exports, each engine variant of the radical street fighter family reported month-on-month decline.
| No | Husqvarna India | Sep 2020 Domestic | Sep 2020 Exports | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 200 | Not Launched | 72 | 72 |
| 2 | 250 | 764 | 168 | 932 |
| 3 | 401 | Not Launched | 292 | 292 |
| – | Total | 764 | 532 | 1,296 |
Totally, 532 units of Husqvarna left the country compared to 803 in August. The net sales figures for the month of September 2020 stood at 1,296 units compared to August’s tally of 1,775 units. This is the lowest monthly cumulative sales registered by Husqvarna since the economy opened up post lockdown.
What’s next for Husqvarna
Husqvarna was gearing up for an eventful year in India but the pandemic has thrown a spanner it its works. As things are recovering in terms of production and market demand, we can see the brand stepping up its operations in the coming months. While the prospect of 200 cc variants in India remain uncertain, the Vitpilen 401 and Svartpilen 401 are slated for domestic launch.
The company is also looking at foraying into the burgeoning electric two wheeler segment as early as next year. A leaked presentation at an investors meet in Europe indicated that Husqvarna is readying an electric motorcycle based on the existing platform and design language in addition to an electric scooter named E01.
The latter will have a power output of around 4 kW and is most likely to share its platform with the Bajaj Chetak. It is expected to be manufactured alongside its sibling and exported to several international markets.
Source: Bike - rushlane.com
