Husqvarna India manufactures Svartpilen and Vitpilen range of motorcycles at their plant near Pune
Swedish brand Husqvarna made its entry into the Indian market early last year. Despite of going through struggles caused due to the pandemic, the brand has managed to maintain their sales number steady.
They have also been able to create a niche market for itself. Currently, Husqvarna sells only two models- the 250 siblings- Svartpilen and Vitpilen in India. However, the India has become the brand’s export hub for select sub 400cc motorcycles.
The motorcycles from the Swedish brand are manufactured at Bajaj Auto’s Chakan-based manufacturing facility near Pune where both Bajaj and KTM branded two-wheelers are manufactured. The company was able to dispatch as many as 15,485 units of its models in the first six months of 2021 which includes both domestic sales and exports.
Larger Export Lineup For Husqvarna
Out of them, only 2,120 units were sold in the Indian market while the rest were shipped overseas. This is due to a large portfolio for the export market which is locally manufactured in India. The company manufactures 125, 201 and 401 along with 250 iterations of Svartpilen and Vitpilen bikes in the country which are shipped overseas.
The maximum number of units exported were Svartpilen 401 and Vitpilen 401 with a total 6,698 units shipped to foreign markets during the first half of calendar year 2021. These two models are powered by a 373cc liquid-cooled single-cylinder engine which also propels Bajaj Dominar 400 and KTM 390 series. This unit pumps out 43 bhp and 37 Nm of peak torque and is paired with a six-speed gearbox.
While the company was able to sell 2,120 units of Husky 250 in the Indian market, it shipped 1,602 units of Husky 250 to overseas countries. The entry-level Husky model- Svartpilen 125 witnessed exports of 3,696 units during the first six months of CY2021. On the other hand, Husqvarna 201 recorded the least number of exports during the first of CY2021 with a total of 1,369 units dispatched.
Average monthly dispatches
Interestingly, despite the peak of second wave of pandemic, the month of April witnessed the highest number of dispatches with 3,337 units including both domestic sales and exports. March recorded the lowest number of dispatches of 1,487 units. For the first six months, average monthly dispatches for the domestic market as well as overseas markets stood at 2,581 units.
Average monthly dispatch for Svartpilen 401 and Vitpilen 401 was the highest for the first six months of CY2021 with 1,116 units per month. Whereas, Husky 201 recorded the lowest average monthly dispatch of 228 units per month. While all these models are manufactured in India, it is not clear if and when Husqvarna will launch its new set of motorcycles in the country.
Source: Bike - rushlane.com
