Currently Dominar sales are nowhere close to Pulsar’s and rebadging Dominar 400 as Pulsar 400 could prove a strategic move
The 300cc to 500cc single cylinder motorcycle segment has seen a lot of action in the recent past. This is currently a hot segment that will yield good profitability for OEMs. Hopping on this train is Bajaj, with its “Biggest Pulsar ever” launch in the pipeline. Bajaj Auto CEO has hinted about the bike’s launch.
Bajaj Biggest Pulsar Ever Launch Sooner Than Later
Ever since its launch, Pulsar has been the staple premium commuter in Indian market. Pulsar line has irked the fancy of both commuters and thrill seekers alike for its capability of appealing to both audiences. Fast forwarding to 2024, Bajaj is currently struggling to make a mark with its newer and larger Pulsar models.
Hence necessitating re-launch of Pulsar 220. Bajaj’s newest Pulsar 250 platform has seen mixed reception from Indian buyers too. On the brighter side of things, larger Pulsars still have a lot of pull and demand when compared to its flagship Dominar lineup. Bajaj Auto CEO, Rajiv Bajaj has confirmed the launch of “biggest Pulsar ever” soon.
But how soon? According to what Mr Bajaj had mentioned, the company is launching 6 new Pulsars by the end of this FY. We can count four Pulsars already launched in the form of 2024 versions of updated Pulsar N150, Pulsar N160, Pulsar NS160 and Pulsar NS200. There are two more remaining and one of them is “biggest Pulsar ever”.
As per the hinted timeline a couple of months ago, Bajaj biggest Pulsar ever could launch by the end of this month. FY 2023-2024 ends on March 31st, with two Puslars short of launching. One Pulsar launch might be new and updated 2024 N250 with USD front forks and a new fully digital instrument cluster, which has already been spotted in testing.
Is it a rebadged Dominar 400?
Biggest Pulsar ever may be a Pulsar NS or a Pulsar RS with a larger engine. But which engine? Is it the same 250cc engine as Pulsar N250 and Pulsar F250? Is it KTM’s older 373cc engine used in Dominar 400? Or is it KTM’s newer 399cc engine that made its debut with 2024 390 Duke and recently launched with Husqvarna Svartpilen 401?
Or is it the same 398cc engine that is found on Triumph’s new Speed 400 and Scrambler 400X? Bizarrely, Bajaj could even discontinue Dominar lineup and absorb Dominar 400 and Dominar 250 under Pulsar brand too. Mahindra did something similar with its TUV lineup and brought it under the more popular Bolero brand, which worked wonders for TUV.
Fueling our speculation, there are no spy shots spotted or reported of Bajaj biggest Pulsar ever. If Bajaj can use Dominar name on Pulsars, it can use Pulsar name on Dominar. So, Dominar 400 as Pulsar 400 might be a reality. Time is ticking for Bajaj, if the company would have to stick with Rajiv Bajaj’s indicated timeline of launching two more Pulsars by the end of FY 2023-2024.
Source: Bike - rushlane.com
