The Pulsar continues to dominate the segment with the AS 150 fueling the increased demand, while the Honda CB Unicorn 160 takes a marginal drop in sales.
The 150cc motorcycle segment is one of the more consistent spaces in the Indian motorcycle industry that seldom fails to impress. With the sales report for May 2015 out, we once again analyze the hits and misses for the month in this segment that see’s an exhaustive list of offerings from almost every mainstream motorcycle manufacturer, fighting it out for the number one spot. With new motorcycles gaining strength and newer offerings in the pipeline, here is what sales for 150cc motorcycles looked like in May 2015.
Observations –
1) The Pulsar continues to be the undisputed king in the 150cc segment with massive sales for the previous month. Bajaj Auto registered 40,142 units for the Pulsar 150 (also includes the Pulsar 135 LS) in May this year, witnessing a 4.13 percent growth in sales over this April, while the year-on-year sales saw a 6.10 percent drop. Having built a strong brand name, the Pulsar is doing really well with the arrival of the AS 150 and sales are expected to grow further once the 150 NS hits the market over the coming months. The motorcycle won’t be losing its numero uno position in the segment anytime soon, we reckon.
2) Bajaj however, has not been able to replicate the success of the Pulsar with its Discover brand. The Discover 150 managed to retail 3507 units in May this year, dropping in sales by 15.47 percent, compared to April 2015. Despite the extensive number of changes, a semi-faired version and a lower price tag over the Pulsar 150, the commuter still does not manage to impress the masses that have been shying away from the brand for a long time now.
3) The second consistent performer was the TVS Apache with 21,880 units sold (including the RTR 180) and saw sales increase by 6 percent compared to April this year. The other consistent month-on-month performer was the Suzuki Gixxer that sold 6364 units this May, witnessing a steady increase in sales of 38.14 percent compared to April 2015.
4) The Honda CB Unicorn 160 retailed 18,998 units in May this year, a marginal dip when compared to the 19,994 units sold in April 2015. That said, the Honda has managed to maintain its lead over the Yamaha FZ that sold 14,290 units in May 2015, witnessing a 25.53 percent year-on-year drop. Compared to April this year, the FZ didn’t fair well either with a 7 percent decline in sales.
5) The premium end of the 150cc space continues to be ruled by the Yamaha YZF-R15 that has in fact seen a hike in sales of nearly 6 percent compared to April 2015. The increase at this point does come as impressive, especially after the arrival of the Pulsar RS 200 in the same price bracket.
6) While Hero MotoCorp is the dominant player in the 100-125cc commuter space, the 150cc segment is certainly not the automaker’s cup of tea as sales for its products continue to slide downwards. Save for the Hero Achiever that grew by 28.52 percent since April this year, the manufacturer’s other products including the Xtreme, Hunk and Impulse are dud sellers.
