Bajaj Auto has phased out the Pulsar 200 to make way for the new Pulsar 220, as both were priced on a par, despite the latter being more powerful. The new Pulsar 220, launched three weeks earlier, is a refurbished version of the earlier model launched in December 2006. The Pulsar 200 was launched in January 2007 and carried an ex-showroom price of about Rs. 70,000/- However, to take on competing products in the premium category (priced upwards of Rs. 65,000/-) with the likes of Yamaha FZ16, Yamaha R15, Hero Honda Karizma and the TVS Apache 180, Bajaj has slashed the price of Pulsar 220 by more than Rs 15,000/- It will now be sold at Rs. 70,000/- ex-showroom.
“The carburettored version of the new Pulsar 220, which has been launched, offers higher power and better performance at a much lesser price. So, continuing with the Pulsar 200 was not possible, as it was priced in the similar range. We wanted to offer the buyers a better bike at an affordable rate,” S SridharS Sridhar, chief executive, Bajaj Auto said.
The bike, however, is still available in select showrooms at the earlier price without any discounts. Some units of the Pulsar 200 are available with probiking dealers and there will be no more supply of the Pulsar 200 from Bajaj. The Pulsar 200 has a 198.8cc engine, which delivers 18 bhp power, while the Pulsar 220 has a 220cc engine, which generates 21.04 bhp of peak power. Although the new Pulsar 220 is heavier than the Pulsar 200 by five kg, at 150 kg, it is faster than the smaller sibling at 144 km/hour, as compared to 130 km/hour.
The company is bullish on the new Pulsar to spruce sales beyond the 48,062 units of the whole Pulsar range sold by it in June. Te Pulsar range contributes to about half the company’s monthly sales, but a bulk of the profitability. Currently, the company produces three models under the Pulsar brand — Pulsar 150, Pulsar 180 and Pulsar 220. All the three models have only recently gone through a face-lift labelled as the ‘2009 edition’.
