Just over six months after M&M bought Kinetic, it is all set to foray into the two-wheeler market with two upgraded products. According to company dealers, the utility vehicle market leader will kick off its two-wheeler business with upgrades of Kinetic’s currently available gearless scooters, Flyte and Nova. The modified versions will be available in showrooms by the end of the month.
Both scooters will be co-branded Mahindra Kinetic and there will be no change in their prices. The 125-cc Flyte and 135-cc Nova are currently priced at around Rs 41,000 ex-showroom Delhi. “Mahindra has already begun production of these co-branded two wheelers at its Pithampur plant near Indore and will start dispatching them to dealers soon,” said the Kinetic dealer. M&M had stopped dispatching these gearless scooters a couple of months ago and dealers are awaiting the upgraded versions of Flyte and Nova.
The company had taken its dealers for a tour of its Pithampur plant earlier this week. M&M is serious about attacking the two-wheeler business with products both in the entry level mass market as well as in the lifestyle and performance segment. The company has been in partnership talks with various global bike brands to source products for the top end of the market.
The bottom end will be serviced by products made and designed inhouse. M&M and Kinetic had formed a new firm Mahindra Kinetic in July 2008, in which M&M held 80% stake while Kinetic Motors retained the remaining 20%. M&M picked up the controlling stake in Kinetic for Rs 110 crore.
