Suzuki will be concentrating on the Gixxer twins for the next one year and is planning to launch a 250cc Gixxer in the market but won’t be updating its commuter range anytime soon.
You read it first on MotorBeam! Having tasted success with the Gixxer 155 after a long long time, sources close to Suzuki Motorcycle India tell us that the Japanese manufacturer will not be paying much attention to its mass market offerings anytime soon and instead is choosing to focus on niche segments that have shown more response during the past year. The automaker currently retails the Slingshot and Hayate in the 110cc segment and the GS150R in the 150cc commuter space, all of which are doing minuscule numbers against competition.
Nonetheless, Suzuki will be refreshing its commuter models regularly, but do not expect any major changes or completely new models anytime soon. Instead, the automaker will be concentrating its synergies towards the niche motorcycle space. Suzuki categorises the Gixxer SF as a niche product, the only-of-its-kind in its segment at present and is working towards making the SF a success in the market. The company is also working on a new niche motorcycle that will compete in the 250cc category and is based on the Gixxer platform.
Likely to be called as the Suzuki Gixxer 250, power will be coming from a 250cc single-cylinder motor churning out around 25-28 PS and will hit the market sometime during 2016. Given the popularity of full faired motorcycles in the country, we reckon that the automaker will also launch a full faired Gixxer 250 SF later in the timeline. Till then, the manufacturer will be promoting the Gixxer twins while the premium space will see more superbikes coming from the company like the recently launched GSX-S1000 and S1000F. However, only via the CBU route.
This also denies all claims made by earlier reports of Suzuki bringing the Hayabusa to India with CKD assembly. Previous reports had stated that the superbike will be assembled at the automaker’s facility in Gurgaon that would lead to a hefty price cut of Rs. 5 lakhs on the bike, which retails at Rs. 15.95 lakhs (ex-showroom, Delhi) at present. The very popular Hayabusa will continue to come via the CBU route in the country and this surely must be disappointing for those who had started saving up. With 11 units sold last month, the volumes of the Busa are still not enough to justify local assembly.
