July 2015 sales figures are out and it is the Honda Activa which is leading the pack by gaining a big margin over the Hero Splendor.
In the past few months, the Honda Activa had been able to surpass the Hero Splendor in the sales charts sometimes and become the leader but the difference in terms of units used to be very less. However, past month things were a bit different and the Japanese warrior managed to beat the Indian kid by a whopping 48,688 units. This shows the growing preference of Indian customers towards automatic scooters due to their practicality quotient. With time, the fuel efficiency of these vehicles has also increased making the running cost difference almost negligible when the ease of riding is factored in.
The next three spots after the Honda Activa are taken by the Hero range of commuter bikes which includes the Splendor, Passion and CF Deluxe. The trio has taken a major beating in terms of sales numbers this month as compared to last month’s numbers. Coming in next is another offering from the Japanese brand, the Honda CB Shine. A no-nonsense commuter, the bike provides a good blend of performance, fuel efficiency and refinement which lures many customers. The Hero Glamour comes in next which sells due to its styling and value for money pricing in addition to the Hero badge.
The Bajaj Pulsar’s positioning has strengthened after the launch of the various new variants in the 150cc and 200cc categories. Known as India’s favourite sports bike, the brand has been able to attract customers continuously. In the scooter segment, it is not only the Honda scooters which have gained volumes. The TVS Jupiter has witnessed an approximate rise of 17% over June’s sales figures and this puts it at eighth position. The usual suspects like the Bajaj CT 100 and the Honda Dream occupy the next two spots with the former losing a lot of volumes in comparison to the month preceding the previous month.
The next two positions are occupied by scooters again and this might be one of the first time when four scooters are featuring within the top 11 sellers. This does show a strong shift towards the gearless scooter segment and manufacturers too are focusing on it with plans of more powerful scooters in the pipeline. A surprising entry at the thirteenth spot is the Royal Enfield Classic 350 which is one of the most popular bikes of the iconic bikemaker. While demand was never the issue for them, supply has also been increased after the inauguration of the new plant.
Another scooter which makes it within the top 15 list is the Suzuki Access which gets a powerful engine and a comfortable ride quality yet falls behind in terms of sales due to its dated design. Out of the last five spots, three are occupied by 150cc segment bikes like the Yamaha FZ and TVS Apache. This segment has been very volatile off late with volumes shifting from one product to another every month. One more Hero offering which has been able to sneak into the list is the Pleasure which is a great choice for anyone looking for a light and zippy scooter for those quick runs within the city. The TVS Star City ends the list albeit with a drop of 20% in sales as compared to June.
