Chennai-based TVS Motor Co said it expects to finalize before the end of the ongoing fiscal year, a partnership with BMW for collaboration in two-wheelers. TVS Motor Co President HS Goindi said talks are on with BMW and they expect something to materialize before the end of the ongoing fiscal year. Goindi declined to comment on the nature and details of the partnership for which the company is in talks with BMW, which has also started selling high-end performance bikes since 2010 in India. With TVS looking to tie-up with BMW, we can expect a 200cc+ variant of the Apache and reduced prices of BMW superbikes.
TVS is taking a move to gain technology to improve its portfolio in the high-end performance bikes segment. In 2001, TVS Motor’s tie-up with Japan’s Suzuki Motor Corp came to an end and since then the Chennai-based firm has been on a solo journey. Goindi was speaking on the sidelines of the launch of the company’s latest model Phoenix 125, which is priced at Rs. 49,990 /- for drum brake variant and Rs. 52,000/- (ex-showroom Delhi) for the disc brake variant.
TVS currently sells motorcycles, starting from entry level TVS Sport in the 100cc segment to the 180cc model TVS Apache. Goindi said that the overall executive motorcycle segment is about 4 lakh units a month in India now and the company wants to have a share of about 5-7 percent. TVS Motors is aiming to sell around 20,000 units of the Phoenix 125. The company will also start exporting the new model from February next year. The Phoenix 125 will compete with Hero MotoCorp’s Glamour, Bajaj Auto’s Discover and Honda’s Shine.
