TVS Motor Company (TVSM) has unveiled TVS Jupiter, a new scooter.
TVS Jupiter is aimed at male buyers. It will be priced at Rs.44,200 ex-showroom Delhi.
The launch of the 110-cc scooter will make TVSM a complete player in the scooter space.
The company has Scooty Pep Plus for female drivers. Wego is for both men and women. The launch of Jupiter will help TVSM get into the ‘exclusively men’ segment of the scooter market.
TVS Jupiter will focus on self-employed, businessmen and traders.
“This (TVS Jupiter) will be the best in class product,” asserted Venu Srinivasan, Chairman of the company. “Every quarter, you can expect a new product from TVS Motor going forward,” he said even while admitting that “we have been slower in coming out with new products”. He attributed the slowness to the company expending much of its time and energy in improving quality.
Addressing a press conference immediately after the launch of TVS Jupiter, he said the company would have 20,000 Jupiter scooters ready by Diwali to cash in on the upcoming festival season. About 4,000 Jupiter scooters had already been shipped to dealers, he added. Initially, Jupiter would be sold in the North. The South launch would happen in November, he said. The company was hoping to sell 10,000 units a month, he said. The capacity could be scaled up to 20,000 units if required, he pointed out.
At present, the total scooter sale of the company is around 35,000 units. With the launch of Jupiter, Mr. Srinivsasn was hopeful that this number would go up to 50,000 units by the end of December.
To a question, Mr. Srinivasan said TVSM would come out with a new Scooty on January 1.
Company officials claimed that scooters were doing well. Scooters comprised a quarter of the two-wheeler industry sale in the country, they pointed out. Around 29 per cent of the scooters catered to female drivers, 35 per cent to both men and women, and 36 per cent only to male drivers.
TVS Jupiter, according to company officials, is fuel-efficient, and could give 62 km per litre.