Bajaj Auto plots 375cc Pulsar rollout before Diwali

Bajaj Auto plans to consolidate its Pulsar portfolio by commercially rolling out the variants of a bigger, more powerful model around September-October this year, say market analysts closely tracking the company.

Bajaj Auto is known to have readied motorcycle models on its KTM-derived single-cylinder, liquid-cooled, 375cc fuel-injected engine that develop peak power in the range of 44bhp. It has been reported that this performance-oriented engine could power several motorcycle models under different brands including its highly successful Pulsar marque.

The company had displayed two pre-production concepts – Pulsar CS400 and Pulsar SS400 – at the 2014 Auto Expo, giving much clarity on the future evolution of its most promising motorcycle brand.

Talking to Autocar Professional, a market analyst, who prefers to stay anonymous, underlined that “Bajaj Auto’s management plans to roll out the bigger (possibly 375cc) Pulsar model in the coming four months’ time, tentatively scheduling the commercial launch around the last week of September to the first week of October this year. The timing, as per the management’s plans, looks convincing as they are clearly looking at generating the sales momentum in the Diwali month. While this will consolidate their Pulsar portfolio, it also looks promising on the front of the margins for Bajaj Auto.”

“However, this is where the rollout plan stands currently. The right to make changes based on the market situation lies with the company management,” he added.

Dhanteras and Diwali are the two major festive occasions when passenger car and two-wheeler OEMs record their year-best sales every fiscal in India. While Diwali this year will be on October 30, Dhanteras typically will be observed around 26-27 October, 2016.

Based on business trends, two-wheeler industry experts estimate that the incoming Pulsar could be the production version of the CS400 concept that was revealed over two years ago.

Revealed: Bajaj's aggressive product game-plan

The company is understood to be opening up an all-new segment via the Pulsar CS400, which carries the Cruiser Sport nomenclature with its name. Bajaj will likely position the CS400 for young urban riders who are looking to ride long distances on the highways as well as for city commutes. The CS400 will bring yet another categorically positioned model to the evolving Pulsar family, which has seen recent additions in the form of the Race Sport (via RS200) and Adventure Sport (via AS200) classes.

The Pulsar has remained the leading motorcycle brand for Bajaj Auto in terms of garnering sales across the domestic territories. SIAM data points out that the company sold around 618,000 units under its Pulsar brand, out of its overall domestic motorcycle sales of 1,898,957 units during FY2015-16.

In an official communication to the press yesterday, the company said, “The Pulsar and Avenger combined recorded a growth of 8 percent while the segment growth for the industry remained flat. The market share in this segment improved from 43 percent in FY2015 to 47 percent in FY2016.”

Also read: 

- Bajaj Auto records PAT of Rs 3,652 crore in FY2016, up 30% YoY

- Bajaj Auto to roll out Husqvarna bikes in 2017