TVS Motor Company has taken the Apache global story to the next level by earmarking it for Europe next fiscal.
The TVS Apache RTR 310 which was launched in Thailand on September 6 will also be shipped out to Latin America and ASEAN during the course of this year. The Indian market remains top priority and deliveries will kick off towards the end of this month with the company betting big on the festive season. The ex-showroom prices of its three variants range from INR 2.43 lakh to INR 2.63 lakh
KN Radhakrishnan, Director & CEO, told Mobility Outlook in a virtual press meet that even while the ASEAN region is dominated by the Japanese trio of Honda, Yamaha and Suzuki, Apache is part of a super premium segment which will be “unique” and appeal to racing enthusiasts. His colleague, Vimal Sumbly, Head Business — Premium, added that racing is part of the TVS DNA and Apache has been leading the way in design, tech and performance.
The Apache 310 range has been clocking around 7,000 units a month and the company hopes that the new launch will see sales of this range double. “We are confident that numbers in the first year will be 25,000 units. The Apache RTR 310 will redefine agility, power and performance,” said Radhakrishnan.
He added that TVS Motor was already leading in the premium play for motorcycles and this would only gain momentum with the RTR 310 striving to reach the best in class and customer satisfaction. The fact that the percentage of naked premium bikes globally has gone up to 21% from 15% in a few years gives the company the confidence that it is on the right track.
Pushing Premium
Over the last fortnight, TVS Motor has signalled a fierce global intent with launches happening in Dubai for its TVS X electric scooter and now Bangkok with the Apache 310 RTR. The underlying message of premium is also part of this package and Sumbly said the company would constantly be looking at new retail channels to enhance this experience.
Right now there are premium zones within the dealerships in India but with digitalisation now being the name of the game, the idea is to constantly offer new buying options. The association with BMW Motorrad has already spawned 150,000 global customers which, according to Radhakrishnan, has done wonders to spread the message of the TVS focus on quality.
Sumbly added that in the case of Apache, there is already a rapidly growing community in the form of the Apache Owners Group present in Mexico, Colombia, Nepal and Bangladesh. This drive will continue in other countries where the brand will strive to enhance its footprint and typically include ASEAN and Latin America.
Global Intent
As India’s largest exporter of two-wheelers, Bajaj Auto has also been pulling out all the stops to enhance its presence across the world. Its long association with KTM of Austria and, more recently, with Triumph of the UK will see aggressive strides being made in ASEAN, Latin America and Europe. The relationship with KTM has already seen huge exports of 125cc-400cc bikes across the globe.
TVS Motor is the second largest exporter of two-wheelers and is now looking at electric in a big way. It is already the country’s second largest player in this space with the iQube that is not too far behind Ola Electric. With TVS X, the company will target new geographies which will put it ahead of other players in the electric arena. Beyond this is the alliance with BMW Motorrad where, once again, the focus on electric is expected to be a shot-in-the-arm for TVS Motor.
While Bajaj and TVS are revving up their global play, Royal Enfield is also pulling out all the stops to spread its presence across ASEAN, Europe and Latin America. All these moves are a far cry from the times when most Indian two-wheeler makers relied on their stronger Japanese allies through a large part of the 1980s and ‘90s and even beyond into the initial years of this century.
The dynamics have now changed with strong alliances being forged with European brands where the growth story has spread beyond the shores of India. The likes of Honda and Yamaha still remain strong in ASEAN and Latin America but the entry of premium motorcycles from Indo-European partnerships in markets where scooters dominate promises a lot of excitement ahead.
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