Honda Motorcycle and Scooter announces price cut

Chennai: While two-wheeler manufacturers in India continue to demand a larger cut in the excise duty, Gurgaon-based Honda Motorcycle and Scooter India Pvt Ltd (HMSI) has decided to reduce the prices of its models.

Passing on the benefit of the four per cent excise duty cut to the customer as announced by finance minister P Chidambaram in his 29 February budget speech, HMSI has decided to cut the prices across its motorcycle and scooter models by Rs800-Rs1600, according to N K Rattan, divisional head-sales and marketing.

Launching the Aviator, the company's latest premium scooter model, Rattan said this fiscal HMSI would reach a turnover of Rs30 billion ($742.76 million), selling 880,000 units (610,000 scooters and 270,000 motorcycles).

'Our target for the next fiscal is one million units, with a sales mix of 700,000 scooters and 300,000 motorcycles,' said Shinji Aoyama, president and chief executive officer of the company.

The company is targeting 100,000 units of Aviator sales next fiscal. The 102cc automatic geared scooter comes in two variants. The standard variant features a drum brake, and deluxe version sports a disc brake.

The scooter is available in five colours – 'Rebel Red Metallic', 'Berry Purple Metallic', 'Space Silver Metallic', 'Monsoon ray Metallic' and 'Pearl Igneous Black'. It is priced between Rs43,000 and Rs47,000.