The Aquila 250 from DSK Hyosung was unveiled Feb. 6, 2014 at the New Delhi auto show. S&T Motors, the Korean company that owns the Hyosung brand sells in India with local partner, DSK. It will put the bikes together for the Indian market from completely-knocked down kits, or CKDs, at the company's plant in western India. Powered by a V twin-cylinder DOHC 8-valve engine, the bike will retail at 269,000 Indian rupees ($4,300).Arjun Kashyap
The market for two-wheelers in India, which is reportedly the world's second-largest, saw a growth of 5.4 percent in the nine-month period ending December 2013, in a year that has attained notoriety in the country's automobile sector as its worst in more than a decade.
According to data from the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers, or SIAM, which is co-organizing the ongoing New Delhi Auto Expo 2014 in the nation's capital, sales of scooters jumped nearly 20 percent in the April through December period in 2013 compared to the same period a year ago. The motorcycle segment grew at a more staid rate of 2.48 percent but still compared favorably to the nearly 6 percent drop in sales of passenger vehicles in the same period.
The trend has been driven by discouraged Indian consumers coping with rising fuel prices, tighter credit and worsening traffic conditions across the country. However, the long-term promise of an upwardly mobile market is evident in the range of products on display at the auto show, as seen in this slideshow.
The scooter is a popular mode of transportation in both urban and rural India.The TVS Jupiter, which costs about 45,000 rupees (about $700) on display at the New Delhi auto show on Feb. 6, 2014. It is the latest product to be introduced by Chennai, India-based TVS Motors, which also manufactures motorcycles, mopeds and auto rickshaws for Indian and overseas markets.Arjun KashyapScooters from Yamaha are displayed at the New Delhi auto show on Feb. 6, 2014.Arjun KashyapThe Harley Davidson Street 750 being displayed at the New Delhi auto show on Feb. 6, 2014. The V-Twin engine-powered, six-speed bike was launched at the auto show in the nation's capital on Feb. 5 and targets a growing section of affluent urban customers. The bike costs a little over 400,000 Indian rupees (about $6,500).Arjun KashyapYet another view of the Harley Davidson Street 750. The iconic American bike manufacturer has been present in India since August 2009 and offers a dozen models in the country through a dealership network spread across 13 cities.Arjun KashyapThe Honda CBR 650F, which was launched for the Indian market, on display at the New Delhi auto show on Feb. 6, 2014. On Feb. 5, Honda Motorcycle & Scooter India, or HMSI, announced that it would begin assembling the CBR 650R -- its highest-displacement motorcycle in India, beginning in 2015. The company, which owned 17 percent of the two-wheeler market in India in 2012-13, will invest $176 million to build a new plant and additional capacity. Seen in the background is the company's Activa scooter, a ubiquitous sight on Indian roads.Arjun KashyapThe Yamaha FZ motorbike on display at the New Delhi auto show on Feb. 6, 2014. This two-wheeler, priced around 73,000 Indian rupees ($1,170), is one of many motorbikes on Indian roads that are aimed at the mass commuter market, and is designed to resemble flashy super bikes while being comfortable and practical at the same time.Arjun KashyapThe Honda CBR 250R, with a price tag of about 160,000 rupees ($2,600) for the base variant is aimed at the mid-market segment.Arjun KashyapThe Indian arm of British motorcycle-maker, Triumph, unveiled the Daytona 675 at the New Delhi auto show on Feb. 6, 2014. The bike is priced at a little over a million rupees, which is about $16,000, and the company aims to sell nearly 500 of them in the first six months.Arjun Kashyap
