Will enter the sub-300cc market.
In an interview to the Economic Times, the CEO of Eicher Motors, Siddhartha Lal, revealed that there will be “one new product every year from 2016 till 2018 under the Royal Enfield brand. The company’s last launch was the Continental GT in 2013 and test mules of the Royal Enfield Himalayan have been spotted repeatedly.
The company will invest close to INR 500 crore in bringing out one new product each year between 2016 and 2018.
Interestingly, he also revealed that the company’s portfolio will span between 250 cc and 750 cc products. The 350 cc Bullet, at present, is the company’s least powered vehicle. Competing in the 250 cc segment will see Royal Enfield’s products staking claim against the likes of the recently launched Benelli models, the KTM Duke series, and the upper echelons of the Bajaj Pulsar range.
For these upcoming products, the company has invested INR 500 crore on both product development and R&D capacity. The investment in the latter will be in the company’s technical centre in Chennai.
The company’s last major launch was the Continental GT pictured here in 2013.
Investment in production capacity has seen the waiting period of the company’s sought after range of products reducing from 9 months to 5 months. From producing 20,000 units per month last year, RE’s production has improved to 30,000 units a month this year, and this will increase to 50,000 units next year.
Royal Enfield Limited Edition “Despatch Riders” – Image Gallery (unrelated)
[Source – ETAuto.com]