HYDERABAD, Aug 5: Motorcycle-maker Benelli on
Monday announced the launch of its popular global brand
Leoncino 500 in the Indian market with a price tag of Rs 4.79
lakh (ex-showroom).
Benelli India managing director Vikas Jhabakh,
addressing a press conference here, said the Italian bike-
maker which became part of Qjian Jiang Group, China, is coming
out witha bike specifically designed for the Indian market in
sub-300 cc category in a few months.
The bike would also be exported to other countries, he
said.
We thought Hyderabad is apt as a location for the
national launch of our latest bike Leoncino 500. The bike will
be available in India in two colours – red and the steel grey.
Leoncino 500 would be imported in the CKD format and
assembled in the Hyderabad facility.
The bike would come with five-year unlimited kilometre
warranty, Jhabakh told reporters.
He said the company is planing to come out with two or
three models including the one specifically for Indian bike
riders in the next few months.
Benelli has six models, including Leoncina, in India.
“By 2020-end, Benelli will have 12 or 13 different
models of all categories in terms of cc, in the Indian
market,” he said.
Last year, the company Benelli had signed a
memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Telangana
government and Adishwar Auto Ride International (AARI), a
subsidiary of Mahavir Group, for setting up a manufacturing
facility here.
The Mahavir group company initially started assembling
CKD (completely knock-down) kits of the bike here for Benelli
and the partnership also entitles AARI to assemble,
manufacture and import exclusive range of the bikes from Italy
and South-East Asian regions.
Benelli sold over 6000 bikes in India since its launch
in the country three years ago.
It sold about 1,000 units from January till July this
year and hopes to end the year with the sales of 2,000 units.
Replying to query, Jhabakh said the company was
closely studying the feasibility of bringing out electric
variant into the Indian market, but not in the immediate
future. (PTI)
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