Bajaj Auto eyes 125 CC market with a price drop in Pulsar 135 LS

Bajaj Auto has slashed the price of its entry-level Pulsar the 135 LS to match the prices of the 125 cc motorcycle segment, gaining the smallest Pulsar entry into the commuter segment. In this price range compete the Honda CB Shine, Hero Glamour, etc. The slash was about Rs. 3,000-4,000, to bring the price down to Rs. 57,594 (ex-showroom Price), against the previous price of Rs. 62,000 (ex-showroom Price).

Hero Glamour and Honda CB Shine currently sell in the price band of Rs. 55,213 – Rs. 57,312 and Rs. 57,449 – Rs. 62,797 (all prices ex-showroom, Pune), as they are the best-selling motorcycles in this segment.

In terms of the features, the smallest capacity Pulsar is the better option of the three, which can intensify competition for the other two vehicles. The Pulsar 135 LS has the 134.66 cc, air-cooled, four-stroke, single cylinder DTS-i engine, with a standard front disc brake for all variants, while the base variants of the Hero Glamour and Honda CB Shine sport drum brakes.

With this decision to slash prices, Bajaj is clearly trying to woo the 125 cc mileage-loving commuter segment market, though the Pulsar 135 LS has a few of premium special features that are not usually seen in this segment.

No wonder that Bajaj Auto sold more units in May 2016 than Hero and Honda, according to SIAM sales figures, which pointed that Bajaj Auto sold 77,464 units in May 2016, followed by Hero at 75,621 units and Honda at 70,858 units respectively, last month, in the 110-125cc segment.

Honda CB Shine still remained the favorite of many in the 125 cc segment by rising to the top position in terms of sales in the Financial Year 2015-2016, while Hero Motocorp dominated the sales chart for the five months till May 2016.

Hero Motocorp could even beat Honda and their CB Shine variants, while Bajaj Auto struggled along with TVS Motor Company to claim the third position. The lower turnout of the Discover has put the Bajaj on the back foot beaten easily by the TVS Victor models.

The industry considers Bajaj Auto’s strategy to reduce prices as a clever move to penetrate the 125 cc commuter market with its more premium and stylish model for the segment. Pitting the 

Bajaj Pulsar 135 LS against the CB Shine and Glamour is a better offer for the buck. Only time will tell how this strategy pans out!