DSK Motowheels, the newly formed automotive division of Pune-based DSK Group, on Wednesday launched the Hyosung GT250R at Rs 2.75 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi), priced at a significant premium to its main competitor Honda CBR 250 (Rs 1.48 lakh).
The launch is the first by the company after it took over the two-wheeler business operations of Pune-based Garware Motors last week for an undisclosed sum. The bike will be launched in showrooms in the next five days with deliveries starting in a month, said senior executives of the company.
Korean bike maker S&T has been selling Hyosung branded bikes in India since the past year through 18 dealers established by former manufacturing and marketing partner Garware Motors. The company has three bikes on sale in India — GT650R, GT650N and ST7.
Shirish Kulkarni, director, DSK Motorwheels, said, “Hyosung sold 600 bikes in India last year and this year we intend to sell 3,700 bikes in the remaining 10 months with about 3,000 units to be sold by the GT250R”.
The company intends to develop a range of bikes from 125cc and above from scratch for the Indian market under the Hyosung brand. Two more models will be launched by it before the end of the year - GV650 and the GV250. By year end 40 dealerships will be opened pan India.
The company is also talking to state governments for setting up a new engine and body manufacturing facility which would come up in the next 18 months. Till then the assembly facility at Wai, Maharashtra will be used.
The company intends to raise the local content to 90 per cent once local manufacturing begins. This will bring down overall costs of the bike for instance the cost of GT250R will be brought down by half, stated Kulkarni.