Honda launches 'Aviator' scooter

Aimed at catering to the needs of 'new age' customers, Honda Motorcycle and Scooter India Pvt Ltd (HMSI) on Monday unveiled 'Aviator,' a new premium automatic scooter, with a sale target of one lakh units during 2008-09.

The new product, fourth from the stable of Honda in scooter segment after Activa, Dio and Eterno, is set for a national launch on March six.

Availabe in two variants -- standard and deluxe -- and in five premium colours, the product would cost ₹40,283 at ex-showroom price in Chennai, HMSI President and CEO Shinji Aoyama told reporters at the launch function here.

The introduction of 'Aviator,' the core target of which was businessmen and professionals in the age group of 30 to 39 years, was a step ahead to consolidate the HMSI's position in the automatic scooter segment, where it already holds the numero uno status with 54 per cent market share, he said.

Aoyama said the HMIS, the 100 per cent owned 2-wheeler subsidiary of the Hondo Motor Company, was the fastest growing company, crossing the three-million customer mark in November 2007.

It had set a sale target of 8.8 lakh units -- 6.1 lakh scooters and 2.7 lakh motor cycles -- and 11 per cent market share, against 8 per cent the previous year, in the two-wheeler segment for the current financial year, he said.

HMSI Head-Sales and Marketing N K Rattan said the company, the fourth largest in two-wheeler segment, was planning to sell ten lakh units -- seven lakh scooters and 3 lakh motorcycles -- during 2008-09.

To a question, Rattan said the reduction of 4 per cent excise duty announced in the budget for automobile sector would be reflected in the prices of Honda products from today.