Since the four-wheeler segment of Mahindra & Mahindra is performing below anticipated levels, its two-wheeler wing seems to be covering up for it. Reports and statistics revealed by the company suggest that it registered a growth of 136 per cent in September 2013. According to the figures released by Mahindra Two Wheelers, it sold 20890 units during the month of September 2013, out of which 19716 units were solely domestic sales, reflecting a growth of 143 per cent.
The main catalyst driving this high growth for the company has been its new Centuro bike, which has received over 50000 bookings till date. Considering the kind of demand, the company is planning to increase its production capacity at its Pithampur facility. However, it must be noted that the Indore plant of Mahindra Two Wheelers has a capacity to manufacture almost 10 lakh units annually but the yield stands much below the maximum figure.
Speaking on recent events, Viren Popli, Executive Vice-President for Mahindra Two Wheelers, said, "We are truly delighted with the excellent response we continue to receive for the Centuro, especially in today’s challenging environment. This depicts the high consumer confidence in this innovative motorcycle, which has been developed keeping in mind the customer’s evolving needs and we have significantly ramped up capacity to meet this overwhelming demand.”
Thanking customers for their response to the Centuro, Anoop Mathur, President of Two Wheeler Sector and Member of the Group Executive Board for Mahindra & Mahindra, said “The fantastic response we have received for the Centuro, especially in today's challenging market environment, is testimony to its strong value proposition and appeal amongst consumers. We would like to take this opportunity to thank all our customers for the faith they have shown in the brand and assure them that we will meet this demand in the shortest time frame possible.”
Centuro has been designed at the state-of-the-art Research and Development centre of the company, which is located in Pune. The bike, launched in July, is equipped with a lot of security features that seem to be catching the attention of Indian buyers. Powered by the newly developed MCi-5 (Micro Chip ignited-5 curve) engine that automatically senses the need for power and fuel economy, Centuro delivers an output of 8.5 bhp while returning a mileage of 85.4 kmpl as certified by ARAI.
In addition, this bike boasts of security features like Anti Theft Alarm with Engine Immobiliser, an encrypted Remote Flip Key, Find Me Lamps and Guide Lamps. Mahindra Centuro comes with a digital dashboard that has a Distance–to-Empty (DTE) and economy mode indicator, which gives displays information pertaining to the mileage of the bike. Apart from this, the Centuro is provided with a service reminder facility that indicates the correct time for taking the bike for a maintenance check. As far as the price of Centuro is concerned, it is available for Rs. 45000, which is lower as compared to same segment bikes.
