TVS, the two-wheeler company from Chennai, has recently introduced a new scooter Jupiter which has been aggressively priced at Rs. 44,200. In the launch that was held at Chennai, the company officials said that it has plans to come up with new models every quarter. In order to take advantage of the growing scooter market and the festive season, TVS has launched 110 cc vehicle, which is equipped with an automatic transmission. It must be noted that the auto maker already has successful models like Scooty Pep Plus and Streak and the latest TVS Wego in the Indian market.
The new model has been built on the same platform as Wego and is targeted towards male customers unlike the other models by the firm that are more inclined towards female buyers. The Wego has a unisex appeal while Scooty Pep and Streak cash in on a lot of female customers. The arrival of Jupiter is going to give the company a rise in their sales figures. Up to now, the company did not offer any scooter but with this latest offering, models like Honda Activa, Hero MotoCorp's Maestro and Yamaha India's Motor's Ray Z are going to face tough competition.
On the exterior front, the scooter has twin city lamps and LED tail lamps. Additional features like a spacious under seat storage area, retractable front and under seat bag hooks, full face helmet storage space and mobile charging point under the seat have been facilitated by this scooter. The 110 cc single cylinder engine produces 8 bhp of power and 8 Nm of torque. It has been implemented with CVT transmission for fuel efficiency, giving a mileage of 62 kmpl. Similar to Wego, this vehicle has 12-inch black alloy wheels and external fuel filler at the rear.
The fuel filler has been positioned at the rear end so that the rider does not have to get off the seat and hold it to get the tank filled at the pump station. The fuel tank capacity of Jupiter is 5 litres which is same as Wego. It has low fuel warning light, pass light flasher and patented ‘Econometer’ that helps drivers select power and eco modes. This two wheeler comes in four colour options, namely grey, black, white and red.
The company, during the launch of Jupiter, has also announced that it will be coming up with Scooty Zest by 2014. TVS Phoenix, a 125 cc motorcycle was launched by the firm recently and soon enough another development states that TVS is working hard to gain an upper hand in the two-wheeler market. As per the officials, the Phoenix has been doing good business and would cross the 10,000 count this month. At present, TVS shares 13.5 per cent of the two-wheeler market but with all the new launches coming up, it has plans to get hold of 16-17 per cent of the market share.
On being asked about the export of these vehicles, the CEO and President of TVS said that he would consider it later. As of now, the auto maker exports a few units of scooters to neighbouring countries like Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Turkey. Majority of the export done by the firm deals with motorcycles. The company has no qualms about the Jupiter competing with Wego as it feels that it is obvious and a natural event. The sale of Jupiter will first begin in North India and later on in Southern India by the end of the year.
