Bajaj starts price war in 150cc bikes

Bajaj Auto on Monday unleashed a price war in the 150cc motorcycles segment with the launch of its new Discover priced at Rs 46,000 ex-showroom, Delhi), which will be cheaper by at least Rs 6,000 from competitors.

"With the new Discover 150, we are instilling a fresh momentum and adding riding excitement to the overall Discover portfolio," Bajaj Auto Ltd (BAL) Chief Executive Officer (Two-Wheeler) S Sridhar said in a statement.

The company said the new bike will be positioned as 'commuter sports' bike delivering a fuel economy of 65 kmpl, that gives the utility of a commuter bike combined with the performance, style and features of a sports bike.

The 150cc segment is mainly sports and performance oriented and all the bikes are priced above Rs 50,000.

While Hero Honda's 'CBZ Xtreme' comes at a price of Rs 55,875, the Hunk is priced at Rs 55,275, the 'Achiever' at Rs 53,925. Similarly the TVS's 'Apache RTR' range comes with a starting price of Rs 52,000. Bajaj's very own 'Pulsar' 150cc is also priced at Rs 61,105.

India Yamaha's four motorcycles - FZ16, FZS, Fazer and YZF-R15, in the 150cc category are priced between Rs 65,000 and Rs 98,000. Suzuki Motorcycle India's 'GS150R' comes at a price of Rs 59,602.

Bajaj's new bike is fitted with a 150cc 13 PS DTS-i engine and is a follow-up to the Discover 100cc launched by the company in July last year. It has a Bharat Stage III emission norm compliant engine.

Sridhar said the Discover 100cc has become a mass-selling model within a short period and currently averages 75,000 units in sales a month and the company now hopes to keep the momentum with the new higher-end bike.

The Discover 150 will be launched in a phased manner across the country.