There was a time in India when scooters were all the rave and people considered those riding Motorcycles as bad guys and those riding scooters as gentlemen. However tables have turned in the last decade or so with motorcycles taking the front seat and sales of scooters taking a plunge.

However in the past year or so Indian two wheeler manufacturers have once again started taking interest in the scooter segment and with the launch of new models of scooters the sales have started picking up a bit. However this time scooters with variomatic transmission or Automatic scooters they are normally known as are becoming the de facto choice of the Indian consumers. In fact there is only one manual gear scooter (Honda Eterno) left in the Indian market.

Kinetic has created a new segment in the Indian scooter and two wheeler segments by introducing Blaze. Kinetic likes to call Blaze a motoscooter, however going by marketing strategy adopted by Kinetic and target audience that Kinetic is looking to sell this scooter to, I would call it a lifestyle scooter more than any thing else. With 165cc 11.6bhp mill doing duty on this scooter, it looks to be a performer. However with a price tag of Rs 59,070 on road Mumbai and a fuel efficiency of 38kmpl (source: BS Motoring) it offers less in terms of value and more in terms of a lifestyle choice and statement.

Most 150cc motorcycles cost only a couple of thousand more than the Blaze and at the same time give 10% increase in top end and whooping 30% better fuel efficiency. This was one of the reasons for the decline of scooter segment, the very fact that scooters couldn’t compete with the frugal and powerful motorcycles. With motorcycles not only offering better performance but at the same time offering better fuel economy, something that is a serious thought in the back of most consumers mind when making purchasing decision in India.

Unless scooter manufacturers come up with scooters which offer comparable performance with respect to the motorcycles available in the same segment the sad state of scooters will continue. However with the upcoming reentry in the scooter segment by Bajaj Auto who were once the leading scooter manufacturers in India and new model launches scheduled by Honda and Kinetic, the competition in the scooter segments looks to be heating up.

Will the new scooters be able to generate the same fan following and sales that it once did?

Only time will tell…

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