Expect the SZ to hit the market in the second half of 2010

Yamaha has launched its 106 cc bike called the Yamaha YBR 110 last week and there are chances that the company will launch its Yamaha SZ later in the year.

Yamaha SZ business plan

As per the sources the national business head of Yamaha Motors India, Pankaj Dubey confirmed that the company is planning to launch SZ in the market in the second half of 2010. The company is planning to strengthen its position in the entry level market and to do that the company is looking upto its YBR and YZ.

Pankaj Dubey also gave a hint of launching a 250cc (Fazer 250 was spied some time back) bike but he said that nothing has been finalized on that front.

National business head of Yamaha Motors India, Pankaj Dubey -

Yes, we have now firmed up our plans to roll out SZ by the second half of this year. We are very keen to enhance our presence in the entry and mid-level segments through new motorcycles like YBR and SZ. We do see higher contribution of sales coming from these bikes this year with a focus on the rural market for growth. Having said that, I would like to affirm that we are not expecting record numbers and our Fazer series will continue to contribute a sizeable chunk to our overall sales pie. We may even look at bringing in more Fazer series, like a 250cc bike, but nothing has been finalised yet

Yamaha SZ specifications

The Yamaha SZ is expected to have a 123.7cc air-cooled, 4-stroke SOHC engine, which will generate a maximum power output of 11  bhp@7500 rpm delivering a maximum torque of 10.4 Nm@6500rpm. The expected mileage will be of 65 kmpl and the will be around Rs. 50,000 to Rs.55,000. However these are not confirmed specs of the bike.

Yamaha’s future plans for India

The company will continue with its existing line up and there are no plans for phasing out any of its current model like Alba or G5. On the other note the company will be working on increasing its dealership network all across the country.

Yamaha is now trying to capitalize on its brand image boosted by the success of YZF R15, FZ and Fazer series and this could be the reason behind Yamaha playing another innings in the entry level segment. Well let’s hope they do good numbers this time.

Our argument

The heart of the market is still in the 100-125cc segment. But does this mean Yamaha should foray into it? Doesn’t Yamaha have a different brand halo. Shouldn’t they bring bikes like the Fazer and R15 instead of looking at the 100-125cc segment which belongs to Bajaj and Hero Honda?

Source: Wheels Unplugged