The two wheeler industry continues to face constraints in terms of sales over the past many months. However, automakers in the country are pinning their hopes on some revival this festive season which along with recently introduced government sops could bring about some positive change.
Royal Enfield has noted some significant YoY decline in sales over the past many months. September 2019 sales dipped to 54,858 units in domestic markets which was 21.70 percent down as compared to 70,065 units sold in the same month of the previous year.
The company’s range, which comprises the Bullet, Classic, Thunderbird, Himalayan, Continental GT and Interceptor, noted negative sales across the Classic 350 and 500, Thunderbird 350 and 500 and the Bullet 500. Sales in domestic markets may have dipped but exports increased substantially by 191 percent to 4,642 units in the past month as compared to 1,597 units exported in September 2018.
In September 2019, Classic 350 sales dipped 33.27 percent to 29,376 units as compared to 44,021 units sole in September 2018. However, when compared to August 2019 when 23,433 units were sold, sales of this model increased 25.36 percent in the past month. Classic 500 sales also dipped 62.20 percent to 589 units in September 2019 as compared to 1,558 units sold in September 2018 dipping even further as compared to sales of 702 units sold in August 2019.
While Bullet 350 posted positive sales, up 3.50 percent to 12,399 units in the past month, the same could not be said about the Bullet 500 which saw sales dip 56.42 percent to just 78 units sold in September 2019 as compared to sales of 179 units in September 2018. However, sales in the past month were higher by 36.84 percent as compared to 57 units sold in August 2019.
Thunderbird 350 and 500 sales also suffered negatively in September 2019 falling 50.71 percent and 77.31 percent to 4,293 units and 81 units respectively. Sales of the Electra 350 increased substantially to 4,782 units, up 128.59 percent as compared to sales of 2,092 units sold in the same month of the previous year while sales of the Himalayan also increased 23.16 percent in September 2019 to 1,404 units as compared to 1,140 units sold in September 2018.
While the 650 Twins added 1,856 units to company domestic sales in the past month, sales of these two models were 14.55 percent lower as compared to sales of 2,172 units sold in August 2018.
In September 2019, Royal Enfield also launched a more affordable variant of the Classic 350 called the Classic 350 S which is priced at Rs.1.45 lakhs, Rs.9,000 cheaper than the regular model which is priced at Rs.1.54 lakhs. At present, the Classic 350 S is only on sale in Tamil Nadu and Kerala.
