Mumbai: Bajaj Auto, which owns 49 per cent in the Austrian sports bike brand KTM, today launched souped up version of its Duke range-the 390 Duke, 250 Duke and 200 Duke. The company said the all the new models are BS-IV compliant but they have not increased the prices. Accordingly, the Duke 390 is priced at Rs 2,25,730, the 250 Duke at Rs 1,73,000 and the Duke 200 at Rs 1,43,500, all ex-showroom New Delhi.
KTM is the largest motorcylce brand in the Europe selling over 2 lakh units worth 1.14 billion euros in 2016 and Bajaj Auto picked a little over 49 per cent in the company in 2008 when it was financially in trouble. With over 33 per cent volume share and 41 per cent value share KTM claims to be the largest player in the entry to mid-segment sport bikes segment in the country selling 37,000 units in 2016, when it grew 36 per cent.
When asked about his sales expectations in fiscal 2018, Amit Nandi, president, Probiking (sports bikes division) at Bajaj Auto said, he expects the KTM to continue to maintain the sales momentum of last year. Bajaj introduced KTM brands in the 2012 and since then has grown at CAGR of 63 per cent to become the largest selling premium naked motorcycles in the country.
Out of the three new launches a entrant to the Duke family is the Duke 250, which is designed on the lines of the bigger Dukes like 1290-cc Duke. Nandi said the company will have 500 showrooms by the end of the next fiscal year, up from 325 now. While the Duke 200 is already available with dealers, the other two will reach the market over the next two weeks.
PTI