250cc Suzuki

Suzuki India is looking to position a model or two in the quarter-litre space in the future, despite the Inazuma 250 not doing well in terms of sales in the country.

Suzuki had a successful 2014 with the launch of the Gixxer and Let’s scooter that managed to grab eyeballs and volumes. The same year also saw the automaker discontinue the slow selling Inazuma 250cc motorcycle in the country despite several attempts and a massive Rs. 1 lakh price cut. Frankly though, the Inazuma was a matured bike for an otherwise young Indian two-wheeler market that is yet to understand the product’s worth. Nonetheless, the automaker hasn’t given up hopes yet and is indeed planning to make a come back to the quarter-litre space.

The Japanese manufacturer is considering to launch a model or two in the growing quarter-litre segment in the future. With the company’s marginally better knowledge about the Indian market in recent times, we believe that Suzuki will fair better this time round in the 250cc segment. Going via the Gixxer SF route, the automaker could bring in a full-faired 250cc motorcycle to compete against the offerings from Honda, KTM and Hyosung and name it GSX-R250, thereby resurrecting the old brand name. The other option that remains is a street-fighter offering, with both the models possibly sharing the same underpinnings.

While a 250cc Suzuki is definitely an interesting proposition, this quarter-litre offering won’t hit the market in the immediate future. On the sidelines of the Gixxer SF launch, Suzuki confirmed that its immediate focus will be on 150cc and above segments and the company will be concentrating on the Gixxer series for the next one year. The Hayabusa maker will be bringing two new superbikes in the country later this year including the GSX-S1000 and GSX-S1000F with the launch set for June.