Hyosung confirms a 250 for India, aiming localization for reduced costs

Garware Motors is hoping to be in a joint venture with Korean S&T Motors Corporation to manufacture the Hyosung range of bikes in India. This would be a good reduction in the prices at which the Hyosungs range will be available. With their current venture with Hyosung the company is currently importing the bikes as completely knocked down (CKD) units and assembling them at its plant at Wai near Satara in Maharashtra. Currently the  models available are the  GT650R and ST7. Talks are in to expand the portfolio to 8 bikes within the next 2 years.

“We are planning to bring in six more Hyosung bikes by the end of the third year, which would also include the 250 cc range, we are currently working on increasing localisation percentage of the bikes,” Diya Garware, managing director, Garware Motors said.

The 250 cc bikes would have to be priced competitively and hence the company has to increase local content. “We are also looking at forging a joint venture for manufacturing the Hyosung range here in India with S&T within the next two years. Already a team comprising engineers from S&T and Garware are working on identifying the parts that can be localised. Then we would have to work on creating a vendor base,” she explained. The Wai plant can assemble eight bikes per shift, and the plant can operate in three shifts if required.

At present the only local component used in the bikes is the horn, as the Korean horn did not get approval during the Automotive Research Association of India (ARAI) homologation process.

Now what are these models that could possibly come here ?

Looking at the international portfolio of  Hyosung, some of the bikes that we think apt for India would be the GT650(naked bike) and the GT250r/GT250(naked bike). Here are some snaps of the same, what cost range do you think the Hyosung 250’s will come in ?