BANGALORE: Two wheeler company Kinetic is revving up to take on scooter segment leader Bajaj Auto with its new Italiano series range. In its efforts to distance itself from the Kinetic Honda image that has long been associated with the company, it has also changed its logo.
The new logo is a metallic gray and silver unit that appears to be chiseled out carefully, indicating high precision engineering and a stately, elegant presence reflects a premium and aspirational brand image, say Kinetic officials. The new logo will appear on all Kinetic two wheelers, dealership insignia, advertising and other brand related initiatives.
The Italiano series comprises seven new scooter designs that have previously been bestsellers abroad and will now come to India for the first time. They offer a complete range from classic, futuristic, sporty, radical to vintage retro designs and engine specifications will range from 50cc Velocifero to 250cc Jupiter.
The Euro brand
Other models that Kinetic has in its kitty are Dragster, Torpedo a big wheel scooter, Euro, Millennium (also called the Blade) and Formula.
The scooters will be launched phase wise over the next couple of years, with the first launch - the 165 cc Millennium (Blade) coming in a month's time and the 135 cc Euro slated for a Diwali launch. Kinetic plans aggressive pricing with the lower powered offerings targeting a price range of Rs 25,000 to Rs 30,000 and approximately Rs 40,000 to Rs. 50,000 for the mid powered range. The Jupiter is likely to cost Rs 150,000 to Rs 200,000.
Millennium
In an industry where the scooter format has not changed since 1984 when Kinetic brought in India's first gearless scooter, the Italiano series is supposed to bring in a breath of freshness, the company claims.
The machines in the new series have been provided with new features ---- the Dragster which the company plans to export and not offer to the Indian scooterist at present has a unique trellis frame, independent steering system with a single hydro-pneumatic shock absorber with an adjustable spring; while the large sized 250cc scooter Jupiter could create its own new segment.
At a special preview of the scooters in Bangalore, Jt MD of Kinetic Sulajja Firodia Motwani said, "This time the vehicles say it all. We are very excited about this range, it's sure to bring back fun and glamour in two wheelers. After all, a two wheeler doesn't only have to be about basic transportation, it should be able to provide utility, performance and excitement to the owner."
Kinetic spends around Rs 400 million to Rs 500 million on advertising and promotions. For the two new products, as per Sulajja, the company intends to spend around Rs 150 million to Rs 200 million. Gray Worldwide and Contract handle its creatives while Madison handles the media business.
Kinetic has also acquired global distribution rights for the scooters and is chalking out an aggressive exports plan for these scooters which already have worldwide acceptance.
It has appointed Incubus - a showroom design agency out of Delhi - to offer standardized showroom ambience. All new dealers will have to adopt these designs for their show rooms. They also plan to revamp distributorships by appointing 40-50 new dealers in 30-35 cities. The new offerings are targeted at the urban rider and not the rural. Kinetic says that rural riders prefer the large wheeled fuel efficient mopeds or motorcycles.
