 | « Back to article | Print this article |
Will Akshay Kumar help Honda's Dream Yuga to the top spot?
Can paying Akshay Kumar Rs 50 crore to become brand ambassador for the 100cc commuter bike, the Dream Yuga, help Honda Motorcycle & Scooter India (Private) Ltd take the number one position by displacing Hero MotoCorp's hot-selling splendor? Of course not, feels biking enthusiast and blogger Faisal Ali Khan.
But will it then displace Bajaj Auto in the segment from the number two position? It will be a tough task again, he feels.
Reasons? Apart from offering a mileage of 72 km/l (under Honda test conditions) there is nothing extraordinary about the Dream Yuga, writes Faisal.
Read on to find out why the Dream Yuga will not succeed either in becoming number one or number two.
Are you too a biking enthusiast, strongly opinionated and want your voice heard?
Will Akshay Kumar help Honda's Dream Yuga to the top spot?
Honda India has launched it's mass market motorcycle, the Dream Yuga, which is their answer to the 100cc commuter segment.
The Dream Yuga will help Honda reach the number one position in India by 2020. It is a volume motorcycle, which has been designed in a manner to reduce costs.
Bajaj Auto and Honda have been fighting it out since a few months for the number two position, but does the Dream Yuga have what it takes to help Honda take the number two crown from Bajaj in the near future? Lets find out...
Will Akshay Kumar help Honda's Dream Yuga to the top spot?
In terms of styling, the Dream Yuga looks very bland. One can confidently say the Dream Yuga looks atleast 10 years old already.
It is available in three variants and the base variant does not get alloy wheels. It is priced at Rs 44,642.
The middle variant gets alloy wheels and is priced at Rs 46,134. Both these variants get kick start only.
Will Akshay Kumar help Honda's Dream Yuga to the top spot?
The top end variant that comes with alloy wheels has self start and is priced at Rs 48,125 (all the prices mentioned here are ex-showroom, Delhi).
The pricing is certainly optimistic, considering the bike features bare basic equipment, less power and an analog instrument cluster. With similar power and features, the Suzuki Hayate is a good Rs 4,000 cheaper.
Will Akshay Kumar help Honda's Dream Yuga to the top spot?
Honda is using all its marketing prowess to sell the Dream Yuga. The company claims the Yuga has dream style with attractive graphics, stylish grab rail and aerodynamic front cowl.
Weighing 108 kgs, the Dream Yuga has a 8-liter fuel tank and 161 mm ground clearance. The Dream Yuga is available in five colours: Black, silver, brown, red and grey.
Will Akshay Kumar help Honda's Dream Yuga to the top spot?
When it comes to the engine, Honda has given the Dream Yuga a 110cc single cylinder air cooled motor which produces 8.5 bhp of power at 7500 rpm and 8.91 Nm of torque at 5500 rpm.
These figures are similar to what the competition offers but the competitors are cheaper.
Will Akshay Kumar help Honda's Dream Yuga to the top spot?
The only advantage of the Dream Yuga has is its mileage, which the company claims is 72 kmpl. Again, this mileage is under Honda test conditions and there is no guarantee that the consumer will get similar figures in real world conditions.
Adding to the woes of the Dream Yuga's performance is a 4-speed gearbox.
Will Akshay Kumar help Honda's Dream Yuga to the top spot?
Honda has roped in Akshay Kumar to be the brand ambassador of the Dream Yuga, paying him Rs 50 crore for 5 years. This cost of endorsement seems to have reflected in the Dream Yuga's pricing, which is at least 10 per cent on the higher side.
There is no disc brake on any variant and the Yuga features 130 mm drums at both the front and rear.
Honda says they are targeting the age group between 25 to 29 years with the Dream Yuga but the youth today doesn't want bikes which are as bland and low in performance as the Dream Yuga.
Honda is yet to understand the Indian customers and the only reason why the Dream Yuga would sell is because of the Honda brand name.
For everything else, there are better products available in the segment, offering better performance and features.