The Hindu Business Line : Scooting with a Pep

There are a lot of estimates about the projected size of the Indian middle-class, and that seems to indicate that there should be a boom in demand for consumer products. But often, reality somehow does not reflect the same rosy picture, at least not yet.

The projected growth in the demand for small, automatic scooters and scooterettes from the fairer sex is just one such disparity. Currently, women are riding only 3 per cent of all two-wheelers sold in the country. Even if we take a smaller segment and consider the percentage of women who drive scooters or scooterettes, it will still not be more than about 25 per cent.

These small numbers have, however, not deterred two-wheeler manufacturers from targeting women. The number of users from this segment has been on the rise. With the increasing need for mobility being felt by teenagers, especially to attend college, and by working women, the projected growth in demand for scooters could well start to show up in actual numbers on the roads.

Women also very often share the two-wheeler with other members of the family. So, the numbers can be a little unreliable. While the full-size automatic scooter segment is still clearly male dominated, the scooterette market is distinctly turning pink.

Setting a trend

The company that started off the trend by targeting women as potential customers for its two-wheelers was TVS Motor with its Scooty and Scooty Pep. Hero Honda followed later with the Pleasure, its first scooterette foray, focussing on the woman buyer. Remember the `Why should boys have all the fun?' ad campaign.

After establishing the TVS Scooty Pep+ as one of the leading brands of two-wheelers for women, TVS has now quickly pulled out the Scooty ES, its original, cheaper priced, two-stroke engine variant and replaced it with a new, more contemporarily designed, less polluting version.

Scooty TeenZ, the latest offering from TVS, is stylish and designed for easy city commuting. At Rs 26,300-27,300 (ex showroom), TVS says that the Scooty TeenZ is targeted at college students who need to manage a multitude of tasks, from attending classes and meeting up with friends. At the same time, the product is expected to address the fears of parents over aspects of safety and ease of handling.

Trendy, youthful style

Scooty TeenZ has a trendy and youthful style and is the lightest in its category. Its features include electric start, auto gear, wider seat and good storage space under the seat to hold a helmet and more. The Scooty TeenZ is made of toughened ABS polymer, designed for safety and low maintenance. It has the same chassis and the 60cc two-stroke engine that came with the original. This engine offers adequate pick-up for a two-wheeler in this class, but it now comes with a catalytic converter to meet the latest emission norms.

After launching the TVS Scooty in 1993, TVS rolled out the Scooty Pep in 2001 with a new four-stroke 75cc engine offering features such as an electric start and auto choke to ensure trouble-free starting. Scooty Pep+, which was introduced in 2005 with a four-stroke, 90cc engine, has taken the game forward by offering several benefits such as easy centre stand, mobile charger, etc. The colours have also been continuously refreshed, and the latest offering, Perky Pink, has captured the imagination of young girls, making it the fasting moving colour of this scooterette.

By adding a catalytic converter to meet the current emission norms in the new Scooty TeenZ, TVS has ensured that the scooterette can continue to be sold in the metros. This way, the company has armed itself with one more product in the category to take on the latest entrant — the Bajaj Kristal. With contemporary looks and a much lower price tag, the Scooty TeenZ could help TVS retain the original's market share.

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