Tuesday, July 10, 2007 Transportation firm launches new scooter to meet demand
AS THE demand for motorcycles in the Philippine market continues to increase, an automobile and motorcycle firm is introducing a new scooter that will suit the lifestyle of Filipinos.
“For the past years, the motorcycle industry has shown a significant growth.
From the dominant business category (which) it used to be (under), it has grown to be one of the most convenient and practical means of transportation for the Filipino people,” Kiyoshi Kawa-hari, Suzuki president said on his welcome speech during the Suzuki product launch and dealers’ convention in Dusit Hotel Nikko at Pasay Road, Makati City.
The introduction of the new Hayate 125 to the Filipino market resulted from the company’s sales for about 6,500 motorcycle units sold in the previous year.
Lifestyle
This pushed the management to meet the demand by bringing in an “urbanized sporty scooter with premium performance and styling” to suit the lifestyle of the “fashionable” Filipinos.
“It is accessorized, modified, and set-up to suit the lifestyle of the motorcyclist,” he said of the unit.
Moreover, Kawahari said that one of the models that is selling fast is the scooter.
“They (scooter) possess worthy fashion sense, practical convenience and reliable engine power. (Because of these) they have conquered the hearts of the fashionable Filipino, from adventurous to students and even the young professionals, thus, scooters have been widely accepted,” he said.
Demand
With the growing demand for modes of transportation, Suzuki was able to produce nine models although the market is still “very small” or is at its “infancy stage,” Benedict Martin Arreola, Suzuki Philippines Marketing manager for motorcycles told Sun.Star Cebu.
Arreola added that there are only less than a million motorcycles running in the country. The figure is only 30 percent of the about two million units currently running in Thailand.
International
So the company did not plan to invade the international market yet because the country is at par with China, India and some European countries, among others, in terms of transportation.
Hayate is a Japanese word, which means “swift.”
Suzuki is selling the scooter at about P72,900 per unit. (TEP)
