Aviator Honda’s new premium scooter launched.

Honda Motorcycle & Scooter India Pvt. Ltd. (HMSI), the 100% owned 2-wheeler subsidiary of the Honda Motor Company, Japan the worlds largest manufacturer of 2-wheelers, today unveiled its latest offering Aviator in the Indian market, at the Auto Expo2008 in New Delhi. The Aviators unique design and style is hitherto unseen in Indian Scooter market.

The company after successfully reviving the scooter market from the brink of extinction is now set to redefine the positioning of scooters.

With increasing standards of living, the need for products expressing strong individuality is rising. Aviator very appropriately addresses this need and combines it with the utility of a scooter to fill an important gap in consumer demand. Owners of Aviator would love its elegance, driving comfort and ease in day to day riding. The Aviator is the perfect answer for buyers seeking a superior vehicle ownership experience.

India has changed significantly during the last decade. The consumers are seeking more international essence in their buying decisions. HMSI will play a very important role in giving a taste of Hondas Global expertise in design & development and in expansion of Honda brand in India. With joint collaboration of Honda R & D India and Japan, HMSI will bring out international and distinctive products of highest quality.

HMSI has since inception provided products that had set new standards in the industry and served the diversified needs of customers. Hondas all round quality has been a source of enjoyment for its customers and the new offering Aviator would set an entirely new concept that would provide desired prestige & superiority along-with the functional benefits of the Scooter.

Being an innovator and leader in automobiles worldwide, customer expectations from Honda are increasingly high. Honda is recognized worldwide for leading edge technologies and unwavering customer focus. HMSI will create a strong sense of attachment for Honda Brand with not just the best quality products but through a host of quality initiatives designed to take customers experience to a new level.

The Aviator would be available in two variants viz. Standard & Deluxe. Deluxe variant has Front Disc Brake & 12 Alloy Wheels. It would be available in five colours Rebel Red Metallic, Berry Purple Metallic, Space Silver Metallic, Monsoon Gray Metallic and Pearl Igneous Black.

The scooter would be available in the market from the first week of March onwards. Self Drum variant is attractively priced ( ex-showroom ) at Rs 39,675/- (Delhi), Rs 40,730/- (Pune), Rs 40,900/- (Bangalore), and Rs 41,150/- (Kolkata), where-as Deluxe variant is Rs 42,680/- (Delhi), Rs 43,775/- (Pune), Rs 43,920/- (Bangalore), and Rs 44,155/- (Kolkata)

Salient features of Aviator

Aviator-A style statement:
The international design and styling of Aviator makes it look sophisticated & luxurious. It ensures to make an impression whether standing or on move. Its lightweight 12-inch-alloy wheels are a first for the scooter industry in India. Some of the other features adding to its elegance are, Large Multi-reflector Halogen Headlamp, clear lens indicator and attractive instrument panel.

Comfort & Convenience:
Front Disc Brake - The 190 mm disc brake at front & 130mm drum brake at the rear, provides responsive braking control resulting in a swift assured stop.
Tuff Up tube - Honda Patented puncture resistant tuff up tube, which minimizes the incidents of sudden punctures by 70%.
Telescopic Front Suspension: The Aviator boasts of a high quality telescopic front suspension & rear unit swing suspension setup that achieves smoother handling, lower vibration and more stable high-speed control than any scooter in its class.

Comfortable Sitting Postures: The KVTA seat has been designed considering the natural riding posture of the human body to deliver a stable & secure riding position & also reduces fatigue to offer a comfortable ride.

World Class Quality:
Proven 102cc Honda Engine: The New Aviator is powered with a robust 102 cc 4-stroke engine which generates 7 BHP of power. This Proven Honda engine not only offers smooth and silky performance but also consume less fuel
Metal Body : The New Aviators body design is a combination of Metal and high impact resistant ABS parts. All the areas which are prone to crash are made off metal so as to reduce damage. The areas whose probability for crash is less are made with ABS so as to reduce the overall weight of the vehicles for better mileage.
2 Yrs 24000 Km warranty: 2 yrs or 24000km warranty and 3 yrs optional extended warranty for complete peace of mind.

Present at launch were Mr. M. Takedagawa, Operating Officer for Southwest Asia, Honda Motor Co., President & CEO of Honda SIEL Cars India Ltd and President & CEO of Honda Motor India, Mr. K. Kawaguchi, Operating Officer General Manager, Planning Division Motorcycle R&D Center JAPAN, Mr Shinji Aoyama, President & CEO Honda Motorcycle & Scooter India Pvt Ltd, Mr Hayashi Shigeaki President Honda R&D Southeast Asia Co.,Ltd, Mr Nobuhiko Takizawa President Honda R&D (India), & Mr Numata Hidehiko Large Project Leader (Aviator) Motorcycle R&D Center JAPAN, along with Mr. N.K. Rattan, Head, Sales & Marketing HMSI.

Highlights of Speeches by company officials

M. Takedagawa, Operating Officer for Southwest Asia, Honda Motor Co., President & CEO of Honda SIEL Cars India Ltd and President & CEO of Honda Motor India.
Today, the automobile industry is witnessing increased expectations by the customers. Design, technology & Service levels are seeing new highs. Our global experience helps us marry best of international standards and local needs to have excellence in products and services. The two-wheeler products in future would reflect international design and style. Combined with trusted Honda technology this would be an unbeatable combination.

Mr. K. Kawaguchi, Operating Officer General Manager, Planning Division Motorcycle R&D Center JAPAN.
India is generating a lot of global attentions because of its high economic growth and a favorable business environment. Honda recognized Indias potential long back in early 1980s more than 20 years ago. That is the reason we had set-up several affiliate companies to cater to the growing demands of customers. Here I would like to mention that Honda Motor Co. & Honda R&D will give full support to make HMSI as one of the trend leading companies.

Mr Shinji Aoyama, President & CEO Honda Motorcycle & Scooter India Pvt Ltd.
The financial year 2007-08 has been very remarkable for us. We are currently the fastest growing company in the two-wheeler industry. In November 2007, we already crossed the 3 million customers mark. Going forward we have set our targets to cross the six figure mark of one million in the year 2008-09.

Indian 2 wheeler market is progressing from mass market to a diversified market due to changes in lifestyle of consumers influenced by media and rapid economic growth. HMSI has recognized such changes and from now onwards we will kick-start all our activities to meet such demands and create a distinctive Honda brand image.

About HMSI
Honda is the world''s largest manufacturer of 2-wheelers. Honda Motorcycle & Scooter India Pvt. Ltd. (HMSI), is a 100% owned subsidiary of Honda Motor Company Ltd., Japan. Current HMSI products include Honda Activa, Dio, Eterno in Scooters and Unicorn, Shine in Motorcycles. All products have been well received in the market and have created new benchmarks in their respective categories. For further details please contact:
Marketing Dept.
Honda Motorcycle & Scooter India Pvt. Ltd
Contact: 0124- 2290911 19, 2290894
www.honda2wheelersindia.com