Mahindra Two Wheelers registers Luna brand

According to a report, Mahindra Two Wheelers has re-registered the Luna brand, under the Mahindra umbrella, giving rise to speculation that Mahindra Two Wheelers may be looking at re-launching an all-new version of the iconic Luna moped.

The Luna brand was once owned by Kinetic Motor company which later sold its major stake to M&M two wheelers. The original Luna, powered by a 50cc engine, was introduced by Kinetic Engineering in India in 1972.

Mahindra Two Wheelers has not confirmed this news. But, Luna can give volumes and numbers which Mahindra probably is looking for and can be exported to markets like Africa.

Once a very popular mode of commuting in the 1980s, owing to low maintenance and high fuel efficiency, mopeds aren’t very popular these days, and the TVS-XL is currently one of the best-selling mopeds in India, with a 70cc two stroke single cylinder engine.

The Luna moped brand was originally owned India by Kinetic Motor Company, but over time the legendary 50cc moped was phased out as more modern, international models flooded the Indian market. Kinetic later sold its entire stake of its two-wheeler company to India’s leading utility vehicle maker – Mahindra & Mahindra, giving the later the initial foothold it desired in the Indian two-wheeler market.

With cut-throat competition in the Indian two-wheeler space, manufacturers are looking at viable options and niche products to attract buyers and boost the dwindling profits. Another recent report suggested that Bajaj Auto has registered the Chetak brand and could be looking at bringing back the iconic scooter and in turn re-enter the scooter segment.

Scooter sales in India have been at a steady rise, while motorcycle witnessed a decline. With no scooter models on offer, Bajaj saw a drop in sales of nearly 21 per cent during February 2015 over the same month last year. While Mahindra Two Wheelers sales were down a considerable 53 percent as compared to sales a year ago.

On the other hand, moped segment has seen a growth of 6.38 per cent from April 2014 to January 2015, with over 6 lakh units of moped being sold. Currently, TVS Motor is the market leader in the segment with its poplar TVS XL moped having sold 64,467 units in February 2015.