Hyosung unveils the GT650R and the ST7 jointly with Garware Motors

While premium cars have already made their foray into the fast-growing Indian automobile market, foreign bike companies are still yet to make an impact in the premium sector. Noticing the demand and lack of options in the 600cc segment in India, Hyosung in collaboration with Garware Motors today ventured into the uncharted waters of the niche middle-weight premium motorcycle segment with its GT650R sport model and the powerful sports-cruiser ST7. The bikes will be imported to India as Completely Knock Down (CKD) units and they will be assembled at Garware Motor’s newly setup assembly line in Wai, near Pune. 

The final prices have not been announced yet, but the company officials present at the launch did let out approximate figures for both the models and by the looks of it, the pricing seems to be spot on with the GT650R full-faired version costing fewer than five lakh rupees on road while the power-cruiser ST7 set to be priced sub-7 lakh rupees on road! The officials said the company will also bring in the naked version of the GT650R that is expected to have an even more competitive pricing.

Highlight of this venture will be the service backup from Garware Motors with solid technical support from Hyosung. The company will commence its operations with dealerships in ten cities, chiefly targeting the metros and the tier 1 markets to begin with. Bookings are expected to start by early next year and the bikes will hit the roads by first quarter of next calendar year. The company will provide mobile service backup to all its customers along with ‘service-at-home’ option for the motorcycles. Focus is also on maintaining a strong parts inventory in order to assure good after-sales service to the consumers.

Garware Motors is a completely new venture undertaken by Garware Bestretch marking the return of the Garware Group back into the automotive sector. Garware Motors has had a long history with automobiles and was one of the first firms in the pre-independence era to import luxury cars to India, until 1955, when the government brought a ban on import of automobiles. Established in 1994, Garware Bestretch is a part of the multimillion-dollar RBG Group that enjoys a solid presence and reputation worldwide in various fields. Hyosung Motors was taken over by the giant Korean conglomerate, S&T Motors (Science & Technology Motors) in 2007 and the company’s operations are headed by Jimmy Park, COO, S&T Motors, who was present for the launch.