"So what if the Discover did not set the 125cc corral alight? Scale it down a few notches to 112cc and get the kilometres-per-litre equation into the janata comfort zone and presto! Bajaj has the mantra to crack the exec segment jackpot, believes Vijayendra Vikram."

It?s all in the game, er... name. When the Bajaj Discover 125 invaded the executive segment a year and a half ago, it was perceived to be a smaller Pulsar, sporting the same DTS-i tech. Rather than revel in this perception, the Discover created a niche for itself as it offered more features than any other offering in its segment, and that too at a lower price tag.
The buyer had lot of options to pick from too, like a front fairing, electric start, disc brakes and alloy wheels. The round headlamp version even got close to 100cc bikes on the pricing front.
The one thing that kept buyers skeptical however was the better Fuel Efficiency offered by the 100cc bikes, especially its own sibling the CT 100. And with the advent of deluxe versions of these entry-level bikes, the buyers got both brilliant fuel economy as well as features and styling offered by 125cc machines. One of the reasons why the 125cc segment has failed to take off as it was hoped to.
Discover though is a household name today. And with Bajaj having failed hitherto to make significant inroads in the executive segment, it seems logical to take an established brand name like the Discover and move lower in the class, than start from scratch. Which in turn, would generate good volumes.
That?s exactly what the company has set out to do with the 112cc Discover. If this strategy pays off, Bajaj can expect the Discover range sales to soar.