Benelli relaunches TNT 300, 302R and TNT 600i
With Benelli’s new partnership with Mahavir Group, the company has relaunched the Benelli TNT 300 and Benelli 302R at an introductory price of Rs 3.5 lakh and Rs 3.7 lakh respectively. The TNT 600i retails at Rs 6.2 lakh. All prices are ex-showroom. The company is offering five-years of unlimited kilometre warranty as standard. You can book the aforementioned bikes for an amount of Rs 10,000 at any of its dealerships in the country. Production of the bikes will start in the first week of December and deliveries are scheduled to take place in the second week of December in a phased manner, says the company.
Benelli had recently announced its split with DSK Moto Wheels, the distributor of its products through which the company made its entry to India. It had partnered with Hyderabad based Mahavir Group, which is the largest and one of the oldest automobile dealerships in Telengana and Andhra Pradesh.
Check out our interview with the top bosses of Benelli and Mahavir Group here
In other news, the company plans to launch the TRK 502 (Tourer) and TRK 502X (Adventure) models in India, in the first quarter of 2019. The TRK range will also mark the company’s middle weight ADV segment in the country, which is currently ruled by Kawasaki. Suzuki and SWM have also launched their middle weight ADVs in the form of the V-Strom 650 XT and Superdual T. Benelli and Mahavir Group have 15 dealers across the country and the company has plans to further add 25 dealerships by March 2019.
On the relaunch of the bikes, Vikas Jhabakh, managing director, Benelli India said, “A core element of Benelli’s vision in India is to enhance customer satisfaction. On that front, we recently announced revised service interval plans that reduces service costs by up to 34 percent. Staying true to our commitment, we are also announcing 5-years of unlimited kilometre warranty as standard, making Benelli the first Superbike brand in India to offer such an unmatchable benefit to its customers.”
Krishna Malge, CEO – Benelli India said, “With a series of new models in the pipeline, we are also focusing on expanding our dealership base across the country. We will have about 40 dealers by March 2019, bringing Benelli closer to our existing and prospective customers.”
Both the TNT 300 and the 302R are powered by a twin cylinder, 300cc, liquid cooled engine that puts out 38.26bhp and 26.5Nm of peak twist. The engine is mated to a 6-speed gearbox. The TNT 600i is powered by an inline 4-cylinder liquid cooled engine which develops 85.07bhp and 54.6Nm of peak twist. The engine is matched to a 6-speed transmission. Suspension duties for all the three bikes are carried out by USD forks up front and a monoshock unit at the rear. For safety, you get dual channel switchable ABS as standard in all the three bikes.
Earlier, the company had announced a change in the service schedule through a nationwide campaign. The company says that the revised service intervals from every 4000 km or 4 months of periodic service to 6000 km or 6 months of periodic service, has helped reduce the service cost by up to 34 per cent. The benefit is not only applicable to new but also existing customers.
At Rs 3.7 lakh, the 302R is pricier than its rivals. The Benelli 302R goes against the likes of Yamaha YZF-R3 and Kawasaki Ninja 300, both of which retail at Rs 3.49 lakh and Rs 2.98 lakh respectively. The TNT 600i rivals the Kawasaki Z650 and the latter retails at Rs 5.29 lakh, as compared to the 600i, which costs nearly a lakh more.
