Bajaj launched its new Avenger cruiser motorcycle range on 28 October. While initially only the 220cc model was sold, the Avenger has grown as a brand with the update, and currently features three motorcycles: Avenger Cruise 220, Avenger Street 220 and Avenger Street 150.

The expansion of the cruiser family makes it clear that the Pune-based two-wheeler manufacturer is banking more on the cruiser segment. The Avenger series is priced at Rs 75,000 for the 150cc variant and Rs 84,000 for the 220cc variants. This also means there are no direct competitors for Bajaj Auto in the segment, which the company wants to capitalise on in sales.

A report from the Economic Times says the company expects the new range to potentially double or triple the Avenger family franchise to 10,000-15,000 units per month. And since they are built on the existing platforms, they are profitable, too! The Avenger 220, which was available before the fresh models, was going at 3,500-4,000 units per month.

"The strategy behind the new range of Avenger is born out of the approach of creating something that is opposite of the market," Rajiv Bajaj, Managing Director of Bajaj Auto, told Economic Times while describing the new Avenger range.

"When everybody is presenting a single format of bikes to the market, we are presenting something different, so suddenly we become the only player there. And probably, people who are jaded and fatigued buying the same thing — Pulsar, FZ, Apache, etc — will hopefully get something new and exciting in the market," he said.

With increased sales during the festive season and initial excitement of the launch, breaching the target is not expected to be a big task for Bajaj. However, it remains to be seen how the three-motorcycle cruiser range helps Bajaj Auto keep the high selling momentum.