India is at a place where any small effort towards a greener tomorrow doesn’t show any immediate result but sure counts as a significant step towards much-needed change.
Royal Enfield Himalayan was launched today across India at an introductory price of Rs 1,55,545 (ex-showroom, Maharashtra). That amounts to on-road price of Rs 1,78,872 in Mumbai. While Royal Enfield Himalayan is now on sale across all states in India, it will be made available across cities in a phased manner. The national capital, Delhi however isn’t entertaining the new 410cc adventure tourer.
This is because of a ruling which states that new two wheelers which are being launched in India should comply with BSIV emission norms. The changes come into effect beginning April 1, 2016; so why is Himalayan banned? It seems like Royal Enfield tried to pull a fast one and tried to get around the law.
How did they try getting around the law? Well, the two wheelers which are already on sale before 1st April 2016; and are not BSIV compliant, get a 1 year extension in order to comply with the said ruling. This means, Royal Enfield managed to launch the Himalayan just days before the ruling at an attractive price tag. This means it attracts a larger segment of buyers. Experts reveal that if the Himalayan was launched as a BSIV compliant bike, its on-road price would have crossed INR 2 lakh mark easily.
For now, Siddhartha Lal – MD and CEO Eicher Motors Ltd says Himalayan is not being registered in Delhi as the NGT decision came in last minute. It is available in NCR for test rides, and bookings. Royal Enfield is working with authorities to resolve the situation alongwith other manufacturers facing the same problem. (Suzuki Access 125, another BSIII compliant two wheeler was also launched a few days ago.)
Full Statement
While the need for a solution is essential to begin Himalayan sales in Delhi, it’s not going to be easy to come by one. The end of month timeline clearly warrants the need for all future vehicles to move at the same pace as is required by all of India. The country is in fact attempting to move to BS-VI emission norms by 2020 from the current BS-IV, thereby skipping an intermediate level. The target in itself sets precedence for things to come.
