Royal Enfield on the up
Royal Enfield’s Interceptor 650 has a new feather to add to its cap after topping motorcycle sales in the UK (for the more than 125cc motorcycles category) in June. The latest accolade joins the fact that the Interceptor 650 is also the best selling naked motorcycle over the June 2019 to June 2020 period in the same region, with the Royal Enfield Himalayan sitting at number four in the same category. The Interceptor 650 has also been the most successful middleweight motorcycle (250cc-750cc) for the June 2019 to June 2020 period in the UK.
Despite Royal Enfield now being Indian owned, run and manufactured, the brand’s British history and heritage was actually revisited with the 650 models, with the frame developed by Harris Performance, which was acquired by Royal Enfield in 2015. The marque also sought expertise for the development from around the world, which by all accounts included many ex-Triumph staff, with the development tech centre located in the UK as well.
These new sales records represent a remarkable feat, and represent the wide-spread acceptance of these models around the world and the enormous leap forward that Royal Enfield have made from their core 350 and 500 models, while being a first-of-its-kind by any Indian two-wheeler manufacturer selling in the UK.
Vinod K. Dasari – CEO Royal Enfield
“Our vision is to expand and lead the middleweight motorcycling segment across the world. Towards this vision and further strengthening our position as a truly global brand, Royal Enfield has been consistently focusing on widening its footprint in international markets and creating engaging experiences for enthusiasts. Since its launch, the Interceptor 650 has been gaining momentum among consumers, and has won several awards globally. Dominating the mid-segment in the UK for a year, is a truly remarkable achievement that we are very proud of. We are equally delighted with the success of our adventure-tourer Himalayan which has been among the top 5 best selling middle-weight motorcycles in the UK consistently over the last 12 months. This response from our customers in the UK has propelled Royal Enfield to become one of the fastest growing motorcycle brands in the UK.”
“The Interceptor 650 marked the beginning of a new chapter and was the first truly global motorcycle from Royal Enfield. It has paved the way for us to grow from strength to strength; by building more awareness and aspiration for the brand in international markets, and by growing the 500cc+ category more than 4-times in India. Both, the Interceptor 650 and Himalayan have brought in a lot of first time buyers into Royal Enfield and we believe these motorcycles have a strong potential to grow our international markets.”
The Twins have contributed to the success of Royal Enfield in the APAC region too since their launch, with Vimal Sumbly sharing that these models have been well received in Australia, Thailand and the Philippines.
Vimal Sumbly – Head Business APAC
“We are delighted to share that Interceptor since its launch in the APAC region has been garnering a very good response among our customers and communities. We have over 4,500 Interceptor customers across our markets who subscribe to timeless styling coupled with contemporary performance. The quintessential modern-classic roadster was on an awards winning spree in the region. It won some of the most prestigious awards across Thailand, Australia and Philippines markets. In Thailand, the Interceptor won the “Best Modern Classic in the Middle-Weight category award two years in a row by the coveted Grand Prix group, in Australia it won the “Best LAMS Retro Award by Bike Sales Australia” and in Philippines we won the “Best Roadster Award” by C! magazine.”
The Royal Enfield Interceptor 650 is currently available in Australia from $9,790, while the Continental GT 650 is available from $9,990. Australian importer, UMI group (including MV Agusta, Royal Enfield and Gas Gas), choose not to be members of the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries thus Australian sales figures are not officially available.
Launched in September 2018, the Interceptor 650 shot to popularity across global markets, and since its launch, the upper end (500cc and above) of the mid-sized motorcycling segment for Royal Enfield has grown over four times, between FY 2019 and FY 2020.
The Royal Enfield Himalayan has also managed to carve a niche within the adventure touring segment. Inspired by Royal Enfield’s 60 years of enduring history in its spiritual home – The Himalayas – the motorcycle is an accessible and engaging option for riders.
Led by the Interceptor 650 and the Himalayan, Royal Enfield has recorded an overall volume growth of 96% across its international markets in FY20, with Europe registering 100% growth over last year. In the UK, Royal Enfield has made significant inroads in expanding its retail footprint to 67 customer touch points. The brand has also invested in expanding its marketing, sales and service teams to manage this growth.
Check out our Royal Enfield Interceptor and Continental GT Review
