United Motors (UM) and Lohia Auto have decided to end their alliance in the Indian market, reports Bikewale. The two companies formed a partnership in 2014, and the recent development could be the result of the lacklustre sales performance.
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The companies are yet to make an official announcement about ending their partnership although the source reports that it will most likely happen in the coming weeks. After parting ways with Lohia Auto, UM will reintroduce itself as “UM+” in our market by September. The company will also set up a new facility in Hyderabad. The source report further adds that UM has attracted investor attention, and it could join hands with another brand for future operations in the Indian market.
UM would enter into a fresh agreement with its dealers. UM will reportedly aim to make its portfolio BS-VI ready, introduce features like dual-channel ABS and improve its dealerships in the new phase. UM will also expand its network in the country with the introduction of new outlets.
Apart from new dealerships, UM will expand its product portfolio with the launch of new products. The company seems to be preparing two adventure tourers for the Indian market. We recently came across two motorcycles with UM branding through a spy image. The two motorcycles were also spotted in June last year, although they probably didn’t make it to the dealerships due to the troubles that the brand faced in the Indian market.
To give you a quick recap, the two UM bikes that were seen through spy images were in two configurations – road and off-road. The motorcycles are most likely targeted to rival the newly launched Hero MotoCorp’s XPulse range. The road-focused model among the two test mules uses 17-inch alloy wheels on both ends, while the off-road biased variant features wire-spoke wheels with a 19-inch front. Both motorcycles will most likely share the same underpinnings and engine although the mechanical specifications are not available yet. UM has used cost-saving measures to introduce the new products at competitive prices and thus the bikes in the spy photographs were seen with conventional telescopic forks and a halogen headlight among other features.
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UM will also update its current portfolio to comply with the new safety norms. The updated and new models are likely to arrive ahead of the festive season.
[Source: Bikewale.com]
