Suzuki Motorcycles India, a subsidiary of the Japanese automobile firm Suzuki, has launched a special edition of its Access 125 automatic scooter. According to sources, the company has partnered with 'Being Human', a Non-Government Organisation (NGO) run by Bollywood actor Salman Khan. The changes given to the scooter are purely cosmetic in nature as technical specifications remain the same.
The additional features that are included to differentiate from the regular variant are tanned faux leather seat cover, chrome garnishing on the grab rail and rear view mirrors. In addition, the scooter features the ‘Being Human’ front emblem and its tagline, ‘Apna Way Of Life’, stickers on the side. Unlike the regular version that is available in five variants, the special edition comes in just one colour, Pearl Mirage White. The scooter still operates on a four-stroke, single cylinder, air cooled OHC 124cc powertrain that delivers 8.58 bhp of power at 7000 rpm and 9.8 Nm of torque at 5000 rpm.
Industry experts feel that it was obvious that the price of this new variant would be slightly higher. Now, this scooter is costlier by Rs. 1000, which takes the on-road Mumbai price to Rs. 58,975. Since this is a joint venture with the NGO run by Salman Khan, Being Human apparel and merchandise would also be sold by Suzuki dealers. The company has set a target of 40,000 units for the Suzuki Access Special Edition and is aiming at a turnover of Rs. 3 crore through merchandise sales.
This can well be considered as an extension to the existing deal with Khan, who happens to be its brand ambassador. The tie-up would be a three phase process commencing with selling off apparels such as T-Shirts, thereafter heading towards biking accessories like helmets. A part of profits earned from sales will be directed towards causes like heart surgeries, cataract operations, education of the underprivileged and bone marrow donation camps, revealed Atul Gupta, Executive Vice-President at Suzuki Motorcycles.
This is a noble initiative taken by the firm that would help several helpless people. In any case, this deal is going to prove beneficial for both parties as the successful Bollywood actor has a huge fan following and the promotion of 'Being Human' would help create better awareness. "Suzuki's networks will help us increase the reach of the Foundation and provide education and healthcare for the under privileged," Khan said.
Being Human Foundation was launched by Salman Khan in 2009 and at present, it operates in Mumbai, Ludhiana and Ahmedabad. The actor has plans to open hospitals and restaurants under the same initiative. The organisation has supported several causes since the beginning and is extremely popular for its T-Shirts that had 'Being Human' printed on them. Suzuki has two scooters, three bikes and five superbikes to its credit and its business has grown by about 20 per cent as per officials. With the new edition coming up in the market, Suzuki expects maximum sales of this scooter.
