Honda launches the PCX premium scooter

Available in only one version, the PCX costs Bt70,000. After its launch in Thailand, where it is produced, the premium 125-cc scooter will be exported to the US, Japan and Europe from next year.

"The PCX will appeal to those who want a premium scooter. It comes with high technology and Thailand-first features like idling-start-stop, which stops the engine when the vehicle is stopped and starts it up again when the handlebar is twisted.

"It also has an anti-theft alarm system and three-pot hydraulic combined brake system. We expect people who usually use a sedan to use the PCX for short distances due to its almost sedan-like qualities," said Zenjiro Sakurai, president of AP Honda Thailand.

The company hopes to sell 50,000 units within the first year. In the remainder of this year, it expects to sell 4,000. Honda will export 25,000 PCXs per year.

The total motorcycle market came in at about 1.5 million units in the first 10 months of the year. Forty-six per cent were automatic motorcycles, which gives AP Honda the confidence that the PCX will be successful in this growing segment.

AP Honda has positioned the PCX as the most expensive automatic-transmission motorcycle in the market, coming with a 125cc engine that the company says will maximise fuel economy.

The company is also considering a lower-grade version costing about Bt60,000 to appeal more to the mass market.