Key highlights
- CFMoto puts India launch plans on hold
- The company is evaluating the current market scenario
- E20 fuel adaptation and GST slabs are being evaluated
Chinese motorcycle manufacturer CFMoto has once again put its Indian debut plans on hold. The brand was preparing to enter the Indian market for the second time. Read below what went wrong with the plans.
Also read: Old Royal Enfield Himalayan is coming back with a 443cc oil-cooled engine!
CFMoto 450MT not coming to India – Here’s why
Last year, CFMoto conducted a brief ride of the 450MT adventure motorcycle in India for select journalists. The company was in talks with a third-party agency to locally assemble and sell the 450MT and 650cc models in 2025.
However, the E20 fuel compliance and the new GST 2.0 slabs came into effect last year. This led to multiple delays in the debut plans of the company in India. The brand kept pushing the debut timeline, which was previously set at mid-2025.
But, after a prolonged discussion and evaluation internally with its Indian partner, the brand has announced that it will take its sweet time to further see the Indian market trends and evaluate the profitability of bringing its global models to India.
Now this comes as sad news as we were highly anticipating riding the 450MT. It has earned a high reputation for itself in the global market for being fun to ride, tech-loaded, and affordable. It would have been a direct rival to the Royal Enfield Himalayan 450 in India.
With the India launch plans put on hold, we believe that the brand should locally manufacture its models in India. However, a long-term assessment is needed, which the company is doing.
