Royal Enfield Announces Assembly Plant In Argentina

The plant will assemble the Himalayan and the 650 twins in its first phase, starting this month

• Back in March 2019, Royal Enfield announced its first assembly plant outside of India, in Thailand.
• And now, this will be Royal Enfield’s first CKD plant in Latin America.
• The Royal Enfield Interceptor 650 and the Continental GT 650 were the first truly global motorcycles from the brand.

While the Royal Enfield Himalayan helped the iconic bikemaker explore the more lucrative budget adventure touring segment, it was the Royal Enfield Interceptor 650 and the Continental GT 650 which were truly global in terms of capability and positioning. After announcing its first assembly plant outside of India, in Thailand, back in March 2019, the brand has now announced its first CKD plant in Latin America.

Located at Buenos Aires, Argentina, the company will first kick things off by assembling three of its most important motorcycles: the Himalayan, the Interceptor 650 and the Continental GT 650. Expect these to be followed by J-platform motorcycles like the new-gen Classic 350 and the Meteor 350 once they are launched internationally. 

Also Read: Royal Enfield Meteor 350 Features Revealed

RE currently sells the 650 twins, the Himalayan, the Classic 500 and the Bullet Trials 500 via the CBU route in Argentina. Once the assembly plant starts churning out bikes, expect the prices for the 650 twins and the Himalayan to drop. For further details regarding the assembly plant in Argentina, check out the brand’s press release:

Press Release:

ROYAL ENFIELD ANNOUNCES LOCAL ASSEMBLY UNIT IN ARGENTINA

• First motorcycle assembly unit to produce motorcycles outside India
• Assembly unit to be located at Campana in Buenos Aires

India, 09 September, 2020: Royal Enfield, global leader in the mid-size motorcycle segment (250cc - 750cc), today announced that it will commence local assembly of motorcycles in Argentina in partnership  with  Grupo Simpa,  Royal  Enfield’s  local  distributor  in  the  country  since  2018.  This  is  a significant   announcement,   as   this  will  be  the  first  time  in  Royal  Enfield’s  modern  history  that motorcycles will be assembled and produced outside the company’s manufacturing facilities in Chennai, India. The event for the local assembly announcement was graced by Alberto Fernández, President of Argentina.

Argentina is among the biggest mid-size motorcycle markets in Latin America. Royal Enfield set up retail operations in Argentina in March 2018, with its first store in Vicente Lopez, Buenos Aires. Since then the company has expanded its retail network in the market and now has 5 exclusive stores in Argentina. Overall, Royal Enfield has 31 exclusive stores and 40 other retail touchpoints in all of Latin American countries.

The local assembly unit in Argentina will be based at Grupo Simpa’s facility located in Campana, Buenos Aires. To begin with, the plant will locally assemble three motorcycle models - the Royal Enfield Himalayan, the Interceptor 650 and the Continental GT 650 - starting this month.

Speaking about the announcement, Mr. Vinod K Dasari, CEO, Royal Enfield, said, “Royal Enfield has been working steadily to grow and expand the middleweight motorcycling segment globally and also to increase our footprint in important global markets. Over the last couple of years, we have grown our international presence significantly and now have wide retail presence across 60 countries. With a strategic view to cater to growing demand and to gain significant market advantage, we have been pursuing our plans to set up local assembly units across specific markets in the Asia Pacific region and across South America. In the first of these, we are very happy to announce the first CKD assembly plant in Argentina.’

Commenting specifically about the focus on Argentina as a market, Vinod K Dasari also said, “Argentina and other South American countries have been an important market for Royal Enfield. Ever since we commenced sales since 2018 in Argentina, we have received a resounding response to our motorcycles from consumers. The local terrain and topography create the perfect canvas for riding our motorcycles, especially the Himalayan. The initial success of the 650 Twin motorcycles has also been very encouraging. We are deeply committed to focusing on becoming a part of the fabric of the country’s rich motorcycling culture. Our decision to start assembling our motorcycles in Argentina is testament to our long term commitment and increasing confidence in the market.”

Also Read: Royal Enfield Meteor 350 Engine Specifications Leaked

Brazil, Argentina and Colombia are among the three most important markets for Royal Enfield in Latin America. Beyond India (the biggest market for the brand with over 900 dealerships), Royal Enfield motorcycles reach consumers and enthusiasts in more than 60 countries worldwide, through 660 dealerships and 82 exclusive brand stores in nodal cities such as Milwaukee, London, Paris, Madrid, Barcelona, Melbourne, Sao Paulo, Bogota, Medellin, Mexico City, Buenos Aires, Dubai, Bangkok, Jakarta, Manila and Ho Chi Minh City.