Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/316641
www.PowersportsBusiness.com PWC Powersports Business • May 26, 2014 • 25 "This effort to find ways to bring features in at a lower price point and bring personal watercraft down to absolute lower price points is a huge, huge undertaking, however it's one we're very serious about and very committed to," he said. "It will be a while before you see products coming to market that are a result of that effort, but it's a very high priority for us." Speaks said such a Yamaha-branded model could benefit from an engine platform used in a different product category as a way to share tooling costs and keep the price down. On the same note, Kawasaki PWC prod- uct manager Bret Snider went further by congratulating Sea-Doo for its innovation with the Spark and suggesting his company's attention is aimed squarely at the mid- and entry-level categories. "We need to chase the volume and we need to come to market with products that repre- sent the voice of the customer," Snider said. "There's some migration from the flagship to the mid level, so we need to place some atten- tion there. Also, in the entry level, that's the volume, so if you're chasing the volume, you need to take a look at that entry level and deter- mine what opportunities there are." He added that the company's STX-15F has higher performance and a similarly higher price than competing entry-level units. "You could argue our performance is too high for the entry-level, so perhaps there's an opportunity to create a variation of that model that's a lower price point with a little bit lower performance, or create a new platform alto- gether," Snider said. Snider said Kawasaki's approach would maintain the company's established perfor- mance attributes with "trickle-down" perfor- mance from elsewhere in its product lineup. "I think even at a true entry-level product, I think we would put more focus on hull perfor- mance and probably pushing that power plant performance a little bit more," he said. The company has a specific engine in mind that is in active development for a different application within the Kawasaki stable. The market should expect "some reaction out of us in the next four model years," he said. HORSEPOWER WARS The next frontier of PWC research and devel- opment will not be confined to building new entry-level models. If recent advancements are any indication, all categories should expect a mix of new ride-enhancing technologies, as well as existing features to spread downward from the highest-performance models through the rest of the company lineups. Sea-Doo relishes the exclusivity of its Intel- ligent Brake & Reverse (iBR) system, which has recently spread to more products through- out the lineup, including the value-oriented GTI models. The company also received a wel- come boost by nabbing the "Best Watercraft of the Year" award from Jet Ski Magazine. Marketing director Julie Tourville said iBR is a crucial Sea-Doo feature in a market where nearly 50 percent of the market is PWC first- timers. Tourville added that the company remains focused on developing technological advancements that attract a younger audience. Qualities like ease of towing, lower cost, better fuel efficiency and environmentally sustain- able materials present opportunities for reach- ing younger customers. "Consumers have less and less time, are super busy, are looking for ways to escape, for ways to relax, for ways to entertain; they want instant gratification, and I think our cat- egory is one that really indisputably provides a lot of these elements," she said. "We've got great products that provide so much pleasure, time with the family, memories of great times, sunny days, and I think that in days when we are all extremely busy, I think [ours] is a great industry to be in and to provide that opportu- nity to consumers." Kawasaki recently launched its new super- charged and intercooled, 310-horsepower Ultra 310R, which it claims is the most power- ful stock PWC ever built. Aggressive, youthful features include 12-position motocross-style handlebars, race-inspired colors and graphics and new Sportseat with a high-grip seat cover that's also imported from the motocross dirt bike market. Snider said the company's range of flagship models is exceeding expectations, including the luxuriant 300LX that includes the indus- try's first fully integrated "JetSound" stereo system that includes a pair of 30-watt speakers. "That's been received really well," he said. "The media came in, to be honest, a little unsure what to think of it, but after experienc- ing the product they said … this adds so much to the experience of riding a PWC beyond what we ever thought, so that's been very good." As for whether higher horsepower is in store, Snider said there's always room to push the power envelope forward, but that would further raise prices. He suggested hull technol- ogy might be a more pressing area of research and development, along with reducing weight and improving the efficiency of its vehicles. "We've got class-leading engine perfor- mance, class-leading hull performance, but that comes with a price tag, so it's not a technologi- cal challenge, it's more of what the consumers will bear," Snider said. "I think we're pushing that limit right now, and testing it especially with the LX." Yamaha has increased its PWC R&D invest- ment in recent years in expectation of a recov- ering market, and Speaks said the company's range-topping FX Cruiser SVHO — with a supercharged 1,812cc engine and a $15,399 starting price — has seen "red hot" sales and exceeded the company's expectations. As for adding more power in the near term, Speaks said "we've probably satisfied the vast majority of people in terms of the performance they're looking for." Instead, shedding weight and increasing fuel efficiency is the focus in coming years, as evidenced by Yamaha's newly introduced NanoXcel material that enabled the company to shave 60-70 pounds out of the hull of its VX series, an advancement that aids handling as well as fuel economy. Speaks said some of Yamaha's less glamor- ous innovations in the category have been its brand-new PWC leasing, the Certified Pre-Owned program launched last spring, low-interest programs that have allowed cus- PWC MARKET CONTINUED FROM PAGE 22 In a good sign for the category, Yamaha has seen mid- level PWC sales increasing, including its VXS model, which starts at $11,399. Kawasaki claims its new $16,299 Ultra 310R is the most powerful stock PWC ever built at 310 horsepower. 24 • May 26, 2014 • Powersports Business PWC www.PowersportsBusiness.com P22x25-PSB7-PWC.indd 24 5/14/14 2:13 PM