Hero MotoCorp launches Xtreme 200R at Rs 89,900

Hero MotoCorp today launched the new Xtreme 200R at Rs 89,900 (ex-showroom, Delhi). The company has said that it is now set commence country-wide sales of the motorcycles, with dispatches from its factories starting next week. Before this, the Xtreme 200R was only available in select north-eastern states with a price of Rs 88,000 (ex-showroom Assam, Mizoram, Tripura and West Bengal).

This is very competitive pricing and it comes well below the likes of the TVS RTR 200 4V (Rs 96,730 to Rs 1.10 lakh) or the Bajaj Pulsar NS 200 (Rs 1 lakh to Rs 1.12 lakh). This makes sense, as Hero is clear that it is not aiming to compete directly with the 200cc segment but is instead focusing on the premium 160cc and 180cc machines. For reference, the Bajaj Pulsar NS 160 costs Rs 82,624, while the new RTR 160 4V variants are priced between Rs 82,535 to Rs 91,535. (All prices ex-showroom, Delhi).

The Xtreme 200R is a clear step-up from the 149cc Xtreme Sports. The motor is a heavily reworked unit from the Achiever 150 and it offers a substantial increment in terms of output figures – 18.4hp at 8,000 rpm and 17.1Nm of torque at 6,500rpm. Transmission is a five-speed unit and the motor is a conventional, carburetted, air-cooled 2-valve unit. Braking is taken care of by a 276mm disc up front and a 220mm disc at the rear and single-channel is part of standard equipment.

Announcing this at a conference of the company’s dealers from the domestic market in India at the Buddh International Circuit in Greater Noida today, Pawan Munjal, Chairman, managing director and CEO, Hero MotoCorp, said “For us, the Xtreme 200R is not just any other product launch – it will catapult us to where we have been earlier - the premium segment. It is, therefore, our re-entry into a segment where we had a sizeable presence and market share not too long ago.  Designed specifically for the youth, the Xtreme 200R is an expression of our serious intent in a high growth segment. With the upcoming festive season in India, the Xtreme 200R will help us consolidate our market leadership. We will also soon commence sales of the Xtreme 200R in our global markets as well."

Sanjay Bhan, Head of Sales, Customer Care and Parts Business, Hero MotoCorp, said, “We are ready to commence the retail sales of the Xtreme 200R across the country and are confident that this motorcycle will enable us to make our presence felt in the premium segment. The customer response to the bike in the Northeastern part of the country, where it was recently launched, has been overwhelmingly positive.”

In related news, Hero said that the next launch from its stable of premium bikes will be the XPulse 200.