Hero MotoCorp has upped the ante on the commuter motorcycle front with three new product reveals in New Delhi today.

The company, which has been facing increased competition in the 125cc motorcycle market, has injected new life in the premium Splendor range with the new 125cc Super Splendor. 

Hero MotoCorp's launch of the new Super Splendor today underlines the company's serious intent to up the stakes in the battle with Honda Motorcycle & Scooter India, which is the current leader in the executive commuter 125cc motorcycle category with its popular CB Shine.    

Meanwhile, the Passion brand, which has seen declining demand over the past 12-18 months, also gets a new charge in the form of a the new 110cc Passion Pro and the 110cc Passion XPro.

There will be a phase-wise launch of the three motorcycles in the market, starting January 2018. Hero MotoCorp has leadership status in the 100-125cc commuter bike segment with its Splendor, Passion, HF Deluxe and Glamour brands. All four brands have sold over a million units in the Indian marketplace. 

Industry data reveals that Hero MotoCorp has a 51.28 percent share of the motorcycle market, up from 50.35 percent in April-November 2017. It is followed by Bajaj Auto with 15.91 percent, Honda Motorcycle & Scooter India with 15.67 percent and TVS Motor Co with 7.39 percent. In the April-November 2017 period, Hero has retailed 4,997,232 motorcycles, which is an 8.61 percent year-on-year growth.
 

Dr Markus Braunsperger, chief technology officer, Hero MotoCorp, said, “Over the recent past, we have strengthened our in-house product development capabilities at the Hero Centre of Innovation and Technology (CIT). Our new motorcycles deliver best-in-class performance, with advanced features and modern styling. We are also gearing up to launch multiple new exciting products across segments in the coming months.”

Malo Le Masson – Head of Global Product Planning, Hero MotoCorp, said, “With the launch of the new Passion PRO, Passion Xpro and Super Splendor, we are aiming to further consolidate our leadership in the 100-125cc segments. These new motorcycles come with bold styling and more power while still retaining their product DNA and will surely be appreciated by the customers. Now, we will shift our focus on premium motorcycles and aim to grow our market share in the premium segment.“

New Super Splendor

The new Super Splendor is claimed to tick all the right boxes with its best-in-class performance and stability. This is in addition to the high fuel efficiency linked to the Splendor brand. 

This commuter motorcyles comes with a new air-cooled, 4-stroke single-cylinder OHC 125cc TOD (Torque-on-Demand) engine that also Hero i3S technology. The engine produces a maximum power output of 8.4 (11.4) kW (PS) at 7500rpm and maximum torque of 11 Nm at 6000rpm. 

Hero says the motorcycle offers 27 percent more power and 6 percent more torque than its previous generation. The bike reaches a maximum speed of 94kph. 

The motorcycle gets a number of utility and comfort features such as AHO, side-stand indicator, wider rear tyre, updated seat profile and side reflector, largest underseat storage in class with additional storage in front under the tank.  

On the styling front, the motorcycle gets a chrome-finish muffler, sleek tail-light, silver-finish side cover, trapezoidal headlamp and graphics. 

The New Passion Pro

The new 110cc Passion Pro gets an array of convenience, safety and utility features, which integrate seamlessly to offer improved handling and a hassle-free riding experience. It is powered by a

a BS-IV-compliant 110cc TOD (Torque on Demand) engine that develops 7.0 (9.4) kW (PS) at 7500rpm and maximum torque of 9.0 Nm at 5500rpm.

The motorcycle also features Hero’s i3S (Idle-stop-start system) and is claimed to offers 12 percent more power and torque than its previous generation. The bike accelerates from 0-60kph in 7.45 seconds.

Other highlights include a new muscular fuel tank with flush-type cap and a stylish tail-lamp and a safety and utility features such as a digital-analog meter with digital fuel gauge, tripmeter, all-time Headlamp On (AHO) and side-stand indicator. 

New Passion XPro

The new  Passion XPro, targeted at youth, is powered by the same engine as on the Passion Pro and bears the same acceleration statistics.

The motorcycle will be available in five premium dual-tone color palettes – Sports red with black – powerful and warm, Black with sports red – strong and popular, Black with techno blue – vibrant and youthful, Black with heavy grey – elegant and sober, Force silver with black – cool and bright. The motorcycle is available in both drum and disc variants.