Hero MotoCorp to launch 3 new motorcycles before festive season

Hero MotoCorp, India’s largest two-wheeler manufacturer, is gearing up to roll out three new motorcycles before the incoming festive season, which is set to  kick off from the last week of September this year.

Hero MotoCorp has confirmed to Autocar Professional that it will soon launch an all-new, single-cylinder 150cc Achiever premium commuter bike, along with facelifted models of the 125cc Super Splendor and 100cc Passion Pro.   

Interestingly, the 100cc Passion Pro will be rolled out equipped with Hero-patented i3S technology, which is also offered on two Splendor models – 100cc Splendor iSmart and 110cc Splendor iSmart 110.

“The company will launch 15 new products across segments in its domestic and global markets this fiscal, out of which three motorcycles will be introduced in the domestic market before the festive season. These include the new Achiever 150cc motorcycle and the Super Splendor and Passion PRO with the Hero patented i3S technology,” quotes the company note.

It is clear that the company is eyeing to boost its sales and aims to do so with maximum impact on September and October 2016 sales. Industry heads are already anticipating soaring monthly sales during the coming festive season, peaking out for the whole of 2016.

Pushing for sales in 150cc bike market

It is to be noted that while Hero MotoCorp aims to rejig its performance (and market share) in the highly competitive 150cc commuter motorcycle segment, a category dominated by Bajaj Auto and India Yamaha Motor, by launching an all-new 150cc Hero Achiever, the company also looks at advancing the sales of its popular Splendor and Passion line-ups by introducing new variants under each of the two brands.

The incoming Super Splendor will consolidate the manufacturer’s position in the 125cc category, conventionally a Honda dominated territory. Notably, Hero Glamour has already powered the bike maker to the top spot beating Honda’s category best-seller, CB Shine this year.

On the other hand, the incoming new iSmart tech-equipped variant of the Passion Pro will become the first model in the Passion line-up to go on sale with the patented technology. That is expected to support the declining sales of Passion brand, which now sells lower than the monthly sales of Glamour and HF Deluxe models, say analysts.

Under the i3S tech, the engine gets switched off automatically when idle for a few seconds, and it comes back to life by pressing the clutch lever. The technology, which has brought many customers to Hero MotoCorp in the domestic as well as foreign markets, comes in handy at long traffic signals. According to the company officials, the Splendor iSmart is also Hero’s best-selling model in Colombia.

Market analysts also add that the company has begun building its inventories to cater to the anticipated demand in the coming weeks. It would be interesting to watch how Hero MotoCorp and its rivals perform in the domestic market over the next two months.