Hero MotoCorp’s bestselling motorcycle over the years, the Splendor has been through the thick and thin of the Indian two-wheeler market and has always projected strong sales at the end of the year. However in the most recent times, ex-partner Honda has come closer to achieving dominance in the two-wheeler market and it has achieved the number one spot with the Honda Activa scooter leading the market for a brief period last year. Now in a bid to meet the growing demand domestically and internationally and to retain the top spot, Hero is ramping up production of the Splendor range of motorcycles at its facilities across the country.
The latest entrant in the Splendor family, the Splendor iSmart has seen a rampant increase in sales, just months after its launch earlier this year. The Splendor iSmart is one of the first motorcycles in the world to possess the i3S technology. Essentially a start-stop system for motorcycles, the technology turns off the engine when the vehicle is idle for a brief period and starts again when the clutch is depressed. Hero currently produces 800 units per day of the iSmart and plans to increase production to 1200 units per day (30,000 units per month) over the next few months.
The other models in the Splendor range which include Splendor Pro, Splendor NXG, Splendor+ and Super Splendor 125 will also see a ramp up in production capacity. Hero MotoCorp’s fourth plant at Neemrana, Rajasthan which starts production in June has been commissioned to produce the Splendor range and has a production capacity of 7.5 lakh units per annum. While the domestic sales are only growing for Hero, the demand overseas is no less either, which has led to ramping up of production further.
Hero MotoCorp has been one of the few companies that made a positive growth during the sluggish automotive market in recent times, while contemporaries like Bajaj Auto were struggling to find volumes. Apart from Hero, Honda too has been growing with its products and is inching closer to Hero’s position in the two-wheeler market. While Hero’s volumes grew to 5.58 lakh units in April this year, up by 14 percent compared to last year, Honda saw sales grow to 3.01 lakh units in April this year, up by 21 percent compared to last year. Honda has also increased its dealer network and is expanding its base to cater to rural markets as well.
