Hero MotoCorp will be focusing on premium bikes and the company has a lot of new products lined up. The company has confirmed it will launch a global product in January 2017.
Hero MotorCorp will now focus on the premium motorcycle category while developing their latest products. This latest decision by the company comes from their all in house development and production team which is constantly on the goal to develop a better and higher powered motorcycle. This decision is believed to be very important for Hero as the competition is really high especially having the segment dominated by companies such as Yamaha, Royal Enfield and Bajaj as its arch rivals.
Although the company does have a strong hold on the entry-level segment with bikes such as the Splendor and Passion, they lack the punch in the higher-end which is essential as these are the kind of bikes which enable a better profit margin.
They currently have limited bikes in the premium category namely the Xtreme, Hunk and Karizmas but these models are old now and the company seriously needs to up their standards to challenge the fast growing competition. Also to be noted that none of these bikes have been able to keep up the selling ratio with the buyers as they lack the technology and features which are available among its very competitors.
Hero MotoCorp is well known for producing bikes which have great fuel efficiency. The company ensures the presence of their research and development team for press conferences rather than marketing guys. Though they have stayed in the international market for a while now, this is the first time the company is talking about launching a global product.
Hero says that a 200cc sports version of the Xtreme is under development and proposed to be launched soon. Of the new products which are anticipated, the lineup includes the HX250 and Xtreme 200S which are assumed to be production ready by now but with non-surety. The futuristic XF3R and Hastur concepts will definitely take a while before they are incepted into production.
The company confirmed at the launch of the Hero Achiever 150 that a global product will be launched post the Dakar rally in which they are participating. The new motorcycle will be launched in Buenos Aires which is the capital of Argentina. The expected launch is in mid-January and could be the Hero HX250 which was first unveiled more than 3 years ago.
Hero could launch a Royal Enfield Himalayan rival with a higher displacement Impulse but that seems highly unlikely as the global bike will be launched and not unveiled and start of sales requires extensive testing. Hero’s Pawan Munjal says the upcoming launch will be a head turner and will be launched at a major event, it will be a completely new product for global distributors with some domestic retailers also selling it. The bike will not have any old component from any existing Hero or Honda motorcycle.
Hero Global Bike
– A 200cc sports version of the Hero Xtreme is under development (it was showcased at the Auto Expo)
– HX250 or Xtreme 200S maybe launched this fiscal year
– XF3R and Hastur concepts to be considered for production but not anytime soon
– Hero will launch a global bike mid-January in Argentina
