The Hero Splendor is the world’s largest selling motorcycle that contributes more than 35 percent to total annual sales of Hero MotoCorp. In order to recover the manufacturers lost market share, Hero MotoCorp is preparing to launch an all new Splendor. The new Splendor will be the first native product for Hero MotoCorp after parting ways with its erstwhile partner, Honda. The upcoming offering has been shown to the dealer partners at the annual Hero Global Marketing and Sales Conference in Macau last week. The new Splendor is said to be called Splendor iSmart and is expected to be launched in the next few months.
According to the company insiders, the new Hero Splendor iSmart has significantly changed in terms of overall design. The motorcycle gets loaded with new elements such as a redesigned meter console, body graphics, front cowl with wind screen and split grab rails. The styling has changed but the engine will remain the same, which is the 100cc motor that produces 7.8 PS of peak power at 7500 RPM and 8.04 Nm of peak torque at 4500 RPM, mated to a 4-speed manual gearbox. Hero is also developing new engines to meet the next level of emission norms.
Hero MotoCorp will introduce new platforms starting from 2014 and is planning to launch a range of products based on the new platforms. Apart from the new Splendor iSmart, they showcased 14 new offerings across its current range that includes upgrades and new variants, which will be introduced gradually, starting from this festive season. The manufacturer is demonstrating its new Hero ‘Can Do’ approach, which means that they have independent strength to develop new products indigenously. They also showcased the revamped version of the Karizma, developed in technical partnership with its US-based partner Erik Buell Racing (EBR).
