Royal Enfield will update the Meteor 350 with a new variant in about a month, will get sporty roadster design elements
Royal Enfield will soon update the ailing Meteor 350 with a new variant which will hit the showrooms late this month or early July. Interestingly, sources said, it would be the now discontinued Thunderbird 350X-like trim with sporty design elements.
In the recent months, Royal Enfield Meteor 350, which set off on a flying start, is slowly losing sheen among buyers. It’s facing severe double-digit YoY de-growth every single month since February, this year.
The brand’s bread and butter cruiser couldn’t manage even the previous Thunderbird’s sales figures now. For reference, the Thunderbird 350 and 500 used to easily clock 7000 to 8000 unit sales combined every single month till they got discontinued in 2019-20.
In fact, in April 2022 sales, Classic Legends was just 938 units behind the Meteor 350, slowly reducing the gap over the last few months. If this trend continues, it would be catastrophic for Royal Enfield as it would no longer be able to claim the top 3 spots in 200-500 cc segment.
The new variant would, most probably, be the answer to Classic Legends’ 3 variants of the recently launched Yezdi brand, especially the Roadster.
The upcoming Meteor variant will get new aesthetics that are focused towards youngsters. The bike could get a nearly flat handle bar, 18-inch front wheel, new striking alloy design, all-black theme, probably matte finish, and a single-piece seat. These are some of the aspects of the yesteryear Thunderbird 350X.
The underpinnings and powertrain of the upcoming bike will remain the same as the existing Meteor. It will get power from the J-series 350 cc engine that puts out 20.1 HP at 6100 RPM and 27 Nm at 4000 RPM, mated to a 5-speed gearbox.
The bike could hit a top speed of 120 km/hr. It will come shod with the same 41 mm telescopic front forks and twin rear shocks. The 300 mm front disc and 270 mm rear unit will carry out the braking duties. Dual-channel ABS will come standard on the bike.
The Royal Enfield Meteor 350 is currently available in 3 variants – Fireball, Stellar, and Supernova with the differences relating to paint shade and accessories alone. Among these, the upcoming variant is likely to provide a fresh appeal and help boost sales.
As of today, Meteor retails between Rs. 2.01 – 2.17 lakhs (ex-showroom), and the new variant is likely to sit on top of these price tags.