The Hero MotoCorp Splendor has overtaken the Honda Activa as the bestseller in India. India’s highest selling motorcycle clocked 2,85,508 sales in September 2018 as against Honda Activa’s 2,84,809 units.
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Year-on-year September, Splendor sales grew from 2,48,293 units to 2,85,508 units, an improvement of 15 percent. The Honda Activa, on the other hand, witnessed a fall of 12 percent in sales, registering 2,84,809 units in September 2018 as against 3,22,922 units in the corresponding month last year.
Two-wheeler sales took a hit in recent months due to floods in Kerala. Fuel prices are providing no solace, which could also be a factor for slowing down of demand for two-wheelers. The top-selling two-wheelers and their sales figures for September 2018 are:
- Hero Splendor: 2,85,508
- Honda Activa: 2,84,809
- Hero HF Deluxe: 2,01,240
- Hero Passion: 95,057
- TVS Jupiter: 90,738
- Bajaj CT: 89,387
- Bajaj Pulsar: 89,374
- Hero Glamour: 82,864
- Honda CB Shine: 80,612
- Bajaj Platina: 67,450
Meanwhile, Hero MotoCorp is hoping to boost sales in the scooter segment with 2 new launches this calender year. The Hero Maestro was the fifth best selling scooter in the country in September 2018. Hero Duet takes the sixth spot in the list while the Pleasure stands on the 10th position. To strengthen its scooter portfolio, the two-wheeler brand launched the Destini 125 this month at an ex-showroom, Delhi price tag of INR 54,650 for the Lx variant and INR 57,500 for the Vx variant.
The Hero Destini 125 comes equipped with Hero’s proprietary i3S (Idle Stop-Start System) technology that is aimed to deliver better fuel efficiency. The claimed fuel economy stands at 51.58 kmpl. The Destini uses Hero MotoCorp’s 124.6 cc, air-cooled, single-cylinder, Energy Boost engine that is tuned to deliver a maximum power of 8.70 bhp at 6,750 rpm and 10.2 Nm of peak torque at 5,000 rpm. The motor can propel the scooter to a top speed of 85 km/h.
As reported earlier this month, Hero MotoCorp plans to take on Honda by expanding its scooter portfolio to six models in 8-12 months. The next scooter scheduled from Hero is the Maestro Edge 125 that is expected to arrive by the end of 2018 or early 2019.
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Apart from the scooter segment, Hero MotoCorp aims to expand its product portfolio with premium motorcycles and plans to launch four bikes in the 200-300cc segment. The new Xtreme 200R has already been launched in India while the brand is preparing to introduce the Xpulse 200 by early 2019.
