For the last couple of years, Royal Enfield has been on a resurgence in India as well as globally. The brand debuted their all-new J-platform with the launch of the Meteor 350 late last year and going ahead, this platform will also underpin the next-gen Classic and Bullet motorcycles. Royal Enfield is also working on a host of new motorcycles based on the 650-twin platform. That said, even with new products in its lineup, Royal Enfield's bread and butter model still remains the current-gen Classic 350.
In March 2021, Royal Enfield sold 31,694 units of the Classic 350, making it the second-most sold motorcycle in the INR 1-2 lakh price range. Anyone who's been looking to buy a new motorcycle lately knows very well that the INR 1-2 lakh price segment is the most ripe with options. Among numerous other offerings, the RE Classic 350 was trailing the TVS Apache range which sold 33,162 units. However, this number is a sum of three motorcycles from the Apache range, which makes it slightly less significant. The Classic 350 is thus easily the most popular motorcycle in this price range.
Also Read: New Royal Enfield Classic 350 Spied Testing Yet Again
This comes as a contrast to the sales numbers the Meteor 350 managed in March 2021. Royal Enfield sold 10,596 units of the Meteor 350 in March 2021, which is exactly one-third of what the Classic 350 managed last month. This is particularly surprising because the Meteor 350 is a much newer motorcycle with a much improved engine and platform and yet, it hasn't managed to outsell the older-gen Classic 350. It must also be noted that the prices of both motorcycles nearly overlap each other, which means pricing is not a differentiating factor here. That said, the Meteor did witness a 2,000 unit surge in its sales numbers compared to February.
While both motorcycles are positioned very differently in terms of their riding experience, the Classic 350 is a clear favorite among buyers like it has always been, even in the face of newer and better Royal Enfield motorcycles. That said, the Classic 350 will soon be getting its biggest update yet, which could really solidify its position at the top of the sales charts. Royal Enfield has been testing the next-gen Classic underpinned by the J-platform and the new 350cc motor for quite some time. Once launched, it will be a huge improvement over the current-gen model as we have come to expect from our experience with the Meteor 350.
In terms of styling, the next-gen Classic will be an evolution of the current-gen model. Some of the features of the upcoming Classic 350 include new switchgear, alloy wheels, split seats, revised tail section and the new tipper navigation system as well. The new 350cc motor features an advanced SOHC system and a balancer shaft to contain vibrations. We expect power and torque figures to be quite similar to that of the Meteor 350 - 20.2bhp and 27Nm of peak torque. Royal Enfield is expected to launch the next gen Classic 350 in the coming months and when it arrives, we are sure it will rock the sales charts.
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