Hero Motorcorp may be the largest two wheeler manufacturer in the world in terms of volume but when it comes to the domestic automatic scooter segment, the stalwart still has a long way to go. The company currently has four scooters in its portfolio but none of them give their respective segment leading rivals a run for their money.
The new safety and emission regulations have brought all the OEMs back to the drawing board, thereby levelling the playing field to some extent. Hero Motorcorp wants to use this opportunity and relaunch its scooter offensive with better and more appealing products.
Without revealing any details, the two wheeler manufacturer has announced that it will introduce a new range of scooters on May 13 in Delhi. We expect the next generation Hero Pleasure 100 cc scooter to claim the center stage, while the second scooter will be Maestro Edge 125 with comprehensive overhaul. Launch of these two scooters will take the company’s total two wheeler launches this month to 5.
The Hero Pleasure has been in the market without any significant change for several years now. The new model, as spotted during an ad shoot, features fresh styling with a blend of modern and retro stylng cues. While every single panel looks new, the most significant change is the headlamp. In terms of equipment, the new Hero Pleasure is expected to offer digital instrument console (at least partially digital), telescopic front fork, USB charging, etc. As per the regulations, the urban runabout will be equipped with Combi Braking System (CBS).
The 102 cc air-cooled engine is expected to receive some tweaks, probably even fuel injection system, to bring down the emissions as per the upcoming BS-VI standards. Hero would use this opportunity to introduce a few segment-first features as well. We expect similar updates to trickle down to other scooters. 2019 Maestro Edge will come with similar features as the Pleasure. Engine will be more powerful and will deliver 8.5 hp and 10.2 Nm torque. Both these scooters will be aimed at the Honda Activa range, which is the best selling scooter on sale in the world.
The two wheeler market in general has been witnessing a slow down in the recent months. Most of the manufacturers have been facing negative growth and elevated level of inventory at the dealer level. However, things are expected to improve in the coming months after election. Introducing an updated family of automatic scooters at this time would help Hero Motocorp build a strong momentum when the market finally gets back up and running.
