Hero Splendor continues to be the bestselling commuter bike even in the times of slowdown. Sales was down 31.42 percent in July, but still Hero Splendor was the top selling bike with 1,78,907 units sold. Hero MotoCorp is currently in the process of upgrading its bikes to meet BS6 emission norms and the first product to get BS6 certification is Splendor.
Earlier this year on June 10, Hero MotoCorp had announced that BS-VI certification has been received for Splendor iSmart 110 from International Centre for Automotive Technology (ICAT). With this, Hero MotoCorp became the first two-wheeler manufacturer in the country to receive BS-VI certification.
Now, around three months after getting BS-VI certification, the company has started dispatching Splendor iSmart 110 BS-VI to dealerships. However, the initial batches dispatched to dealerships will be used for training and familiarization purposes.
There are likely to be new guidelines regarding servicing and maintenance of the upgraded bike, something that dealership staff needs to learn. The upgraded bike is still a few months away from commercial launch and official bookings.
Hero is all set to launch the Splendor BS6 in the coming days, ahead of the Diwali festive season. Speaking about launch date, Hero MotoCorp said that launch dates will be announced at an appropriate time. The company has assured that their BS-VI migration plan is on track and all their motorcycles and scooters are expected to be switched to BS6 well before the deadline of April 1, 2020.
Existing model of Splendor iSmart 110 has a starting price of Rs 56,280 (ex-showroom, Delhi). When BS-VI compliant version will be launched, it is expected to be pricier by around 12-15%. That’s about 6k-7k costlier than the existing model. It is to be noted that BS-VI compliant Splendor iSmart 110 has been developed in-house at the company’s R&D facility, Center of Innovation and Technology, in Jaipur, Rajasthan.
Current Splendor iSmart 110 is powered by a 109.15 cc, air-cooled, OHC engine that generates max power of 9.4 hp @ 7,500 rpm and max torque of 9 Nm @ 5,500 rpm. Engine is mated to a 4-speed constant mesh gearbox. Power rating of BS-VI compliant version is expected to the same as that of current model.
