Bangladeshi roads to soon see 3 new Hero motorcycle models

Hero MotoCorp has unveiled three new products in the mainstream and premium segments of motorcycle in India.

The new models are: Hero Xtreme 160R, Hero Passion Pro and Hero Glamour.

The bikes are packed with an engine of BS-VI category, meaning they would make less pollution and sound compared with the currently available two-wheelers.

The BS-VI, or Bharat Stage VI, is the new emission standard that all vehicles in the country will have to adhere to from April 1, 2020.

The new bikes will be available in the Indian market in April, said Pawan Munjal, chairman of Hero MotoCorp.

His comments came when he unveiled the new products at the Hero World 2020 at Hero Centre of Innovation and Technology of the New Delhi-headquartered company in the northern Indian city of Jaipur.

"The products will be available in the Bangladesh market just after their launch in India," said Rajat Bhargava, head of global business of Hero MotoCorp.

As BS-VI is not mandatory in Bangladesh yet and the preference of its consumers is different, the products will be slightly modified for the market, he said.

The other two models -- Glamour and Passion -- are already available in Bangladesh.

The Xtreme 160R, which marks Hero MotoCorp's entry into the popular 160cc motorcycle category, is expected to strengthen the company's fast-expanding presence in the premium segment. The bike delivers acceleration to 60 km/hour in 4.7 seconds.

The company also introduced Hero Glamour BS-VI, which runs on the new 125cc engine with 19 per cent more power.

The new Passion Pro comes in new 110cc delivering high fuel economy and is available in four colours: red, blue, yellow and black.

Hero MotoCorp also launched the Hero XPulse 200 Rally Kit for aspiring racers.

With innovation at the core of its philosophy, Hero MotoCorp will invest Rs 10,000 crore in research and development in the next five to six years, Munjal said.

The investment in R&D will be to focus on alternative mobility situation, sustainable development and brand-building across the globe.

He also announced the new vision and mission of Hero MotoCorp, which is "Be the future of mobility".

Hero MotoCorp has been the world's largest two-wheeler company by unit volume sales for the last 19 years.

It is the dominant market leader in India, the world's largest two-wheeler market, with more than 50 per cent share.

Currently, it exports products to 40 countries, up from only four in 2011.

Munjal also recalled the journey of Hero MotoCorp as a solo player in 2011 after splitting from Honda. "It was a young company with a rich legacy."

Hero MotoCorp currently has an annual combined production capacity of around 9 million units of two-wheelers, according to the company's website. 

It has seven globally benchmarked manufacturing facilities, including five in India and one each in Colombia and Bangladesh.

The new manufacturing facility in Andhra Pradesh will start production this year.