Hero to launch two scooter platforms this year

Hero MotoCorp will be launching two new scooter platforms this year and another bike variant as well. Hero MotoCorp has had only one new product in the last two years, while Honda has had six of them.

So, now Hero MotoCorp is gearing up to launch 35 products in the coming three years.

The Hero Dash will be the company’s first scooter that has been made without any support from Honda Motorcycles. The Dash will have an 110cc engine and will be Hero’s answer to Honda Activa. Hero is paying a royalty to Honda for the Maestro scooter.

This contract will continue till June 2017 or till the time Hero stops using Honda technology on the Maestro, whichever ends earlier. Hero’s Maestro is the second highest selling scooter in India and it will want to retain its position with the Maestro name. Hence, Hero will be introducing the Maestro Edge, which will be the second generation of Maestro. This will have two engine options, one will be an 110cc and later they will also introduce the 125cc variant too. Hero will want to build on the Maestro brand to compete with the Honda Activa.

Hero Dash will be launched in June 2015 and the Maestro Edge should be made available in showrooms in the second half of 2015. As the 110cc engine is ready, the Maestro Edge will first come up with this engine and it will be later on that they will move on to 125cc.

Hero’s HX 250R will be launched in 2015 itself and next year it will also be looking at introducing the off-roader version of the 250cc engine (which will be the Impulse 250 or the TR 250R/HX 250TR). As the scooter market is growing, Hero has all its focus on it.

Hero was working on 17 projects with Erik Buell Racing, of which 12 have been completed and the other five will be completed with the help of some consultants. The last five will get a bit delayed.

HMCL’s cost cutting initiative under project ‘Leap 20’ is focused at driving significant improvements in cost structure, with simultaneous improvement in product quality and reliability.