Hero Motocorp had made a name for itself in the Indian commuter motorcycle segment with the Splendor, but after years of dominating the market, the Splendor’s magic faded out with the introduction of bikes like the TVS Victor and Bajaj’s Platina.
The company seems to still believe in it and has revamped the motorcycle with new graphic designs and a new 110 cc engine that churns out 9.1 PS of power @ 7500 rpm and 9 Nm of torque @ 5500 rpm. The new single-cylinder engine is mated to a 4-speed transmission.
But it isn’t just the Splendor that the company is placing its bets on, the Xtreme got a makeover too and a brand new 200 cc engine, a first by the Indian automaker.
Inspired by a cheetah in terms of design (although it is not very evident), it comes with an anti-lock braking system (ABS), monoshock suspension, disc brakes and large tank cowls.
Hero MotoCorp even roped in Ranbir Kapoor to promote their launch, a clear indication of the high hopes that they have for their new offerings.
How will they fare against the competition, and will they manage to bring Hero back as the top automaker in India? Only time will tell.
(With inputs from Mannan Gupta.)
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