Following the launch of the new Super Splendor, Hero MotoCorp has introduced the 2018 Passion Pro and Passion XPro commuter motorcycles in the country. The 2018 Hero Passion Pro is priced at Rs. 53,189, while the 2018 Hero Passion XPro is priced at Rs. 54,189 (all prices, ex-showroom Delhi). Both 110 cc bikes continue to remain commuter offerings but get substantial upgrades for the new year including a power bump, new features and tweaked styling for a fresh appearance. The updated range is expected to help Hero consolidate its position in the motorcycle segment, where it already dominates with a 50 per cent market share.
Also Read: 2018 Hero Super Splendor Launched In India
Speaking about the new Passion motorcycles, Hero MotoCorp - Head - Sales & Customer Care, Ashok Bhasin said, "Hero MotoCorp is the clear market leader with over 50 per cent market share in the domestic motorcycle market in India, and also leads the 100-110 cc segment with over 75 per cent market share. Passion is the second largest selling motorcycle brand in the country, behind Hero's Splendor brand. The Passion 100 cc has been currently growing at around 20 per cent. We are confident that the launch of these two new generation Passion 110cc motorcycles will further consolidate our leadership in the domestic motorcycle market."
(2018 Hero Passion XPro)
For the 2018 model year, the Hero Passion Pro and Passion XPro sport revised styling with new colour schemes and graphics. The bike is available in five bold metallic shades including Sports red, Black monotone, Force silver metallic, Heavy grey and Frost blue. In contrast, the Passion XPro is inclined with a slightly younger theme and sporty appeal and sports a sharper looking fuel tank with flush fuel lid, dynamic shrouds, sporty real cowl, duel-tone mirrors, LED tail lamp and more. Both bikes get a digital-analogue instrument console with a digital fuel gauge and side-stand indicator, odometer, speedometer and more. The bikes also get Auto Headlamp On (AHO) function to meet the new regulations.
Also Read: Hero Xtreme 200R Launched In Turkey Badged As Hunk 200R
Major differences between the 2018 Hero Passion Pro and Passion XPro are the subtle changes on the latter. The Passion XPro is about 3 kg heavier and also sports a longer swingarm. The bike has been tuned with a slightly stiffer suspension setup, while the seat design is also tweaked to be slightly sporty over the Passion Pro. Lastly, the 2018 Passion XPro gets a slightly smaller 9.2 litre fuel tank over its standard sibling.
Talking about the powertrain, the 2018 Hero Passion Pro and Passion XPro use the same 109 cc single-cylinder, air-cooled motor. The new motor has been developed by Hero MotoCorp and was first introduced on the Splendor iSmart last year. The company claims a 12 per cent improvement in power over the previous Passion and the bikes now churn out 9.3 bhp at 7500 rpm and 9 Nm of peak torque available at 5500 rpm. The Passion Pro and Passion XPro also get the company's i3S start-stop system that is intended to improve the fuel efficiency on the commuter offerings. Other components remain identical too with telescopic forks up front and a twin-shock setup at the rear. Braking duties are drum brakes at either end with the option of a front disc brake.
The 2018 Hero Passion Pro and Passion XPro compete against the new Bajaj Discover 110, Honda CD Dream Series, Honda Livo, TVS Victor and the likes in this extremely competitive segment.
