2023 saw many two-wheeler manufacturers which really shone bright in the Indian automotive industry with some stellar two-wheeler launches, but none shone brighter than Hero MotoCorp. The world’s largest two-wheeler manufacturer by sheer volume has presence in over 40+ countries across the world and has led by example in bringing new and exciting products to the Indian market. The highlight was the Harley-Davidson X440, which was the first model to be launched from the Hero-Harley partnership and also happens to be the most affordable modern day Harley-Davidson along with being the first modern Harley to have a single-cylinder engine.
With the Hero-Harley partnership off to a glorious start, the company also brought back the iconic ‘Karizma’ brand name, in the form of Hero Karizma XMR. With segment-leading power output and a new and exciting design, the Karizma XMR was launched at a competitive price point with Bollywood Superstar Hrithik Roshan launching the motorcycle at its global debut and launch.
The company also announced its investment of Rs. 550+140 crore in Ather Energy, increasing its stake in the EV startup to almost 40 per cent. Furthermore, Hero MotoCorp and Ather Energy into a partnership for creating an inter-operable fast-charging EV network in India. The idea is to create a network that can be used by both Vida and Ather grids across the country. The combined network will cover 100 cities with over 1,900 fast-charging points. Hero’s EV push didn’t stop there as the company announced its Europe foray with the Vida electric scooter this year.
Hero MotoCorp has consistently performed well in terms of domestic sales, keeping competition at bay and having a firm footing right at the top of two-wheeler sales in India. The venerable Hero Splendor is still the highest-selling two-wheeler in the world and has been for a while now.
The company promises to make a strong push in the premium space, with the likes of the Xtreme 125R, Xoom 160 and the newly launched Hero Mavrick 440, its most powerful and expensive motorcycle till date. Backed by a strong R&D team based out of Jaipur, Rajasthan and Germany, Hero says that there are many exciting products in the line-up, waiting to be launched in due course.
