2019 has been an interesting year for the Indian auto sector. While it was far from the upswing in terms of sales growth, it also saw manufacturers bring some very likeable products to the market. Despite the overall slowdown in the auto industry, good products proved that they would sell irrespective of what the market conditions are. With the year coming to a close, carandbike decided to look back at the top nine two-wheeler launches of the year in the mass market space that managed to leave a mark.
The Yamaha MT-15 is one of the best 150 cc bikes on sale with the BS6 upgrade due in early 2020
The Yamaha YZF-R15 remains one of the best motorcycles in the segment and the Japanese bike maker introduced a very interesting alternative to the R15 with the launch of the Yamaha MT-15 street-fighter. The Yamaha MT-15 shares its underpinnings with the R15 but retains its own identity with the sharp design language, upright riding stance and a peppy engine that makes it an extremely fun motorcycle. The Deltabox frame is also one of the most sorted in terms of riding dynamics and helps make it favoured option for sporty commuting. What has worked against it though is the high price tag that leaves little room between the full-faired R15 and the naked MT-15. Yamaha sold about 25,000 units of the MT-15 in 2019 and plans to retail about 40,000 units in 2020. The company is bringing a BS6 compliant version along with new features and better hardware by February 2020.
The Honda Activa 125 BS6 is not only more efficient but more powerful as well than the older model
While the Honda Activa 125 may not be a hot seller like the Suzuki Access in the 125 cc segment, the scooter now holds the distinction of being the first BS6 compliant mass market two-wheeler to go on sale in the country. In order to meet the new emission norms, the engine was upgraded with fuel-injection and the internal components were revised for lower friction, aiding in lower emissions and improved fuel economy. It also helped that the overall growing demand for 125 cc scooters, prompted the two-wheeler maker to introduce the model first. The Honda Activa 125 BS6 also gets new value-added features and is now more fuel-efficient by about 13 per cent over its predecessor. Honda also recently announced the dispatch of over 60,000 Activa 125 and SP 125 BS6 models since the launch.
The Pleasure+ 110 has fresh appeal with a slightly retro design, while the Maestro Edge 125 is a convenient upgrade within the Hero family
Hero MotoCorp upped its game in the scooter segment earlier this year with the launch of the Maestro Edge 125 and the new Pleasure+ offerings. While the Hero Maestro Edge 125 joined the Destini 125 in the company's stable, the Hero Pleasure+ received major upgrades including a larger 110 cc engine, new design language and a more youthful appeal overall. Also making a difference was the positioning of the scooter from a woman-centric offering to something for a young customer base. Meanwhile, the Maestro Edge 125 is targeted at a slightly matured set of buyers that want something fun to ride without compromising on comfort or efficiency.
The Pulsar 125 plays on the nostalgia of the classic Pulsar design with the practicality of a 125 cc motor
The Bajaj Pulsar nameplate remains an icon in the Indian motorcycle market and this year, the motorcycle brand got its smallest sibling in the form of the Pulsar 125. The new motorcycle arrived as a smaller capacity, entry-level offering in the Pulsar family as rising insurance costs, emission and safety regulations drove the prices up for the erstwhile entry-level Bajaj Pulsar 150 Classic. The new Bajaj Pulsar 125 retains the familiar styling from the older models while drawing power from a smaller 125 cc motor. At Rs. 66,618 (ex-showroom, Delhi), it remains the most affordable in the Pulsar range. Since its launch in August this year, the Pulsar 125 has managed to retail over 53,000 units, and that makes it a popular seller already.
The KTM RC 125 shares its bodywork, chassis and cycle parts with the RC 200 and RC 390
While Bajaj expanded its Pulsar family with a 125, partner KTM too did something similar with the launch of the RC 125. The full-faired sibling of the KTM 125 Duke brought affordable performance to the masses without having to compromise on product quality. The KTM 125 Duke and the RC opened to good numbers and were the most selling KTMs for the brand this year averaging about 2500 units every month. The bikes also expanded the Austrian bike maker's reach to Tier 3 and 4 towns, opening a completely new market for the premium bike maker.
The Gixxer SF 250 has all the goods of being a capable sports tourer & the weekday warrior as well
The Suzuki Gixxer 155 is one of the best motorcycles in its class and Suzuki Motorcycle India finally expanded the brand name to the quarter-litre segment with the Suzuki Gixxer SF 250. The new full-faired motorcycle brings brilliant dynamics of the Gixxer family with a more powerful engine and a competitive price tag. The motorcycle has been completely developed in India and brings the Suzuki Oil Cooling System that negates the need for liquid-cooling, thereby saving production costs. The Suzuki Gixxer SF 250 was followed up with the Gixxer 250 naked with nearly 4000 units sold so far, and the made-in-India offering is now finding its way to international markets including Japan and Latin America.
The Imperiale 400 has period-correct looks & a capable engine that makes it a decent alternative to the RE Classic 350
Royal Enfield has largely had an unchallenged run in the entry-level modern-classic segment in India, but it did meet its match earlier this year with the launch of the Benelli Imperiale 400. The bike was waiting to make in-roads in India since 2017 but only found its way here this year. It also turns out to be the most affordable offering from Benelli in the country with the highest local content going in as well. The Imperiale 400 manages to impress with its retro styling, simple engine and effortless riding dynamics, something buyers in the segment really like. At Rs. 1.69 lakh (ex-showroom), it is also priced really well taking the fight to Madras.
India's first electric motorcycle, the Revolt RV 400 gets sharp styling, connected tech and an impressive range
2019 saw a lot of noise in the electric vehicle space and fortunately, it wasn't just future plans that the start-ups by-the-dozen harped about. Gurugram-based Revolt Intellicorp promised a product for the masses and delivered on the same with the launch of the RV 300 and the RV 400 electric motorcycles. The Revolt bikes are effectively the first electric motorcycles to be sold in India and take on the conventional 125-150 cc offerings. The bike offers a range of 156 km on a single charge with a top speed of 85 kmph and gets swappable batteries. There's a host of connected tech as well and an innovative payment plan of monthly EMIs of Rs. 2999-3999 (depending on the variant) for 37 months instead of an outright price. The EMI cost also includes the maintenance, service and a new pair of tyres as well. The company has commenced deliveries in Delhi-NCR and Pune and will expand to other cities next year.
A true adventure motorcycle on a budget. Need we say more?
Easily one of the more awaited launches of this decade, Hero MotoCorp finally introduced the XPulse 200 Adventure motorcycle earlier this year. Having given us the taste of affordable adventure with the Impulse 150, the XPulse was a long-desired model and managed to tick all the right checkboxes for enthusiasts. The Hero XPulse 200 is fun, light, and just powerful enough to remain engaging. It also gets a very well-tuned suspension set-up that makes bad roads a breeze. The bike works well for those looking at hunting trails on a budget and can be a daily commuter with ease. At a little over Rs. 1 lakh (ex-showroom), the XPulse is incredible value for money and has sold over 17,000 units since its launch in May this year.
