Hero MotoCorp will be expanding its premium portfolio “with more and more new models” as the partnership with Harley-Davidson will come in handy
Hero MotoCorp believes that its partnership with the American motorcycle maker Harley-Davidson will help in accelerating its presence in the premium space. According to a report, the largest two-wheeler manufacturer in the country will take this opportunity to expand its reach across the premium segments by stepping into new categories and thus developing new engines.
The brand’s Chief Financial Officer Niranjan Gupta told that over the next few years, Hero will “continue to fill this portfolio (premium) with more and more new models”. Earlier this year, Hero introduced the Xtreme 160R and it has become a good sales gatherer alongside the Xpulse 200, which sits at the entry point of the dual purpose adventure motorcycling segment.
The company is also said to be working on electrified two-wheelers for volume-based and premium classes. The Xtreme 160R brought a new design philosophy for the brand as its youthful presence and sporty handling characteristics have been well received and is a definite step in the right direction. After all, Hero showcased a number of concepts over the years only to keep them at the conceptual stage.
Gupta further added that the partnership with Harley-Davidson is “going to be mutually beneficial for both the companies and the ride together in the premium segment will be definitely enriching,”. While Hero MotoCorp has 34.6 per cent stake in Ather Energy, it will be developing its own product range to meet the requirements of the domestic market.
As Ather concentrates on the premium side with its range of performance, connectivity and technology based scooters, Hero MotoCorp will bring up zero-emission models across the mass and premium segments catering to a wider audience base. It will be interesting to see how the collaboration with HD evolves mainly on Hero’s product development side as technology sharing will be on the agenda.
Three months ago, Harley-Davidson officially announced its exit from India as part of a major restructuring across the growth due to its dwindling sales and to focus on its key markets such as the United States and China. However, a partnership with Hero MotoCorp came by the following month as Hero is now responsible for the sales and service of HD motorcycles alongside selling its apparels at the existing dealer network Harley has.
Hero will also develop and retail premium range of Harley-Davidson branded motorcycles in India as the middleweight segments could be targeted.