Royal Enfield Meteor 350 garnered more than 7,000 units in November 2020 and helped in the brand posting 1.4 per cent YoY volume growth in India
Royal Enfield ended up as the fifth largest two-wheeler manufacturer in the country in November 2020 as 59,084 units were sold against 58,292 units during the same period in 2019 with 1.4 per cent Year-on-Year sales growth. It held on to a market share of 3.69 per cent due to two specific reasons. One is the sales growth endured by the top-selling Classic 350 and the other is the good reception for Meteor 350.
The Classic 350 garnered a total of 39,391 units last month as against 35,951 units during the corresponding month in 2019 with an appreciable growth of 10 per cent on YoY basis. The latest launch from Royal Enfield is the Meteor 350 – replacing the Thunderbird series – and it is retailed in three variants namely Fireball, Stellar and Supernova.
The Meteor 350 and Classic 350 have received an immediate rival in the form of Honda H’ness CB350 as the Japanese manufacturer stepped into the fray after years of speculations. The CB350, inspired by the retro CB series sold globally, did put on a good show last month as 4,067 units were recorded. It can be bought only through BigWing premium dealerships and Honda is rapidly expanding its reach since its debut.
However, the sales numbers of the Honda H’ness CB350 are still quite off compared to the Royal Enfield Meteor 350 as it registered a cumulative domestic tally of 7,031 units. The rivalry between both the brands will only intensify in 2021 as the next generation Classic 350 is in the works for debut in the opening half of the calendar year.
The upcoming RE Classic 350 and Meteor 350 will have plenty in common as both are based on the new J-platform and the double downtube chassis should help in improving the handling characteristics. Moreover, the 2021 Classic 350 will more likely use the 349 cc single-cylinder air-cooled engine borrowed from the Meteor and is paired with a new five-speed transmission.
The overall mechanical improvements, new chassis and expected better fit and finish with reduced vibrations may aid in the Classic 350 staying put at the top of the leader board.