Pulsar 125 is the highest selling Pulsar model today. Image – Auto Travel Tech
Hero MotoCorp continues to lead sales due to its extensive lineup in the budget-centric segment of motorcycles
2020 was plagued with numerous hindrances. The economy of the country was facing a slowdown when society was hit with the pandemic of Covid-19 earlier this year. Automotive sector, like any other industry, was also affected quite adversely and numbers are there to prove.
For the better part of three months, automotive sales were seriously hampered by the restrictions induced due to novel coronavirus and this could be seen in the overall sales in between months of April and November this year. Although sales have picked up in the last three months, the closure of businesses did create a noticeable impact.
Hero MotoCorp continues to lead segment
Sales of the entry-level segment (100-125cc) of motorcycles which are one of the most affordable two-wheeler spaces also saw a considerable decline. While Hero MotoCorp continued to lead charts in this segment, it saw a decline of over 9 lakh from the same period last year. Last year in between April and November, Hero sold 41,67,645 bikes of this segment whereas this year it was able to sell only 33,30,889 bikes.
Hero MotoCorp has the strongest presence in the two-wheeler segment of the Indian automotive market thanks to an extensive retail and service network across the country. Hero currently has five offerings in the 100-125cc category which include Splendor Plus, Super Splendor, Passion Pro, HF Deluxe and Glamour.
Motorcycle Sales Apr-Nov 2020 vs 2019
Bajaj, Honda also witness downfall
The highlight here is that Bajaj Auto has pipped Honda Two-wheelers India to take second position in this segment after the former retailed 7,96,123 units between April and November this year while the latter sold 7,62,726 units this year. During the same period last year, the Indian brand retailed 9,55,020 bikes in this space while the Japanese manufacturer sold 9,73,837 bikes.
Honda and Bajaj have four offerings each in this segment. The former has Shine, CD 110 Dream, Livo and SP 125. While the latter offers CT100, CT110, Platina 100, Platina 110 H-Gear and Pulsar 125. It was thanks to the Pulsar 125, that Bajaj has managed to beat Honda.
TVS Motor lags way behind
The fourth spot was taken by TVS Motor as it was able to retail 2,09,359 bikes between April and November this year in the 100-125cc segment. During the same period last year, the Hosur-based bikemaker retailed 3,12,834 motorcycles. The primary reason for TVS to lag so behind in sales is that it doesn’t have a single offering in the 100-125cc category of motorcycles.
The company has recently trademarked the name ‘Fiero’ which is speculated to be used for its upcoming 125cc bike. TVS, on the other hand, offers only three motorcycles in this segment namely Sport, Radeon and City Plus. it has yet to upgrade Victor to its mandatory BS6 emission upgrade.
Source: Bike - rushlane.com
