The world’s largest motorcycle manufacturer, which has a manufacturing unit in Colombia, today launched the new 125cc BS IV-compliant Glamour, indicating its resolve to grow sales in Latin America.
13 Jan 2017 | 5156 Views | By Autocar Pro News Desk
Hero MotoCorp today unveiled the new Glamour in Argentina, its first-ever global launch of a new product outside India. The launch of the commuter motorcycle coincides with the commencement of Hero’s operations in Argentina, its 35th market in its rapidly growing global footprint.
The launch event was ...
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Hero MotoCorp today unveiled the new Glamour in Argentina, its first-ever global launch of a new product outside India. The launch of the commuter motorcycle coincides with the commencement of Hero’s operations in Argentina, its 35th market in its rapidly growing global footprint.
The launch event was attended by senior government officials, members of the diplomatic corp, and more than 100 Hero MotoCorp associates, including global distributors and dealers from India.
Speaking at the product launch, Pawan Munjal, chairman, MD and CEO, Hero MotoCorp, said, “The past five years have seen Brand Hero evolve into a major global player. Where mobility solutions are developed at our state-of-the-art R&D facilities in India and distributed globally. The extent of this growth is today showcased here in Argentina, the first- ever global launch of our new bike, while our team races along in the Dakar Rally for the first time”.
“Our first global launch of a new motorcycle here is reflective of the importance of Argentina and Latin America for us on our global map. South America is an important market for us, a fact borne out by our first overseas manufacturing facility in Colombia. With the commencement of our operations in Argentina, we are now significantly growing our presence in the region. We will be focusing on capturing an adequate market share here with our iconic product range. We have already begun our brand-building initiatives for Argentina by bringing on-board the Argentine legend – Diego Simeone, the coach of Atletico de Madrid,” he added.
“The new Glamour, developed at our world-class R&D campus in India – the Centre of Innovation and Technology – has been designed keeping in mind our young customers across the globe. It has a sportier design, perfect amalgamation of power and performance and it is fuel efficient. Most importantly, it is a true symbol of the ‘Make in India’ initiative.”
A BS IV-compliant product
Powered by a BS-IV-compliant 125cc TOD (Torque-on-Demand) engine, the new Glamour comes in two variants of carburation – carburettor and Fuel Injection (FI). However, the carbureted version has been upgraded to run on CV carb, while the FI version gets next- generation FI for better control of fuel.
The air-cooled, single-cylinder, OHC engine develops 11.4bhp at 7500rpm and maximum torque of 11 Nm at 6500rpm. Hero claims the new Glamour delivers 27 percent added power and 6 percent more torque with a 3 percent improvement in fuel efficiency (carbureted version) and 7 percent for the FI version. Acceleration is brisk with 0-60kph coming up in 6.03sec (carb.) and 5.64sec (Fi).
The new Glamour also features the Hero-patented i3S (Idle-Stop-Start system) fuel-saving technology.
Global ambition
Hero MotoCorp, which is the market leader in the 125cc motorcycle segment in India, aims to expand its presence in the segment globally. The company says this strategic move is part of the game-plan to becoming a ‘million club’ brand within this financial year (FY2017).
Hero MotoCorp has appointed Marwen SA as its distributor in Argentina. In 2015, Hero had set up a manufacturing plant in the Villa Rosa Province of Buenos Aires. The plant has a capacity of 5,000 units per year with plans for future expansion.
For the local market in Argentina, Hero MotoCorp has introduced four products in the first phase – three motorcycles (Hunk, Hunk Sports, Ignitor) and one scooter (Dash). The second phase will see more products across different segments being launched. These products will be sold through a network of 40 dealers across the regions of Capital Federal and GBA.
Pawan Munjal and Esteban Casares, president, Marwen SA inaugurated the first of these dealerships in Buenos Aires today (pictured above). Spread over 250 square metre, the dealership displays all the Hero products. A 500 square metre service-centre is slated to become operational in a couple of months.
According to Esteban Casares, “We look forward to a long and successful association. We are confident that customers in Argentina will appreciate the Hero motorcycles and scooters that are known for their quality, reliability and performance, across the world. The market in Argentina has a huge potential for the type of products that Hero offers.”