Hero MotoCorp is gearing up to launch two new products in the Indian market soon, the Passion Plus and the Xtreme 200S 4V. These bikes have been spotted in production-ready guise at dealers in South India, indicating that a launch isn’t too far off.
- Hero to have five 100cc bikes in India soon
- Xtreme 200S 4V to get new engine, flashy colours
Hero Passion Plus: what to expect
Let’s start with the Passion Plus, as it's clearly going to be the more popular of the two new bikes. It seems like Hero is gearing up to face Honda all guns blazing, with the challenge that its newly launched Shine 100 will pose to it in the highly lucrative 100cc motorcycle segment, with the re-introduction of the Passion Plus. Back in the day, the Passion Plus was a model based on the same platform as the Splendor and the HF models, as is this returning 2023 model.
The Passion Plus appears to use the same 97cc ‘Sloper’ engine as the Splendor and HF, and this mill has been updated to meet the new OBD-2 norms and be compliant with E20 fuel (as can be seen from the sticker on the tank). The current Hero HF and Splendor bikes are priced between Rs 56,968-Rs 76,346 (ex-showroom, Delhi), and we expect the Passion Plus to be positioned somewhere in that bracket when it is launched.
Hero Xtreme 200S 4V: what can be seen?
Coming to the current Xtreme 200S, this is the only bike in Hero’s 200cc line-up to still use the older 2-valve engine that first debuted on the Xpulse 200. With this update, all of Hero’s 200cc bikes will be powered by the newer and more refined 4-valve engine.
Visually, the bike is very similar to the outgoing model, but the new yellow colour that has been spotted here does look very catchy and should help draw the Xtreme 200S 4V stand out of the crowd. Another change that can be seen is that the Xtreme 200S 4V now uses the same mirrors as the Xtreme 160R and the Xoom scooter, instead of the same units as the current model (also found on the Xpulse 200T 4V).
The current Xtreme 200S is priced at Rs 1,35,360 (ex-showroom, Delhi) and with this 4V update, expect prices to go up. Considering that both bikes have started reaching dealerships and look almost production ready, we expect them to be launched in the coming weeks. Watch this space for more.
Also See:
Top 5 most affordable bikes in India
Honda Shine 100 vs rivals: price, specifications compared