At EICMA 2023, Hero showcased new scooters under the Xoom brand, a new 250cc motorcycle concept as well as its future plans for its EV subsidiary – Vida.
The Xoom 160 is powered by a liquid-cooled, 156cc, single-cylinder engine making 14hp at 8,000rpm and 13.7Nm at 6,500rpm. This mill is equipped with Hero’s patented i3s stop-start technology and a silent starter. It weighs 141 kg, is suspended by a telescopic fork/twin shock absorber setup and runs on 14-inch wheels shod with dual-purpose tyres. The feature-set includes keyless ignition, a fully digital dash, remote seat opening and two split LED headlights.
The Xoom 125R will sit above the Xoom 110 in the lineup and is powered by an air-cooled, 124.6cc, single-cylinder mill making 9.5hp and 10.14Nm. This engine makes more power but is slightly down on torque compared to Hero's other 125cc scooters. It has a fully digital dash that gets Bluetooth connectivity enabling turn-by-turn navigation. It is also equipped with sequential LED indicators, something only seen on high-end German luxury cars.
Alongside its ICE offerings, Hero also showcased its Vida V1 Pro e-scooter at the famed trade show. While the Vida V1 Pro stays mechanically identical to the model on sale currently, it now can be had in a ‘Coupe’ guise, which eliminates the rear seat.
Hero will launch the Vida brand in Europe and UK, starting with three countries for now with more planned for later. To this extent, Hero has signed distribution agreements in the United Kingdom, Spain and France. Hero will begin commercial operations here in mid-2024 and in due course, it will also bring its premium range of petrol motorcycles and scooters to these markets.
Under its Vida umbrella, Hero also showcased the Lynx e-dirtbike concept that weighs just 82kg while making 15kW (20.4hp) of peak power. It has a 3kWh battery pack which can power it for approximately an hour.
Alongside the Lynx, Hero also showcased the Acro electric bike for children. This is a scalable platform meant for children aged 3-9 years. The seat and the fork both can be adjusted to fit the child as he/she grows in stature.
Azaman Chothia
Vishal Venugopal
