Hero MotoCorp Pips Honda to Take the 125cc Segment Crown

You heard it right! Hero MotoCorp is now the top dog when it comes to the 125cc segment. The Indian motorcycle brand is the biggest two wheeler manufacturer in the country, but the 125cc crown always eluded it somehow. But, over the last three months, the Hero Glamour has been outselling the CB Shine by a fair margin. Therefore, the 125cc segment sales for Hero grew by a solid 33 per cent. In April 2016, it sold 109, 955 units of 125cc motorcycles which include the Glamour, Ignitor and the Super Splendor.

The Glamour is now the highest selling 125cc motorcycle in India. It sold 66,756 units in April 2016 as against 51,829 units in April last year. At the same time, the CB Shine sold 52,752 units in April 2016 compared to 73,291 units sold in April 2015. The sales of the CB Shine fell by 20,539 units when we compare the April 2015 and the April 2016 figures. Overall, the Glamour sold 679,147 units is FY 2016 as compared to 551,486 units in FY 2015, registering a growth of 23 per cent.

On the other hand, Honda's 125cc sales slumped from 74,532 units in April 2015 to 66,700 in April 2016, a decline in the sales by 10.5 per cent. Honda's 125cc portfolio includes the CB Shine and CB Shine SP. Although, not all is bad for Honda in India. They are the biggest gainers in the two-wheeler segment over the last one year.

The 110-125cc segment of motorcycles saw a growth of 10 per cent despite the fact that the segments directly above and below it saw their sales slump. This segment sold 1,790,896 units in FY 2016 as compared to 1, 623,670 units in FY 2015. This definitely indicates that the buying patterns in the commuter motorcycle segment are changing. An efficient motorcycle with a hint of premiumness is what the people are looking at and the 125cc segment is the one catering to the demand.

(ET Auto)