The country’s largest two-wheeler manufacturer, Hero MotoCorp, on Tuesday said it expects to grow its market share in the premium range of motorcycles, from around five per cent right now.

“The premium segment has grown twice the rate of the commuter segment last year...we will keep launching products in this category in the coming quarters,” Niranjan Gupta, Chief Executive Officer, Hero MotoCorp, told reporters on the sidelines of Karizma XMR launch.

He said the demand for premium motorcycles are not only coming from metros and tier-I cities, but also from tier-II and -III cities.

The company launched the highly anticipated Karizma XMR at ₹1.72 lakh (ex-showroom) as introductory price. It is a powerful motorcycle in its class, producing the highest torque, powered by 210cc liquid cooled DOHC Engine, six-speed transmission, Gupta said.

It delivers an output of 25.5PS@9,250 rpm and maximum torque of 20.4 Nm@7,250 rpm. The motorcycle accelerates from 0-60 in just 3.8 seconds, the company said.

Relaunch after six years

The new Karizma XMR, which is relaunched after a gap of six years (Hero discontinued erstwhile Karizma in 2017), comes with slip and assist clutch and dual channel ABS – purpose built for the perfect ride redefining the sports segment, the company said.

“The launch of Karizma XMR marks yet another significant milestone in our journey to ‘win in premium’. We are rapidly building full portfolio in this segment, in line with our strategy. The focus will not just be on products with first-in-class and best-in-class features, but also on providing overall premium experience through our Hero 2.0 stores and exclusive range of premium outlets, going forward. There’s more to come as we go forward in this fiscal year,” Gupta added.

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