Hero to discontinue four models-Maestro, Ignitor, Passion, Impulse

New Delhi: Indian automobile manufacturer Hero has decided to discontinue four of their models as the Maestro 110 cc scooter, Ignitor 125 cc, Passion XPro 110 cc and the Impulse 150 cc motorcycles. It is expected as Hero has launched its first fully indigenously built motorcycle, the Splendor iSmart 110. Sources cite Hero royalty payment for sale of each unit of these four models, as the Honda supplies powerplant for them. That’s why the Hero fit the indigenously developed 110 cc motor for the Duet and Maestro Edge scooters, which is also why the Maestro is discontinued too. So, after the discontinuation of these models, the Pleasure will be the only scooter to remain with a Honda powerplant. However, the Pleasure will find a full female version, which may be powered by an indigenous motor replacing the current Pleasure model too. Similarly, the outgoing Hero Passion XPro 110 also shares the same mill as in the Honda Dream series. So, foregoing these existing Honda powertrains, the Hero will likely equip the Duet and the Maestro Edge with 110 cc powertrains, which it has built on its own. The Maestro Edge has been the only vehicle doing well in the scooter segment, while neither the Ignitor in the 125 cc segment nor the 150 cc Impulse have been doing well in terms of sales. So, even the sales charts of the Hero won’t be affected by the discontinuation of these models. However, only the Passion XPro 110 cc needs to have a better replacement, which the newly launched Splendor iSmart 110 cc is expected to do so. The motorcycle has the unique i3s Technology that performs the stop-start function when idle. When the clutch is depressed, it will reignite. Though already featured in the elder sibling, Splendor iSmart 100, the 110 cc version is expected to have higher sales. Source: vicky.in