With the growing demand for scooters in India, Hero MotoCorp is planning to launch four all new scooters - Dash 110cc, Dare 125cc, Zir 150cc and Leap Hybrid - in the country this year.
Unveiled at the 2014 Delhi Motor Show, the Dash 110cc will rival against the likes of Honda Activa, TVS Jupiter and Yamaha Alpha. The company has already started testing the scooter on Indian roads. This premium scooter will be powered by an 110cc, 4-stroke, air-cooled engine that is good for 8.44bhp of power and 9.4Nm of torque. It rides on alloy wheels which are wrapped with 90/90/12 tyre upfront and 90/90/10 tyre at rear. This scooter features Hero's integrated braking system which works with standard drum brakes. The Dash 110cc scooter is expected to go on sale by mid-2015.
The Hero Dare 125cc scooter will get a 125cc, air-cooled engine that churns out 9.1bhp of power and 9.5Nm of torque. It is equipped with dual-tone alloys, LED daytime running lamps, USB mobile charger, and other premium features.
There will also be a 150cc scooter, the Zir, that will be the most powerful scooter from the home-grown two wheeler maker. It will be offered in two variants - flat floorboard and European style step-through. It will be powered by a 157cc, single-cylinder, 2-valve, liquid-cooled engine that is good for 13.8bhp and 12.7Nm of torque.
The fourth scooter will be the Hero Leap Hybrid, which was unveiled at the 2012 Delhi Motor Show. It will be the country's first domestic electric-hybrid scooter. If reports are to be believed, the scooter will go on sale by the end of this year. This scooter features an 8kW Permanent magnet AC motor powered by lithium-ion batteries channelled with a 124cc petrol engine. This hybrid system is claimed to develop a whooping 60Nm of torque, and has an electronically limited top speed of 100kmph.
