India, home to the world’s largest two-wheeler market continues to see new players and models being introduced quite frequently. But when it comes to volume sales, Hero Splendor in the motorcycle segment and Honda Activa in the scooter segment continue to top the charts year-after-year.
In fact, a close look at wholesales for the top 5 two-wheelers sold in the 10 months of FY2023 (April 2022 – January 2023), Hero Splendor with an average of 2.60 lakhs units a month, and Honda Activa with 1.78 lakh units a month were the top two-wheelers sold in the country. Cumulatively the two accounted for 60 percent of the total sales for the top 5 two-wheelers sold in the country.
The Hero Splendor has been the top-selling motorcycle in the country for a long time and is currently available in three different engine options 100cc, 110cc and 125cc. Similarly for the Honda
With sales of 1.16 lakh units at the number 3 spot was Honda’s entry-level motorcycle the Shine. The 125cc model was first introduced in India in 2006, and for a long was the Japanese OEMs most popular motorcycle. In fact, baking on its popularity and the rural market potential, it recently launched a new 100cc variant of the Shine, further looking to expand its sales. The company has set a target to sell 3 lakh units of the Shine 100cc model in the coming few years.
Following behind, the Hero HF Deluxe motorcycle, with its five variants has helped the company make inroads in both rural as well as urban commuter class segments. The HF Deluxe is the second most affordable motorcycle in Hero MotoCorp
At the number 5 position is the most unique product in this list. The Bajaj Pulsar comes out as the most premium product on the list, known for offering a sportier performance. With an average of 84,870 unit sales a month, it has been on an upward trajectory throughout the period. Except for the month of April, when the TVS Jupiter scooter overtook the Bajaj Pulsar, it consistently maintained its name in the top five two-wheelers sold in the country. In fact, for the month of August, September, October, November and January, it had overtaken the HF Deluxe to hold the number 4 position.
| TOP TWO-WHEELERS SALES IN INDIA | |||||||||||
| Model | April-22 | May-22 | Jun-22 | Jul-22 | Aug-22 | Sep-22 | Oct-22 | Nov-22 | Dec-22 | Jan-23 | Total |
| Hero Splendor | 234,085 | 262,249 | 270,923 | 250,409 | 286,007 | 290,649 | 261,721 | 265,588 | 225,443 | 261,833 | 2,608,907 |
| Honda Activa | 163,357 | 149,407 | 184,305 | 213,807 | 221,143 | 245,607 | 210,623 | 175,084 | 96,451 | 130,001 | 1,789,785 |
| Honda CB Shine | 105,413 | 119,765 | 125,947 | 114,663 | 120,139 | 145,193 | 130,916 | 114,965 | 87,760 | 99,878 | 1,164,639 |
| Hero HF Deluxe | 100,601 | 127,330 | 113,155 | 97,451 | 72,224 | 93,596 | 78,076 | 65,074 | 107,755 | 47,840 | 903,102 |
| Bajaj Pulsar | 46,040 | 69,241 | 83,723 | 101,905 | 97,135 | 105,003 | 113,870 | 72,735 | 74,768 | 84,279 | 848,699 |
| TVS Jupiter | 60,957 | 59,613 | 62,851 | 62,094 | 70,075 | 82,394 | 77,042 | 47,422 | 39,849 | 54,484 | 616,781 |
| Total | 710,453 | 787,605 | 840,904 | 840,329 | 866,723 | 962,442 | 872,248 | 740,868 | 632,026 | 678,315 | 7,931,913 |
Outlook
Going forward, with the introduction of BS6 Phase 2 norms kicking in from April 1, 2023, there is expected to be an incremental price hike across the model range, and possibilities of many low-volume products getting discontinued.
The BS6 norms which were introduced in April 2020, required the Nitrous Oxide and Particulate Matter generation from the vehicle to be tested in laboratories and be below a certain level. To meet the requirements, automakers equipped the vehicles with SCR (Selective Catalytic Reduction) or Lean NOx Trap to capture the harmful emissions.
Now with the second phase of BS6 norms, the vehicles will need to have an OBD (Onboard self-diagnostic device) that will monitor parametres like driving behaviour and traffic in real-time conditions. This will require changes both in terms of mechanical as well as electronics and software side, thus adding a cost to the vehicles.
On the other hand, the industry’s expectation around a normal monsoon, growing economy, and potential pre-election year could act as a tailwind for the industry.
