Is Honda Planning To Take On The Hero XPulse 200?

Honda has filed a patent in India for its latest off-roader, the CRF190L. This is just days after the Japanese manufacturer hinted at introducing the CBR150R in the country. So, has Team Red finally heard the janta and planned on introducing a true entry-level ADV? 

Well, last week Atsushi Ogata (president, HMSI) announced plans of widening its portfolio, targeting Hero MotoCorp’s lion’s share in the two-wheeler segment. Now, Honda already has a naked (Hornet 2.0), and a tarmac-biased tourer (CB200X), so having a serious off-roader will widen its customer base, something HMSI is keen on doing.

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The Honda CRF190L is powered by a 184cc air-cooled single-cylinder engine, similar to the CB200X but has been tuned differently. The China-specific CRF190L produces 15.70PS and 15.75Nm, but we can expect Honda to bump up the performance to produce 17.2PS and 16.1Nm, similar to the CB200X.

If and when Honda decides to bring this bike to India, pricing will play a major role in deciding the bike’s success, which really hasn’t been the brand’s strongest suit. Its direct rival, the Hero XPulse 200, not only packs more performance, but will also likely be more affordable than Honda’s ADV.

But before you start saving up for the CRF190L, know that Honda could have done this just to safeguard the product, and we may never see the ADV here. The Japanese manufacturer has previously patented the CBR250RR, Grom and Scoopy in India, but none of these ever came here. Alternatively, just like we have seen with the Hornet 2.0, Honda could use this as a base to introduce a new India-specific bike. Either way, Honda seems to have an aggressive expansion plan for India.