Hero Splendor Becomes The First BS-VI Compliant Two-Wheeler

India's first BS-VI compliant two-wheeler is here. The Hero Splendor i-Smart has now become the first two-wheeler in India to earn BS-VI compatibility. Hero has undercut the deadline set by the government for bs-VI implementation by nearly nine months.

The race to achieve BS-Vi compliance has been on for quite some time now. BS-VI emissions norms are at par with EURO-VI emissions norms and once achieved, the vehicles in India will be cleaner and greener.

The Indian Government has mandated that all vehicles sold in India post 01 April 2020 will have to be BS-VI emissions compliant and that is exactly what started the race. We all thought that Honda would be the first two-wheeler manufacturer to go the BS-VI way because the Japanese brand had last month announced the arrival of the first BS-VI two-wheeler on 12 june, 2019.

However, Hero MotoCorp seems to have beaten its former partner to it by just two days. Hero MotoCorp seems to have been working on the first BS-VI two-wheeler for quite some time now in order for it to achieve this deadline. To achieve this feat, Hero MotoCorp chose the Hero Splendor as the motorcycle is iconic in the Indian market.

The Hero Splendor has its own set of admirers and loyalists, and this is especially true for rural areas. It was the best-selling motorcycle hen there was just one variant of it on sale. Now, Hero has quite a few variants of it on sale and competition is tougher than ever before. However, the Hero Splendor continues to feature on the list of best-selling two-wheelers in the country.

The variant of the Hero Splendor chosen for BS-VI certification is the i-Smart which incorporates Hero's i3S start-stop system which was intended to increase fuel efficiency and reduce emissions while at traffic signals.

At this moment, details are scarce and it is unclear if all of Hero's BS-VI models will feature the i3S system. The Hero Splendor i-Smart currently on sale in India is powered by an air-cooled 109.15cc, single-cylinder engine with a maximum power output of 8.98bhp and a peak torque output of 9Nm. A 4-speed gearbox drives the rear wheel.

The engine is currently carburetted and it is unclear at the moment if it is carburetted even in the BS-VI model. Other than changes to the engine itself and its peripherals, nothing else on the motorcycle is expected to change.

The motorcycle rides on the same suspension, has the same brakes and even design. It just might gain BS-VI decals. The Hero Splendor i-Smart was given the BS-VI certificate by ICAT (International Centre for Automotive Technology).

Hero followed the type approval process in which a manufacturer is required to build a prototype, then get it tested and certified by any of the Government approved agencies like ICAT, ARAI or GARC, and then once certification is received, it is eligible for production. Now that the Hero Splendor i-Smart has been certified by ICAT for BS-Vi compliance, Hero can push it into production. We aren't sure of when that and its official launch will take place.

Dinesh Tyagi, Director for ICAT said, "We congratulate Hero MotoCorp for becoming the country's first two-wheeler manufacturer to get the BS-VI certification. The Type Approval Certificate was issued to the Company's Splendor iSmart motorcycle that has been developed and manufactured indigenously by Hero MotoCorp."

Thoughts On Hero Splendor i-Smart Becoming The First BS-VI Certified Two-Wheeler

By getting the Splendor i-Smart approved for BS-VI nearly nine months ahead of schedule, Hero has proved that it has the capability and technology to go BS-VI quickly. Hero MotoCorp will now replicate the same formula for all its models.