The Indian cricket captain and world renowned batsmen, Virat Kohli has been roped in by Hero Motocorp to endorse its two-wheelers. The company, since its separation from Honda, is looking to carve its own identity in the highly competitive motorcycle segment, where it rivals the likes of Bajaj, TVS and others.
Kohli is also seen with Uber, and has been a constant presence with Audi in India for its R8 coupe series. The company has said that Kohli’s association with Hero will kickstart with its Xtreme 200R, which was launched few months back.
The Xtreme 200R is Hero’s re-entry into the 200cc segment, which only has the Karizma ZMR. The bike is priced at Rs 89,900 (ex-showroom Delhi) and is one of the few two-wheelers to get anti-lock braking system (ABS) at this price point.
With Kohli on board, Hero is likely to push its image beyond a commuter bike giant, and try its luck in the upper echelons with reports suggesting it may launch multiple bikes in the 200 to 300cc segment in the near future.
Kohli is the latest celebrity from India to partner with a two-wheeler manufacturer. MS Dhoni is another famous cricket personality who is revered for his bike collection and endorses a couple of them.
Then you have Bollywood star John Abraham, who has been part of various bike launches and commercials for Yamaha in the country. It’ll be interesting to see in which direction Hero goes, especially with a popular celebrity in its kitty.
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