Hero Karizma ZMR has not yet been discontinued and it has been made clear by the brand itself. The sales report of the last 3 months claim zero units for the model but that one is typical for the Indian market and does not include the sales number posted in the export market.
According to a recent statement by the brand: “Karizma is not discontinued and continues to be a part of our portfolio. At present, we are focusing on the model in our overseas markets.”
The brand is currently focusing on their new 200cc products for India while products like Karizma ZMR, Achiever 150, and Xtreme 150 are being sold worldwide in developing markets where ABS is not yet mandatory for 125cc+ bikes. The most probable condition for Karizma’s relaunch in India would be an upgrade as the current-gen design is not good enough to compete with the rest of the fully-faired bikes available in the Indian market.
Hero Karizma nameplate carries a legacy with itself as many years back in time, it was the undefeated champion with more power than any other option in its segment. The downfall of Karizma gave the Bajaj Pulsar 220F a clear advantage and soon after the drop of Karizma charm, the competitor gained almost 5000+ units in sales every month.
The official confirmation of not leaving Karizma out of the league also means that the brand is working on upgrades in terms of design and performance. The relaunch of Karizma may not let them bring the 220cc engine to India as that will require making the motor BS6-compliant in the coming months. Hero MotoCorp can use a bigger 300cc engine to take the fight a few segments up or keep the profile low with a sporty 200cc model under the Karizma name.
The chances of an indirect Apache RR 310 rival are more as the 300cc segment is growing at the fastest possible rate among all the single-cylinder motorcycles of India. Hero MotoCorp is expected to reveal the Karizma 300 at the Auto Expo in February 2020.
