Details of Cars

Hero Honda Pleasure: the scooter aimed at women

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Hero Honda Pleasure, side view
Hero Honda Pleasure, side view. Photo: David Brossard, CC BY-SA 2.0. Photo by David Brossard; cropped by Physikusin, CC BY-SA 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons.

The Hero Pleasure was an automatic scooter made in India by Hero Honda and launched in 2005. It was the first scooter from a company known until then for motorcycles, and it was positioned sharply as a women’s scooter.

Hero Honda Pleasure at a glance

Hero Honda Pleasure key facts
Maker Hero Honda, India
Production 2005–2020
Type automatic scooter
Engine 102 cm³
Transmission variomatic
Rear suspension engine swingarm
Sales in 2013 about 40,000 units a month
Market position second only to the Honda Activa
Successor Hero Pleasure Plus, 2020

Based on one source, the English Wikipedia article on the Hero Honda Pleasure.

History of the Hero Honda Pleasure

Launch

The Pleasure was launched in 2005 as the first scooter manufactured by Hero Honda, traditionally a motorcycle company. It was received very positively: as of 2013 it sold in the range of 40,000 units a month and was second only to the Honda Activa in a rapidly growing scooter segment.

Hero Honda Pleasure, rear view
Rear view of a Hero Honda Pleasure. Photo: Balaji Kasirajan, CC BY-SA 3.0. Photo by Balaji Kasirajan, CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons.

Marketing

The Pleasure was unique on a marketing level more than at a product level. It was positioned sharply as a women’s scooter with the tagline “Why should boys have all the fun?”, conceived by the team at FCB-Ulka. That polarised the whole scooter market, with offerings positioned either specifically male or female, and the Pleasure carved a niche for itself, quickly capturing almost 17% of the market.

Changes and the end

The year 2013 brought a number of improvements, including a Pleasure limited edition and the All New Pleasure. In 2020 the Hero Pleasure was discontinued and replaced by the Hero Pleasure Plus.

Design and features

  • 102 cm³ engine with variomatic drive transmission.
  • Engine swingarm rear suspension.
  • Sharp positioning: sold as a women’s scooter with the tagline “Why should boys have all the fun?”.
  • Strong sales: about 40,000 units a month in 2013 and almost 17% of the scooter market.

Hero Honda Pleasure versions

  • Pleasure (2005): the original 102 cm³ scooter.
  • Pleasure limited edition (2013): part of the 2013 improvements.
  • All New Pleasure (2013): the revised model.
  • Pleasure Plus (2020): the successor that replaced it.

The Pleasure was Hero Honda’s first scooter; the company’s motorcycles include the Splendor and the Karizma. More models are in the Hero collection.

Video: Hero Pleasure television commercial

Video on YouTube.

Sources

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