Hero Passion Pro vs Honda CB Hornet 160R

Hero Motocorp has kicked things up a notch with the 2020 Hero Passion Pro. So what’s new? And how much of a difference have the changes made? To find out, we spent a couple of days with the motorcycle in city traffic and on the highway. Yes, we even rode it over broken roads and loaded it with a hefty duffle bag, because after all, it will be used as a rugged commuter isn’t it?

The Passion brand was supposed to replace the Splendor when it was launched many years ago. But the Indian market liked this entry-level bike so much that it went on to become the second highest selling bike brand for Hero MotoCorp. Over the last few years, many manufacturers have tried to dethrone the Passion range but were unsuccessful. Hero MotoCorp found out that the Indian buyers were upgrading themselves to a higher displacement and that’s when it decided to give the Passion Pro a new 110cc heart. 

The Honda Hornet 160R is the Japanese two wheeler maker's third attempt at luring in the young. It tried with the Dazzler and then with the Trigger, but both bikes were half-baked attempts. The Dazzler completely lacked appeal and the Trigger was just a Unicorn in fancier clothing. With the Hornet 160R, however, Honda has set out not just to play catch up with success like the Yamaha FZ-S and the Suzuki Gixxer but to blow past them. And what better place to start than one that truly defines this class of 150cc motorcycles: Style. The Hornet 160R might be the Unicorn 160 underneath with the engine and chassis borrowed from the latter, but Honda has done enough to create the much needed differentiation.