Aprilia’s quest to develop an extensive CVT scooter portfolio in India has suffered a minor setback due to the country’s intense response to the ongoing pandemic. India is currently in its third phase of COVID-19 lockdown. This has clearly proved to be a dampener in major brands’ product launch plans.
Latest reports state that the launch of the Aprilia SXR 160 ‘cross-maxi’ scooter will be delayed by a month and a half. During its debut at Auto Expo 2020, the Italian premium two-wheeler brand (under Piaggio Group) hinted a plan to launch it sometime in Q3 2020. As things stand now, a festive-season launch could be on the cards.
Meanwhile, this delay in development plans will also affect the smaller-engined SXR 125’s launch in India. Apparently, the more affordable variant would be following its sibling on the Indian market within an interval of a few months. In other words, one can expect Aprilia India to introduce it in the first half of 2021.
The SXR twins feature identical styling and alongside a range of shared components. Described by Aprilia as a ‘cross-maxi’, the bodystyle is characterized by a massive front apron with twin LED headlamp, tall windscreen and a standalone handlebar. The rear half of the styling follows a conventional scooter design language. Its comfortable seating position and decent storage space (underseat and apron compartment) would make the SXR family appealing to customers who like to venture out on weekends.
12-inch alloy wheels, telescopic front forks, monoshock rear suspension and thick tyres further enhance the SXR’s touring credentials. Salient features include Bluetooth connectivity, front disc brake with ABS (125cc version might skip ABS to cut costs) and LED taillight.
Detailed technical specifications of the SXR 160 are yet to be released but we expect the fuel-injected air-cooled engine to dish out around 12bhp, making it one of the most powerful automatic scooters in our market. The Aprilia SXR 125 would be borrowing its air-cooled FI engine from the familiar SR 125. Power and torque figures of this motor stand at roughly 9.78bhp and 9.7Nm, respectively.
In India’s premium scooter category, Aprilia’s SR series has been very well received. We expect the comfort-oriented SXR range to receive an equally good response. The SXR 125 is expected to be priced at around Rs 1 lakh (ex-showroom) while the ‘160’ variant is likely to be dearer by around Rs20,000.
Piaggio has previously hinted that it is exploring a compact-displacement sportsbike for India. However, bringing these scooters and maximizing their potential would be the brand’s top priority at present.
Source: Bike - rushlane.com
