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2026 Triumph Scrambler 400 X (350cc) Review - Downsized But Still Fun
In September 2025, the Indian government rolled out GST 2.0, a major set of tax reforms for goods and services aimed at boosting up the nation's buying power. And while most of the automotive industry and the rest of the nation rejoiced, the biking community was split,
The new reforms meant that motorcycles up to 350cc were taxed at 18 per cent, while those above that mark fell into a significantly higher 40 per cent bracket. British bikemaker Triumph and its Indian partner Bajaj faced a major pricing challenge after the rollout of the GST 2.0 regime.
Triumph's entry-level TR400 range, developed with the help of Bajaj, to attract new buyers to the brand, sat above the 350cc threshold and was therefore subject to the higher tax rate. Bajaj & Triumph decided to absorb these additional costs from GST 2.0 in the interim, while going to work on a smaller-displacement alternative.
That work has now resulted in the new 349cc engine for the TR lineup in India, and we recently got to ride the updated Scrambler 400 X, and yes, the names haven't changed across the range, in Bangalore and here are our thoughts after a few hours in the saddle.
2026 Triumph 400 (350cc) Lineup Review - What's Changed?
The biggest change to Triumph's TR lineup for India is the new 349cc engine developed to comply with the new GST norms. The new Triumph 400 range for India uses a 349cc, single-cylinder, liquid-cooled engine with an 89mm bore and 56.1mm stroke. The earlier 398cc unit retained the same bore but used a longer 64mm stroke, which is what accounts for the reduction in displacement for the new powerplant.
On the Speed T4, the new 349cc engine's output stands at 29hp at 7,500rpm and 31Nm at 5,500rpm, down from 31hp at 7,000rpm and 36Nm at 5,000rpm produced by the outgoing 398cc engine (a drop of 2hp and 5Nm).
The Speed 400, Scrambler 400, and Scrambler 400 XC now deliver 37hp at 8,500rpm and 32Nm at 7,000rpm. The figures from the 398 engine were 40hp at 8,000rpm and 37.5Nm at 6,500rpm, which means the three bikes are now 3hp down on power and 5.5Nm less torque.
Triumph has also added the Tracker 400 in India, but unlike the global model, it adopts the new 350cc platform. Along with the Thruxton 400, it runs the new 349cc engine in its highest state of tune, producing 40hp at 8,750rpm and 32Nm at 7,500rpm, which is 2hp and 5Nm down on the 398cc engine.
Visually, the bikes feature no changes compared to when they were powered by the larger capacity engine, with all 5 previously launched bikes retaining their previous badging, and the new Tracker also keeping its 400 nameplate for the Indian market. However, if you look a little closer, the TR Series 400 badging on the engine itself has dropped the 400 nameplate.
Another change, which Triumph managed to sneak under the radar with the change to the new 349cc engine, is the fact that the new 349cc-powered Triumph TR series bikes do not come with an immobiliser. However, since everything except for the engine was retained, you still have the immobiliser light indicator in the instrumentation.
2026 Triumph Scrambler 400 X (350cc) Review - How Does It Ride?
We rode the updated Triumph Scrambler 400 X with the new 349cc engine in Bangalore, and the changes, thanks to the new downsized motor, were quite noticeable, especially if you've ridden the OG TR400 series bike. Compared with its 398cc avatar, the new Scrambler 400 X felt quite a bit slower off the line, and that climb up to triple-digit highway speeds felt a lot more sedate as well. The new engine sounds a bit shriller as well and seems to have lost some of its pre-downsizing deep notes.
However, if you've not been in the saddle of the pre-downsized bikes, the new Scrambler 400 X still feels quite nice to ride on the road and can easily cruise between 80-100km/h on the highway with ease. The suspension is still pliant, and the Scrambler 400 X is still balanced and easy to live with in the bends and through most of the rough stuff.
2026 Triumph Scrambler 400 X (350cc) Review - Verdict
So is the new Scrambler 400 X with its new 349cc still something we would recommend? The answer is yes. Sure, the performance may be slightly down compared to the OG TR400 lineup bike, but the new Scrambler 400 X is still a hoot to ride both on the road and off-piste. However, we do wish Triumph would at least bring back the immobiliser as an optional extra.
(Reporting & Photos by Mufeed Qasim; Words by Dennis James)
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