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Rs 9 Lakh For A Scooter? Honda Forza 300 Premium Maxi-Scooter To Be Launched In India
The Honda Forza 300 is set to be launched in the Indian market later this year according to media reports. The Honda Forza 300 is a premium maxi-scooter and could cost up to Rs 9 lakh, on-road in Delhi.
At this price point, the Honda Forza 300 will be India's most expensive scooter by a large margin. At the same time, it will also be the most powerful and feature-packed scooter India has seen.
The maxi-scooter segment never really took off in the Indian market thanks to the Indian mentality about scooters being cheap, practical and fuel-efficient. In-fact, until Aprilia brought in the SR150, performance scooters too were only a dream in India.
If anyone remembers the Kinetic Blaze from the early 2000s, you would get glimpses of a big scooter with futuristic design, a powerful engine and many first-in-industry features. However, sales were dismal and nobody bought the scooter.
The Kinetic Blaze was powered by a 160cc engine while the best-seller of the time was the then recently launched first-gen Honda Activa powering through the sales charts with its puny 98cc engine. Clearly, the Indian market was not ready for maxi-scooters.
Today though, things are slightly different. 125-150cc scooters sell like hot cakes and Indians have taken to premium automobiles like a fish to water. 22 KYMCO kick-started the premium maxi-scooter trend once again in India by launching the XTown 300i.
The launch of the 22 KYMCO XTown 300i raised a lot of eyebrows thanks to its ex-showroom price tag of Rs 2.3 lakh. However, the scooter has generated a lot of interest among the elite class of buyers it was targeted at.
This segment currently has no competitors in it, giving 22 KYMCO the advantage. It seems like Honda has a problem with that and the Japanese auto giant wants a slice of that premium maxi-scooter segment.
Honda is considering the Forza 300 for launch in India. The Honda Forza 300 is powered by a liquid-cooled, 279cc, single-cylinder engine with a maximum power output of 25bhp and a peak torque output of 27.2Nm.
A continuously variable transmission (CVT) drives the rear wheel. The scooter comes loaded with premium features including Honda Selectable Torque Control (HSTC) which is basically an advanced traction control system.
This helps monitor the power going to the wheel in slippery conditions. Braking duties are handled by a 256mm disc up front and a 240mm disc at the rear. Dual-channel ABS is offered as standard.
Other features on offer with the scooter include an electrically adjustable windscreen, LED headlamps with unique LED DRLs, analogue-digital instrument console, premium switchgear, largest underseat storage and 12-volt charging socket.
The bike rides on a 15inch front wheel and a 14-inch rear wheel. The maxi-scooter is currently on display at Honda's BigWings outlet in Delhi, to gauge customer response. When launched in India, the scooter will be retailed through BigWings dealerships across the country.
Thoughts On Honda Forza 300 Premium 300cc Maxi-Scooter Being Considered For The Indian Market
Honda has been dominating the scooter landscape in India for more than a decade now. Honda almost always outsells the competition thanks to the brand recognition that the Honda Activa has.
The Japanese company will attempt to leverage this brand recognition to draw attention to the Forza 300. However, Honda will not be relying on the Forza 300 for sales numbers or profits. The scooter will be targeted at the rich elite and will only receive a few orders in a year. It will be imported as a completely-built unit and that will just add to the exclusivity.