TVS XL To Get The BS-VI Upgrade — India’s Much-Loved Moped Set For A Run In The BS-VI Era

TVS Motor Company has confirmed that the TVS XL will continue to be sold in India even after the BS-VI emissions norms come into play. The TVS XL is the only moped being sold in the country and is much-loved by people especially in rural areas.

There were fears that it would become one of the victims of the upcoming BS-VI regulations. However, TVS Has now rubbished those fears. The TVS XL is the cheapest two-wheeler on sale in India, and it offers ruggedness, durability, reliability and utility like no other.

Chances are, you would find the TVS XL hauling anything from a bundle of hay, to snacks, big sacks of rice, fruits, vegetables, etc. This moped has been a companion to many a farmer and labourer over the years and is still the ideal workhorse.

However, with the BS-VI emissions regulations looming, there were speculations that the TVS XL will be axed. The BS-VI regulations have heralded the death of several vehicles including the Tata Nano, Honda Brio, Hyundai Eon, Honda Cliq, Honda Navi, etc. Hence these speculations too were justified.

TVS Motor Company has now confirmed that the TVS XL will be upgraded to comply with the BS-VI emissions.

A report by MoneyControl quoted K N Radhakrishnan, president, CEO and whole time director of TVS Motor Company as saying, "Mopeds will continue to meet regulations. We moved mopeds from 2-stroke to 4-stroke, while we had the electric-start moped as well. And we have unique attractive qualities which can cater to the bottom of the pyramid and it will completely continue for BS VI."

It was in 2016 that TVS finally made the switch from a 2-stroke engine to a 4-stroke engine. According to the statement made by TVS' head, the same engine will be made compliant with BS-VI. Well, it will take lots of modifications to make the jump from BS-IV to BS-VI.

Radhakrishnan went on to add, "This product (moped) has got very clear attractive qualities for the bottom of the pyramid. We understand that the electric start is most convenient for this type of customers. And today, 90 percent of this category is electric start."

The TVS XL is priced at around Rs 30,000 (ex-showroom) for the base variant with kick start and it goes up to around Rs 38,000. It is currently powered by an air-cooled, 99.7cc engine with a power output of 4.3bhp and torque output of 6.5Nm.

Thoughts On TVS XL Getting The BS-VI Upgrade

BS-VI norms are going to change the way the Indian automotive industry functions. Everything from the fuel quality to the emissions of vehicles will change. This has already culled a few products as mentioned earlier. However, it is great to see that the TVS XL will soldier on and continue its utilitarian role in the Indian market.