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Vespa & Aprilia To Launch FI Scooters With LED Headlamps & New Scooters With 200cc Engine
Piaggio has revealed that a fuel-injected Vespa with LED headlamps will be launched later this year. The company will also launch a completely new product with an engine capacity of under 200cc. These are part of Vespa and Aprilia's plans for growth in the Indian market.
The BS-VI emissions norms have got all automotive manufacturers in a frenzy. Car manufacturers are better off as all it takes is to add a few more components and retune the engine for most petrol-powered cars to become BS-VI compliant. With two-wheeler manufacturers though, the story is different.
A large majority of two-wheelers in India are currently carburetted, which also means they aren't running at their maximum efficiency. With BS-VI fast approaching, most manufacturers are turning to fuel-injection.
Hero launched the Maestro 125 Edge with FI and Honda recently revealed the BS-VI Activa 125 with fuel-injection. Well, it certainly looks like fuel-injection is going to be the norm for two-wheelers before electric vehicles completely take over. According to a report by Autocar, Vespa and Aprilia are also set to go the fuel-injected way by the end of the year.
BS-VI norms will be enforced starting 01 April, 2020. However, Vespa and Aprilia will go the BS-VI way much before that thanks to fuel-injection. Fuel-injection allows for a more precise and calculated delivery of fuel into the cylinders. This ensures that every bit of fuel is burnt efficiently and this improves overall efficiency of the engine.
Despite being premium and upmarket brands, Vespa and Aprilia have been doing reasonably well in the Indian market. The scooters from these two brands have carved out a niche for themselves and comfortably sit above all the mass market scooters while selling in steady numbers.
The design characteristics of the Vespa is what is making the scooters sell well while Aprilia is doing very well thanks to its performance. Since things are going very well for the brands, the leaders have decided that their USPs would not be changed or modified in the next 3-5 years.
However, these scooters will get additions that keep them competitive in the market. Vespa and Aprilia for instance will be adding LED headlamps to all its products. Along with fuel-injection, it will keep the scooters competitive and make them BS-VI compliant at the same time.
Yet another report reveals that Vespa and Aprilia will both launch a new scooter with a higher capacity engine. Vespa and Aprilia are brands that function under parent company Piaggio. This way, both brands get access to the technology and engines used by the other.
Aprilia intends to keep up the performance scooter image that it has built up over the last few years and therefore is developing a larger capacity scooter for launch in the Indian market. All we know about it at the moment is that it will be powered by an engine with capacity in the range of 150-200cc. The scooter will come with an all new design too.
Soon after the Aprilia scooter is launched, Vespa will also be launching a scooter with the same engine. We can expect the new Vespa to have similar design characteristics as the current models on sale, but it will come with the new, more powerful engine. It will obviously be BS-VI compliant.
We can expect the new Aprilia scooter to be launched in the first half of 2020 and the new Vespa scooter to be launched in the second half of 2020.
Thoughts On Aprilia & Vespa's Scooter Plans For The Next Two Years
Aprilia and Vespa have plotted out a brilliant growth strategy that is set to unfold over the next few years. This strategy also includes low capacity motorcycles from Aprilia alongside its scooters. The way the auto industry is growing, the Itaian brands will see lots of growth in the upcoming years.