According to a report from Autocar, the Benelli Leoncino will be launched in the country by February 2018.
The website reports that the upcoming motorcycle is currently undergoing endurance tests for ARAI certification, which will be done by January 2018. The bike will enter the Indian market via the CKD route; and as per the media house, it will undercut the Harley-Davidson Street 750 in terms of pricing. The Street 750 costs INR 5.15 lakhs, ex-showroom, Delhi. The website’s sources have also confirmed that only the road-biased version will be launched for now; and that the brand will consider bringing in the off-road variant only based on the demand. The Leoncino has been spied testing in the country recently.
Also Read: Benelli Leoncino spied in India
The motorcycle was launched in the Malaysian market in October. CentroStile Benelli from Italy has designed the motorcycle. It features a scrambler-esque design language, tempered with modern mechanicals. A 499.6cc in-line two cylinder DOHC engine with liquid cooling and fuel injection does duty in the motorcycle. It is capable of developing 47.5 PS of power at 8,500 rpm and 45 Nm of torque at 5,000 rpm. The Euro 4 engine pairs with a 6-speed transmission. Benelli has derived the powerplant from the TRK 502.
The Benelli Leoncino would be the cheapest scrambler offering when launched in India, undercutting the Triumph Street Scrambler and the Ducati Scrambler. Expect the bike to command a premium of INR 1 lakh over the 302R. The 302R costs INR 3.48 lakhs, ex-showroom, India. It is also likely that Benelli will showcase the bike at the 2018 Auto Expo in India.
[Source: Autocar India]
