Piaggio India is ready to upgrade its Vespa and Aprilia range of scooters to the BS-VI emission norms this year, reports Autocar India.
Piaggio will reportedly introduce its first BS-VI compliant scooter by October 2019. Its entire line-up will be BS-VI compliant by the end of the year or January 2019 – well ahead of the April 2020 deadline set by the government.
The updated motors will benefit from the fuel injection system and ECU, among other features, to qualify to the BS-VI norms. Apart from the updated motor, the BS-VI compliant Vespa range will benefit from a LED headlight, while the Aprilia models will have new graphics. The performance number may undergo changes with the BS-VI upgrade. The current engine power and torque output numbers, for reference, are listed in the table below:
| Engine | Max Power | Max Torque |
| Vespa 125 | 9.52 hp @ 7,250 rpm | 9.9 Nm @ 6,250 rpm |
| Vespa 150 | 9.92 hp @ 6,750 rpm | 10.9 Nm @ 5,000 rpm |
| Aprilia 125 | 9.52 hp @ 7,250 rpm | 9.9 Nm @ 6,250 rpm |
| Aprilia 150 | 10.06 hp @ 6,750 rpm | 10.9 Nm @ 5,000 rpm |
Diego Graffi, CEO and MD, Piaggio Vehicles, told the motoring portal that the Vespa brand has exceeded the expectations and has been appreciated in the current form in the Indian market. Graffi also added that the company has no plans to alter the retro styling of the Vespa range for the next three to five years, although the scooters will receive the latest hardware such as an LED headlight.
Do note that Honda recently unveiled its BS-VI compliant Activa 125 with the addition of a LED headlight, while the Suzuki Burgman was launched with the feature. The Suzuki Access 125 is also likely to feature a full LED headlamp in its next iteration.
Also Read: No fixed plans for India launch of Aprilia RS 150 & Tuono 150, says Diego Graffi
The addition of fuel injection tech and LED headlight will result in a price hike. The most affordable Vespa and Aprilia in the Indian market are the Urban Club and the Storm 125 that retail at INR 73,733* and INR 65,000* respectively. Braking hardware will continue to include drum brakes on both wheels of the base models while the premium variants will pack a 200 mm disc at the front.
*Ex-showroom Delhi
[Source: AutocarIndia.com]
