Amid the ongoing lockdown across India, Piaggio has renamed its 150cc Vespa scooters. After this, the new BS6 scooters are now called SXL 149 and VXL 149 compared to SXL 150 and VXL 150 previously for the respective scooters. As one can now figure out from the new names, the company has decreased the engine displacement of these scooters by 1 cc. That said, while previously, these scooters used to come powered by a 150cc engine, the same are now powered by a 149 cc unit. Moreover, with the BS6 transition, there is also a drop in the power output. The 149cc engine on the BS6 models is now good for producing a maximum power output of 10.2hp compared to 11.4hp on the outgoing BS4 models.
Now, you must be thinking why the company decreased the engine displacement of the two scooters, that too by just 1 cc. Well, one of the prime reasons behind it is most likely the fact that the insurance cost of two-wheelers having an engine displacement of up to 149cc is lesser compared to those having an engine of 150cc or above. This eventually will help the customers buy the said scooters at a more competitive price and hence, the company must be aiming at better sales for the said models in the months to come. Also, as the pricing of Vespa scooters is on a premium side and the figures have gone up with the transition to BS6 emission norms, this can be seen as an intelligent move by the company to bring down the on-road price of the scooters a bit.
The nationwide lockdown that was earlier slated to lift on 3rd May has now been extended by two weeks. Stay tuned for more such updates! Also, subscribe to Express Drives YouTube channel in case you still haven’t! Also, stay home and stay safe amid the lockdown in the interest of your safety and others.
