Italian scooter manufacturer Aprilia’s scooters will be sold at over 100 Motoplex stores across Southern India. Aprilia’s parent company Piaggio is increasing the Aprilia brand’s visibility in an area that accounts for 45 per cent of its sales in India.
Speaking about the new plans for Aprilia in South India, Sudhanshu Agarwal, Head of two-wheeler business at Piaggio India told the press Trust of India, “We have seen a robust demand for our products from the southern part of India. As geography, this has been a strategically significant market for the growth and success of our two-wheeler business as it contributes over 45 per cent of our overall two-wheeler sales in India.”
Aprilia had recently launched the updated lineup of its SR 125 and SR 160 scooters in India. The Aprilia SR 125 is priced at Rs 1.08 lakh while the SR 160 range starts at Rs 1.18 lakh (all prices, ex-showroom).
The revised Aprilia SR series of motorcycles bought with them a host of cosmetic and tech upgrades to some of the quickest 125 and 160cc scooters currently on sale in the country. The styling changes include a redesigned front end with new V-shaped LED headlights. Other tweaks up front include a revised front apron along with a new cowl for the handlebars with vent like recesses.
Other design changes include a split seat setup, new grab rails and a fully LED lighting setup. The new Aprilia SR series of scooters also feature a new LCD display which gives the rider readouts for the tachometer, average speed, top speed, current speed, overall mileage, fuel gauge, dual trip meters, odometer, engine oil temperature reading, external temperature, ABS indicator, and instant mileage.
The SR 160 retains its 3-valve, fuel injected single cylinder 160.03cc engine that produces 10.84bhp at 7,600rpm and 11.6Nm of torque at 6,000rpm. The SR 125 also retains its 124.45cc powerplant that produces 9.78bhp at 7,700rpm and 9.7Nm of peak torque at 6,000rpm. The engines on both the SR 125 and SR 160 are paired with a CVT automatic gearbox. The SR 160 sports a 7-litre fuel tank while the SR 125’s fule storage unit has a 6-litre capacity.
The Aprilia SR 160 also retains its steel frame chassis with telescopic front forks at the front. The rear end features a mono shock to take care of the bumpy stuff. The Aprilia SR 160 sports a single 160mm disc brake at the front while the rear end features a 140mm drum brake. The brakes are assisted by single-channel ABS. The only mechanical change on the SR 160 lineup is the brand of the tyre fitted to the wheels with the updated scooters now sporting tyres from CEAT instead of the MRFs that were the staple of its predecessor.
Thoughts on Piaggio’s Plans To Sell Aprilia Scooters At Motoplex Showrooms
Piaggio’s decision to sell its Aprilia branded scooters at its multi-brand Motoplex showrooms in South India comes as no surprise. With South India accounting for 45 per cent of its sales numbers, adding Aprilia to the Motoplex multi-brand showroom lineup will only increase the marque’s visibility which should hopefully lead to more sales.