All two wheeler and four wheeler manufacturers in the country are updating their vehicles to meet the new BS6 (Bharat Stage 6) emission norms. Japanese two-wheeler manufacturer Suzuki also has updated their line up. Suzuki Motorcycles India had showcased their scooters and motorcycles with BS6 compliant engines at the Auto Expo that happened earlier this year. Suzuki has now officially launched the BS6 versions of the Gixxer 250 and Gixxer SF 250 motorcycles. As is the case of many other brands and models, the prices for the BS6 versions of the Suzuki Gixxer 250 motorcycles have also gone up.
In comparison to the BS4 versions, the BS6 version of Gixxer 250 is now Rs. 3,400 more expensive, and the fully faired Gixxer SF 250 is Rs. 3,000 dearer. This is actually not a huge hike in price considering the fact that BS6 version of the Gixxer 150 was pricier than the BS4 version by a whopping Rs 12,000. The Suzuki Gixxer 250 is now priced at Rs 1.63 lakh, ex-showroom and the SF250 is priced at Rs 1.74 lakh, ex-showroom. The reason why the price of 250-cc Gixxer did not increase too much is because the manufacturer had already launched the bike with a BS6 ready engine, and only had to make minor changes like a new ECU tune, and add a new exhaust to make the engine BS6 compliant.
The designs of both the motorcycles remain unchanged. The bike gets the same old design with LED headlamps and tail lights, digital instrument cluster and a refined engine. It is powered by the same 249-cc, single cylinder, fuel injected engine that generates a maximum of 26.5 Bhp and 22.2 Nm of torque. The power in BS6 version is identical to the BS4 whereas the peak torque has seen a drop of 0.4 Nm.
Unlike many other motorcycles in the segment that gained weight as part of BS6 transition, the Gixxer range of 250cc motorcycles weigh the same as their BS4 counterparts. This is mainly because Suzuki had launched Gixxer 250 with a BS6 ready engine. The only change they had to make was a new ECU and a new exhaust which did not contribute in increasing the weight. Suzuki also has launched a Moto GP edition of the Gixxer SF 250, which is priced at Rs 1.75 lakh, ex-showroom. In the next couple of weeks, as the Indian government eases the Corona Virus lockdown, we expect the entire Indian auto industry to complete the transition to vehicles that meet BS6 norms.