Mumbai: The much awaited launch of the Piaggio Vespa has taken place with a price of Rs 66,661, ex-Maharashtra. Piaggio has dropped the LX125 tag for this scooter in India and it will be called just Vespa. (Read the review)
The scooter has a 10PS 125cc engine specially developed for India by Piaggio with a variomatic transmission, drum brakes and trailing link front suspension.
Piaggio intends to have just one version of the scooter on sale. The company is working towards a 50-dealer network across 35 major Indian cities which will be exclusively dedicated to the brand.
The scooter is being manufactured at Piaggio’s new two-wheeler plant at Baramati, the same place near Pune where it also manufactures its commercial three- and four-wheelers.
Originally launched in 1946, the Vespa, Piaggio officials say, is a best seller in Europe and has appeared in more than 200 Hollywood movies. Vespa till date is the only scooter in the world to use a single piece monocoque chassis.
"Right now there is no premium segment in the Indian scooter market but we believe there is a significant number of brand conscious young people who would like to make a statement. Vespa is creating a premium segment by targeting those customers," Piaggio Vehicles Pvt Ltd Chairman and Managing Director Ravi Chopra said.
On the possibility of entering motorcycle segment, he said: "Piaggio has a range of products and brands from 50 cc scooters to 1,400 cc bikes and superbikes. Today we have just started the journey, we are committed to bring all the global brands that we have that will suit the market here."
Chopra, however, did not share details and timeline for launching other models saying the company is evaluating the market now. The company has brands like Aprilia, Derbi, Gilera, Moto Guzzi and Scarabeo.
"By September the monthly production will reach 12,000 units which will be then gradually scaled up to 15,000 and 20,000 in a phased manner in due course of time," Chopra said.
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