Piaggio India to Inaugurate Vespa LX 125 Soon
Piaggio India has unveiled the Vespa LX 125 scooter, which the Italian automaker plans to unveil in early 2012. The company will manufacture the Vespa LX 125 at its upcoming feature in Baramati, near Pune. The company has sold 17 million vehicles of the Vespa which it produces at Pontedera, Italy, Vinh Phuc and Vietnam. The Baramati plant will have an annual capacity of 1.5 lakh vehicles per annum and is being set up at an investment of 30 million euros.
Vespa LX 125 features automatic 'Twist and Go' transmission and fuel efficient single cylinder four stroke engine. Vespa World Club was formed in 2006, which brings together 35 worldwide Vespa clubs and 685 Italian Vespa clubs to provide a platform that celebrates the Vespa cult. We are looking forward to the reveal of the iconic Vespa in the country soon. The Vespa LX 125 is much more than a scooter – it’s the original, timeless 2-wheeler that has become a way of life in market after market around the world, Mr. Ravi Chopra, MD and Chairman, Piaggio India said.
Aprillia bikes include RSV4 Factory
Aprilia is reported to launch RSV4 R and RSV4 Factory in India by December this year. The total bike range includes four bikes namely Aprilia RSV4 R and Aprilia RSV4 Factory, Aprilia RS5 and Aprilia RS125. The pricing of the bikes is still under cover, but it would be fixed keeping Ducati, Harley Davidson, prices in mind to get set in the growing Indian super bike market. The bikes will be sold via Piaggio showrooms in India, it is to be noted that Aprillia had been taken over by Piaggio in 2004.
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Piaggio itself has announced to launch Piaggio Vespa scooters in India by 2012. Aprillia RSV4 Factory is going to storm the biking segment very soon. The bike has V-4 cylinder, 999.6cc, 4-stroke, liquid cooling system, double overhead camshafts (DOHC) powertrain through 6 speed gearbox. The maximum engine power of the bike is 132.4kw @12500rpm and maximum torque of 115Nm @10000rpm.
The bike has front dual 320 mm diameter floating stainless steel disc with lightweight stainless steel rotor and aluminium flange with 6 pins while the rear 220-mm diameter disc Brembo monobloc radial callipers with 2 34-mm isolated pistons. The front suspension is Ohlins racing upside-down fork- 43-mm stanchions (with tin surface treatment) and rear one is twin sided aluminium swingarm; mixed low thickness and sheet casting technology. The starting system of the bike is electric only. The Aprillia RSV4 Factory sports 17 litres of fuel tank with a reserve of 4 litres. The frame type of the massive bike is twin-spar adjustable aluminium frame, with castings and pressings.
Aprilia products range includes road, off-road, adventure, and scooters. The popular models are RSV4 Factory, RSV4, Tuono 1000R Factory, Shiver 750, Dorsoduro, Aprilia RX/SX 50, ETV 1000 Caponord, Pegaso 650, RXV 4.5 - 5.5, Atlantic 250/125, Leonardo 125/150/250, Aprilia mojito/habana 50 custom & retro, SR 50 R, Sportcity 250 200 125, Scarabeo 50/100, etc.
Piaggio is coming up with new, cleaner and greener diesel engines
Piaggio is coming up with new, cleaner and greener diesel engines for its range of products in India. The Bharat Stage IV compliant diesel engines will be designed and developed by Ricardo. Piaggio India is in the process of transforming its image as a maker of crude diesel engine powered commercial vehicles to a producer of cleaner, powerful and fuel-efficient vehicles. As a result, new diesel particulates filter (DPF) equipped twin-cylinder 1.2-litre turbocharged diesel engine is being developed for the European markets. However, this will not be made available in India. A naturally aspirated version of the 1.2-litre diesel engine will be specially developed for our cost-sensitive market. This BS IV compliant diesel engine will power the entire range of Ape CVs available in India. This diesel particulate filter engine will churn out more power and offer better fuel efficiency with lower CO2 emissions.
Speaking on the collaboration of Ricardo and Piaggio, Ian Penny, director – engine engineering, Ricardo said, “The new two-cylinder diesel is both a world first in offering Euro5 compliance in an engine of this type, as well as providing a cost-optimized architecture for naturally aspirated products in India.” Earlier in November 2010, Piaggio had revealed its plan of developing a low-cost three-seat city-car that could hit the roads by late-2013. Called the NT3, the Piaggio concept was conceived in India, and would battle the Tata Nano, the to-be-launched Hyundai Ha - an 0.8cc Rs 2 to 3lakh small cars, and a new Maruti sub-600cc, code named YE3. The NT3 is based around Piaggio’s three-wheel Ape, its classic three-wheel commercial pick-up and van. The engine choices in the concept are 0.2cc or 0.3cc ‘bike engines, the 0.3cc also mated to a hybrid system.
Piaggio Reveals NT3 Concept
Straight from the bustling halls of the 2010 Milan Motorcycle Show comes a concept car that might just replace auto rickshaws in the future. We take a look at the Piaggio NT3. There is a perfectly good reason for this as the diminutive proportions of this vehicle are ideal for navigating the narrow streets and gullys that are integral to every Indian city. Revealed at the 2010 Milan Motorcycle Show this month, the Piaggio NT3 is an innovative vehicle from the Italian scooter and three-wheeler manufacturer designed to meet the mobility demands of rapidly developing markets such as the ones in India and South East Asia. That being said, the Piaggio NT3 certainly does look like a futuristic auto rickshaw albeit with one key difference. Instead of the three-wheel standard of Piaggio's commercial vehicles and despite the misleading name, the Piaggio NT3 features four wheels in the locations where you would expect them to be. And while the seating solution might seem traditional at first, on closer inspection it seems more like that from a McLaren F1 (with the driver in the centre and two passengers a little farther back on either side) than from an auto rickshaw.
Design-wise, the Piaggio NT3 not only resembles Piaggio's 3-wheelers, namely the Ape, but also takes distinct styling cues from the Italian company's line of legendary Vespa scooters. These can especially be noticed in the car's profile view, with its uncovered front wheels and a rear wheel cover reminiscent of the back mud guards from the Vespa scooter, while the front end design brings over many elements from the Ape three-wheeler. Nostalgic design apart, the underpinnings of the Piaggio NT3 are radically modern. The entire vehicle is designed around a space frame with a crashbox made of high resistance steel, meeting current safety standards in the process. Even the Piaggio NT3's powertrain has been integrated with its back suspension allowing the engineers to keep the mechanicals extremely compact, while at the same time, lowering the Piaggio NT3's centre of gravity. This solution is also said to provide a more comfortable ride as well as lower NVH levels. But the host of innovations in the Piaggio NT3's design do not just end there. The entire base of the driver and passenger compartment is a seamless tub, which is not only kinder to the environment with its liberal use of recycled materials, but also keeps helps keep costs down significantly. To make it as versatile as any current three-wheeler, the Piaggio NT3 also features reclining or removable passenger seats allowing larger objects to be carried in the back. The doors, which are available on the higher-end version, feature an innovative style of opening which lets them to slide forward, making parking in tight spaces more convenient. McPherson suspension at the front and Omega suspension at the back endows this compact 2.4 metre long and 1.5 metre wide car with nippy handling, making it ideal for the modern urban street beat.
The Piaggio NT3's flexibility is not just limited to its seating and carrying abilities though. Piaggio says that this custom compact car will be available with three engine options ? a 200cc petrol engine for high mileage and lower operational costs, a 300cc engine derived from the high-tech Piaggio MP3 three-wheeled scooter for maximum performance and a 300cc petrol-electric hybrid engine for lower emissions. The computer controlled hybrid motor can provide the performance of the petrol engine, allowing speeds of up to 80km/h, as well as a zero emissions mode which is limited to 30km/h. Piaggio India says that the NT3 will make it to production only by 2013 and that the company has big plans for India. Not only is Piaggio looking at selling large numbers here, it also plans to manufacture the NT3 locally in India. Of course, this is still in concept form and the production version will likely see some changes, especially to keep costs down and make it more appealing to out three- wheeler market. So contrary to what some believe, it should present no threat to the likes of the Tata Nano. Of course, that being said, the Piaggio NT3 does look all set to completely change the way all of us look at the auto rickshaw.
Piaggio ‘Ape Mini’ Truck Launched in India!
Piaggio India has launched the all new ‘Ape Mini’ – a half tone cargo four- wheeler mini truck for transportation of goods. The new product has been uniformly priced at Rs. 1,73,000/- lakhs across India (ex-showroom price), in line with the distinct requirements of consumers in the “last mile” category of the hub and spoke logistics business.
The mileage offered by the Ape Mini is 29 kms to a litre. It boasts of largest cargo deck, Spacious car - like cabin with sleek fittings, ample leg room and flexible sliding bucket seats. A factory fitted co- driver’s seat also comes as OE with the vehicle. This mini truck has a ground clearance of 230mm, ensuring safe and smooth driving over challenging terrains and speed breakers. A fifteen month warranty and five free services are also offered by the Company.
Mr. Ravi Chopra, Chairman & Managing Director of Piaggio Vehicles Pvt. Ltd. said “At Piaggio, our emphasis has always been on value creation. Be it product design or performance. We have consistently gone to the market with our customers in mind. Anticipating the customer’s need for a small, classy and comfortable mini truck, we conceived the apé mini to deliver exceptional value and a superior experience to our customers. Today, we are confident the apé mini will outclass others in the half tonne 4-wheeler segment and help consolidate our leadership position in this half tonne band.”
“Created on the basis of extensive customer need-gap analysis, apé mini is truly a world class product that will complement Piaggio’s existing 3-wheeler portfolio. It should emerge as a preferred option for 4-wheeler buyers in this segment on the strength of its operating efficiencies and enhanced earning potential”.