The Piaggio Vespa has gone through a rebranding in the Indian market. The 150cc Vespa scooters no longer bear the 150 moniker. The 150 has been replaced by 149 on both the SXL and VXL models.
The Vespa SXL 149 and VXL 149 are both basically the BS-VI emissions compliant models. These models come with a few changes including a downsized engine. Yes, they didn’t name it the 149 for nothing.
The new models now come with a 149cc engine as Piaggio’s engineers needed it to be downsized in order to meet the emissions requirements. As a result of this downsizing, the power output too has dropped.
Though the engine size has dropped by a mere 1cc, the power has gone down significantly. The power output has dropped by 1.2bhp, from 11.4bhp to 10.2bhp. The reduction of the engine capacity has also helped the company keep the scooter’s prices in check.
The cost of insurance for two-wheelers upto 149cc has a lower price slab than the ones that have an engine capacity of 150cc or above. This means, the overall on-road cost of the Vespa VXL 149 and SXL 149 will be lower, that is if Vespa gives them the same ex-showroom price tag as the current 150 badged BS-IV models.
If Vespa decides to hike prices for the BS-VI models, the overall on-road price would still remain more or less the same thanks to the lower insurance rates being taken into account. The Vespa series are currently the most-stylish scooters out there and hence we do not expect Vespa to make any major changes to them in that regard.
The scooters are expected to go into production soon. Once the lockdown is relaxed completely and things are settled, we expect it to go on sale. Two-wheeler sales have taken a massive hit this year. In April 2020, two-wheeler manufacturers like Honda and TVS reported zero domestic sales, creating history.
Well, once the lockdown is lifted and sales begin, all two-wheeler manufacturers will get back in the race and Vespa will be one among them, eager to sell its BS-VI scooters.
