Yamaha Motor India has sent out invites for the launch of a new 125cc scooter in India on 7th May. The cryptic invite gives us little in the way of information, but it is understood that the scooter will be powered by a 125cc engine.
From the teaser image featuring the front grille of the upcoming scooter, we believe that it could be a redesign of the Asia-specific Nozza Grande that was launched in Vietnam recently. While the styling is quite different, a local variant of the Nozza Grande was spotted testing in India recently and this could be it.
The Indian model, codenamed 04X, will likely lose some upmarket features of the Nozza Grande, to keep prices down. We reckon the fuel-injection module will be chucked in favour of a good old carbureted unit, and the power to be in the ballpark of 10 PS.
Style wise, the 04X will get liberal lashings of chrome at the front as evidenced by the teaser photo in the invite. Suspension duties upfront will be handled by a telescopic fork, and alloy wheels and front discs are a likely option.
In Vietnam, the Nozza Grande retails for approximately 28.9 million Vietnamese Dong. That translates to an Indian price tag of around INR 84,173, which will put the scooter at the premium end of the Indian market. Still, we believe that Yamaha will price it a lot more competitively than international exchange rates can predict. To do battle with the likes of the Honda Activa 125, Suzuki Swish and Access, and the Vespa range, Yamaha will most probably price the scooter between INR 55,000 to 65,000.
The new Yamaha scooter will be built at Yamaha India Motor’s new facility in Chennai. More details about it will be revealed following the May 7th launch. Stay tuned.
Very good