After showcasing the V-Strom 650 at the 2018 Auto Expo, Suzuki now reportedly plans to introduce the dual-purpose middleweight in the Indian market by the end of 2018. Recent reports based on inside sources suggest that the motorcycle could go on sale by as early as August or September 2018. The motorcycle will arrive via the CKD route which will allow Suzuki to price the product more competitively. The source report also adds that it’s the V-Strom 650XT that will be heading to the India market.
The XT badged V-Strom 650 is the more rugged version. The motorcycle made its debut way back in October 2016 at the INTERMOT motor show along with the standard V-Strom 650. The V-Strom 650 XT comes equipped with tubeless spoke wheels and hand guards. The instrument cluster features a brightness adjustable LCD display that includes the speedometer, odometer, dual trip meter, traction control mode and the likes. Also seen is a 12V power outlet to charge your phone or satnav device.
Mechanically, the V-Strom 650 gets a 645cc V-Twin motor that is tuned to produce 70 PS at 8800 rpm of power and peak torque of 62 Nm at 6500 rpm. The India-spec model is not likely to be any different and we expect to see similar performance numbers. The motorcycle also gets a two mode traction control system which can be switched off too.
It’s closest rival to the V-Strom 650 in the Indian market is the Versys 650 although with the XT varaiant, the Suzuki is more off-road ready than the Kawasaki. Expect to see a sub INR 7 lakh (ex-showroom) price tag on the motorcycle.
Source: NDTV Auto
