Scooters account for one-third of the total two-wheeler sales in India now. That’s significant growth from the 11% share in 2011. In India, scooters are generally conceived as utility 2-wheelers which are used to either commute from point A to point B or to take some stuff along. While the revolution was started by the likes of the Bajaj Chetak and Kinetic Honda, it later resurged in the form of the Honda Activa, Suzuki Access and TVS Jupiter. Now, the focus has shifted to scooters turning performance-oriented and in this wave, Maxi-scooters have gained prominence.
Maxi-scooters could be the next big thing in the Indian biking culture. These scooters offer more space, more comfort and motorcycle rivalling performance. Maxi Scooters are usually fueled by more powerful engines as compared to the regular ones. In this article, we look at some of the Maxi scooters likely to make their debut in the Indian market in the coming months.
Honda Forza 300
The Honda Forza 300 is the first entrant from Honda Two Wheelers in the Maxi-Scooter segment with the launch date still far away but we can expect its arrival in 2020. While the previous iteration of the premium automatic scooter was limited to a few units, the 2020 Honda Forza 300 will be possibly sold in larger volumes. It is powered by a 279cc, single-cylinder, liquid-cooled engine which is good for 24.8 bhp of peak power and 27.2 Nm of max torque.
The Honda Forza 300 gets an on-the-fly electronically adjustable windscreen which has a range of 140 mm. Also, the automatic scooter is fitted with smart key fob, 15-inch aluminium alloy wheel, Honda Selectable Torque Control. Honda will most likely bring the Forza 300 via the CKD route. We expect it to be sold in the price range of Rs 2.5 to Rs 3.0 lakh. That is a good value considering the features and performance on offer.
Aprilia SXR 160
Aprilia’s upcoming maxi scooter is based on the SR 160 BS6 moto-scooter. It uses the SR’s powertrain and underpinnings but gets a larger maxi-scooter bodywork. The Aprilia SXR 160 maxi-scooter will be the company’s flagship model which will help it rival the upcoming Suzuki Burgman Street 150. It flaunts typical maxi-scooter characteristics with sporty and aggressive design.
Aprilia SXR 160 is a feature-rich maxi-scooter with a flat footboard, LED lights, multi-function digital display, Anti-Lock Braking System and 5-spoke alloy wheel rims. Powering the Aprilia SXR 160 will be the same engine as the Aprilia SR 160. The 160 cc fuel-injected, three-valve engine delivers 11 PS of power and 11.6 Nm of torque. We expect the SXR 160 to be priced around the Rs 1.20 lakh mark.
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Suzuki Burgman 150
One of the most anticipated products from Suzuki this year is a bigger capacity version of their popular maxi-scooter, the Burgman Street 125. This new scooter, the Suzuki Burgman 150, will look similar to the small capacity sibling but will possibly have different colour options and decals.
Considering the potential volumes, we expect both the siblings to remain identical in styling and product differentiation can be created in terms of feature set and a few other bits like fatter tyres, etc. The Burgman will be powered by a 150 cc engine which is capable of generating around 12 PS of power. We can expect the prices to stay around Rs 90,000- 95,000(ex-showroom).
Aprilia SXR 125
The Italians sure do know how to style. Aprilia is set to introduce a 125 cc variant of its maxi-scooter which it had unveiled at Delhi Auto Expo 2020. The Aprilia SXR 125 will look identical to the SXR 160, save for maybe a decal job. It will be powered by the BS6 version of the current Aprilia SR 125’s 125 cc single-cylinder, a three-valve unit that produces 9.5 PS of power and 9.9 Nm of torque in the BS4 version. There are good chances that the SXR 160 and SXR 125 could be introduced it the market back to back, which means it can be launched at the end of this year or early next year. It can come with a price tag of around Rs 90,000 (ex-showroom).
