Benelli Imperiale 400 To Be Launched This Festive Season

Benelli India is all set to challenge Royal Enfield in the cruiser segment and will be introducing the Imperiale 400 later this year around the festive season. carandbike had told you back in 2017 that the Benelli Imperiale 400 was being readied for India and the bike was later unveiled at the EICMA Motorcycle show that year. However, with the Benelli's India operations put on hold indefinitely, the launch plans were delayed. Nevertheless, the Imperiale 400 is coming to India this year and will take on the Royal Enfield Classic 350 as well as the Jawa in the segment. In addition, the brand plans to introduce two new motorcycles in the 250 cc segment by the end of 2019.

Also Read: Benelli Leoncino 500 Launched In India; Priced At ₹ 4.79 Lakh

Speaking to the media about the company's future plans at the launch of the Benelli Leoncino 500 launch, Vikas Jhabakh, MD - Benelli India said that they plan to launch three new motorcycles later this year with a 400 cc commuter-cruiser to arrive during the festive season and will be followed by two 250 cc motorcycles.

Also Read: EICMA 2017: Benelli Imperiale 400 Retro-Styled Cruiser Revealed

What's interesting to know is that the Benelli Imperiale 400 will see a lot more local content going into it than the TRK 502 and the Leoncino, which should help keep the prices competitive. While the company did not confirm the percentage of local content on the cruiser, we should get a fair idea on the same at the time of launch. The local assembly will help the Imperiale 400 remain accessible to a larger customer base with a price around the Rs. 2-2.5 lakh (ex-showroom) mark. It may not undercut the locally produced Royal Enfield Classic 350 or the Jawa at this price point, but certainly remains an alternative within reach.

Also Read: Benelli To Launch New Quarter Litre Street Motorcycle At 2018 Auto Expo

Given the fact that the Classic 350 remains the volumes driver for Royal Enfield, it is understandable why the Chinese-owned Italian brand is optimistic about the Imperiale. The cruiser boasts of a retro styling complete with the teardrop fuel tank, round headlamp, twin seats, and chromed out engine and exhaust for the old-school appeal. The Imperiale name too a resurrection of the original Benelli 125 cc offering of the same name that was sold decades ago.

Launched in 2017 globally, the Benelli 400 draws power from a 373.5 cc single-cylinder, SOHC engine with fuel-injection that churns out 19 bhp at 5500 rpm and 28 Nm of peak torque at 3500 rpm. The motor is paired to a 5-speed gearbox. The bike uses a double-cradle steel tube frame underneath and is suspended by telescopic forks up front and dual shock absorbers at the rear. The vintage-looking cruiser comes with disc brakes at either end with dual-channel ABS as standard. The bike has a kerb weight of 200 kg and a fuel tank capacity of 12 litres.

The Benelli Imperiale 400 is likely to be followed by the 250 cc versions of the TRK and the Leoncino motorcycles. Both bikes are already on sale in 500 cc avatar, and the 250 cc versions will make them more accessible to the masses. Prices though are expected to be around Rs. 2.5 lakh (ex-showroom) for the 250 cc bikes.

After an unprecedented exit late 2017, Benelli made a comeback in India with a new partner Adishwar Auto Ride India (part of the Mahavir Group) and commenced operations with the TRK 502 adventure tourer. Having started with nine dealerships earlier this year, the brand has expanded to 19 outlets currently and plans to add 15 more by the end of this calendar year. The brand plans to expand its dealer network to 60 by the end of 2020. The company has already sold over 1000 motorcycles after resurrecting operations in India and aims to double that by the end of 2019.

Benelli India is also optimistic about the newly launched Leoncino that is priced at Rs. 4.79 lakh (ex-showroom, India). The company aims to sell at least 100 units of the motorcycle every month. It will also continue to retail its existing portfolio that ranges between 300-600 cc and are locally assembled at the Benelli's facility near Hyderabad.



from NDTV CarAndBike - Latest News

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Harley-Davidson Streetfighter Spotted In Flesh For The First Time

Image
Harley-Davidson unveiled a range of new motorcycles last year that included an adventure tourer, streetfighter and Custom range. This, along with the LiveWire electric motorcycle defines the new-age 21st century offerings from the manufacturer as it taps into newer markets and caters to an evolving customer base. Now, giving a glimpse of the new models out in the open, the new Harley-Davidson Streetfighter was spotted in the prototype version at what seems to be a trade show in the US, giving a good glimpse at motorcycle looks like in flesh. While board says 'Styling Prototype', the production-spec version of the Streetfighter is likely to stay identical to the model showcased here. In addition to the Streetfighter, the Pan America was also showcased at the same event. The production spec versions of both bikes could be unveiled at EICMA this year. Also Read: Harley-Davidson Livewire To Be Unveiled In India In August The Harley-Davidson Streetfighter is a completely new mot
Read more

Brixton 1200 To Rival Triumph Bonneville T120

Image
A 1200 cc modern classic with similar design lines as Triumph's iconic Bonneville series, has reportedly been cleared for production. The bike was showcased as a concept at last year's EICMA motorcycle show, and from the looks of it, this is a model developed in China with the Triumph Bonneville T120 in its sights. The Brixton brand though is part of Austria's KSR Group, which imports bikes from several Chinese manufacturers, including CF Moto. And while the new Bonneville rival will be manufactured in China, the design and engineering has been created at KSR's design centre in Krups, Austria. Also Read: Triumph Bonnville T120 First Ride Review The Brixton 1200 cc motorcycle has not been named yet, or a launch timeline announced So far, the company has not committed to a launch date yet, but says that it will eventually make it to production. And from the looks of it, that may well be sometime later this year, maybe even at the EICMA 2020 show in Milan, Italy, in
Read more

Zongshen Cyclone RX6 Based On Norton 650 Nearing Completion

Image
While there still doesn't seem to be a buyer for iconic British brand Norton Motorcycles which went into administration in January this year, the firm's 650 cc parallel-twin seems to be finding life in China. While Norton apparently sold off the engine rights of its 961 engine to China's Jinglang just before the brand went into administration, the deal for the 650 cc engine was finalized way back in 2017 with Chinese giant Zongshen. The 650 cc parallel-twin engine was due to be used in Norton's Atlas and Superlight models, but now it looks like that engine platform will make its debut in a Zongshen motorcycle, called the Cyclone R6. Also Read: How Much Is Norton Motorcycles Worth Now? One of the patent designs shows the Cyclone RX6 with full touring accessories and luggage Two prototypes fitted with the 650 cc parallel-twin engine were shown in China late last year, on the Zongshen Cyclone RX6 adventure bike and the RX6 sport tourer. Both bikes used Zongshen-made
Read more