As the deadline of April 1, 2019 for mandatory fitment of CBS (on models up to 125cc) and ABS (on models above 125cc) approaches, manufacturers are rushing to equip their two-wheelers with the safety tech – with the most recent being Aprilia and Vespa. Piaggio has already begun dispatching these scooters to dealerships, and sales have already commenced.
The 150cc scooters have been equipped with single-channel ABS. Here’s how the Vespa offerings have been priced: VXL 150 ABS (Rs 98,310), SXL 150 ABS (Rs 1.02 lakh), SXL 150 Red (Rs 1.03 lakh) and Elegante 150 ABS (Rs 1.08 lakh). Aprilia’s SR150s, on the other hand, start at Rs 80,850 for the standard ABS-equipped model. The SR 150 Carbon ABS is a little more expensive at Rs 82,550, while the SR 150 Race ABS is the costliest SR variant at Rs 89,550. The addition of ABS has resulted in an increase of up to Rs 10,000 on some of the 150cc models.
The 125cc scooters now get CBS (Combined Braking System). While the CBS models haven’t seen as sharp an increase in price as the ABS models, they are still notably more expensive. The Aprilia SR 125 CBS is priced at Rs 69,250, compared to the non-CBS model that cost Rs 66,000. Similarly, the Vespa VXL 125 CBS is now priced at Rs 88,250, the Vespa SXL 125 CBS is priced at Rs 91,450 and the Vespa SXL 125 Red with CBS is priced at Rs 92,500 – an increase of roughly Rs 3,000.
Other than the addition of the safety feature, the scooters remain cosmetically and mechanically unchanged. However, the Aprilias will soon shift to MRF-branded tyres from Vee Rubber tyres.
All prices ex-showroom, Mumbai.
Azaman Chothia
Vishal Venugopal
