At the finale of Season 3 of the KTM Cup this past weekend, Manik Nangia, President of Probiking, Bajaj Auto, confirmed that the RC range is due for an update towards the end of 2027. While he was careful not to confirm engine specifications, the long duration suggests that the current single-cylinder RC 390 could give way to a twin-cylinder platform.
- Design expected to include LED headlights and winglets
- Twin-cylinder engine expected to replace current RC 390
- Current RC 390 likely to continue on 373cc engine for foreseeable future
Next-gen KTM RC: What to expect
New LED headlights and winglets confirmed
When asked about the future of the smaller-capacity RC range, Nangia confirmed that a global update is planned for 2027. He revealed that he has seen design sketches featuring new LED headlights and winglets. Nangia was careful to distinguish between design and engine changes, indicating that while the visual updates are confirmed, the platform and engine options are still being evaluated.
That said, KTM and Bajaj Auto are understood to be developing an all-new twin-cylinder engine platform. This new motor is expected to slot in under the 500cc mark and could eventually replace the current 390 platform across the KTM Duke, Adventure and RC models. Images of an under development ADV model with this new engine have already been spied.
It is worth pointing out that this next-gen RC will not be the bike that was spied overseas based on the CF Moto 450 platform. A KTM RC that looked quite production ready was spotted based on the same platform as the CFMoto 450SR-S. While there is no clarity yet on whether that particular bike will go on sale overseas, it is unlikely to make it to India.
Following the introduction of GST 2.0, the brands under the Bajaj umbrella are also expected to launch new models with downsized engines to slip under the lower 350cc tax bracket. The Triumph bikes are set to launch in the first week of April, with KTM and Bajaj models to follow suit in due course. This will lead to two platforms – the new sub-350cc one and the existing 390cc platform – coexisting for the foreseeable future. A logical course of action would be to widen the gap between the two with a more capable engine platform, which is where the new larger parallel-twin motor comes in.
The Bajaj-developed KTM twin-cylinder platform is understood to still be in development. While there is some time for an all new KTM RC, Sumeet Narang, President Marketing at Bajaj Auto recently confirmed to us that the current gen RC 390 will continue to be on sale even though it is the only KTM model that is still based on the previous 373cc engine platform.
Ved Janve
