Stefano Pelle, managing director of Piaggio Vehicles, speaks to our sister publication Autocar Professional about bringing the Aprilia brand to India, expanding both the premium Motoplex stores and Vespa sales network, and also bringing the Moto Guzzi V9 Bobber and Roamer cruisers to this part of the world.
The Aprilia SR 150, the first product from the brand, will be locally manufactured at PVPL’s plant in Baramati, Maharashtra. Is the SR 150 straight from your global portfolio or is it designed for India?
It’s both. It already exists internationally but has been adapted for India with specific requirements that we have got from the consumer. When we showed the scooter, we received a very good consumer response. Secondly, the engine is our engine. It’s not some part that we are importing from somewhere.
Is the 150cc engine in the Aprilia SR 150 the same unit that powers the Vespa 150 scooters?
Yes, but it is tuned differently. The transmission is also tuned differently. It (Aprilia SR 150) shares a lot with the Vespa 150 models.
Will the Aprilia SR 150 be made on Vespa’s assembly line at the Baramati plant or is a different production line being set-up for the Aprilia scooter?
It will be made in the same factory but not necessarily on the same assembly line. We are in the process of setting up an all-new assembly line for the new Aprilia scooter. We have not yet built an actual scooter model here so far. The first scooter is expected to come out within a couple of weeks.
So the first batch of production scooters is expected to roll out in March? When will mass production begin?
Yes, the first batch is expected in March and the mass production will begin in July 2016. The commercial launch is scheduled for August later this year.
Azaman Chothia
Vishal Venugopal
