Aprilia RS 150 & Tuono 150 to be launched in India in H1 2020 - Report

Piaggio Group-owned Aprilia is set to introduce its range of 150cc motorcycles in India in the next 12-15 months (February-May 2020), reports Economic Times. These will be the Aprilia RS 150 and the Aprilia Tuono 150, which debuted in India at the Auto Expo 2018.

Similar to its scooter business, Aprilia will focus on the premium segment when it plans to introduce its range of motorcycles in the country. The company has received overwhelming feedback for the Aprilia RS 150 and the Tuono 150 from the masses. Speaking to the business publication, Mr Diego Graffi, Managing Director - Piaggio Vehicles India, said:

“When we entered the scooter space, we focused on the premium end, and the same is the case with the range of motorcycles we plan to bring in. We plan to start manufacturing a 150cc bike in the next 12-15 months. We plan to launch four motorbikes under Aprilia.”

Both the motorcycles, Tuono 150 and RS 150, will be positioned as premium offerings in its segment. While the Aprilia Tuono 150 is a semi-faired tourer with upright ergonomics, the RS 150 is an out and out supersport motorcycle with full-fairing and aggressive ergonomics. The RS 150 takes the design cues from the flagship Aprilia RSV4, while the Tuono 150 is based on the Aprilia Tuono 1100 Factory.

Furthermore, Aprilia has revealed that if the bikes succeed in the Indian market, the company will also consider expanding its motorcycles portfolio. Mr Graffi further added:

“This is the first time that we are going to introduce these products and definitely based on the results, we are going to expand … This is the first product line but based on results we will think on how to expand.”

The Aprilia RS 150 will be a direct rival to the Yamaha R15 V3.0 and the Bajaj Pulsar RS 200 to some extent. On the other hand, the Aprilia Tuono 150 won't have any direct competition. However, it will rival the likes of Yamaha Fazer 25, TVS Apache RTR 200 4V and the Bajaj Pulsar NS 200.

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The motorcycles use an aluminium perimeter frame to hold the powertrain. The Aprilia 150 twins are powered by a 150cc, liquid-cooled, four-valve, single-cylinder engine that is mated to a 6-speed transmission. The fuel-injected motor is good for 18 bhp of power at 10,000 rpm and 14 Nm of peak torque at 7,500 rpm while the motorcycles also feature a quick-shifter as an option.