- Previously called SXL, VXL 150
- Power output has gone down
Piaggio has rebranded Vespa’s entire 150cc line-up in India. The BS6 variants are now called as SXL 149 and the VXL 149.
According to the company’s official website, the 150cc variants are no longer listed. This is because the BS6 variants have a lower displacement and also gone down in power. The SXL 150 and the VXL 150 were powered by a 150cc engine that churned out 11.4bhp of peak power. With the BS6 changes, the engine displacements have gone down to 149cc. As a result, the power has gone down to 10.2bhp too.
There’s one added benefit of equipping the scooters with 149cc engines. The insurance cost for two-wheelers up to 149cc is different than the two-wheelers with displacement equal to 150cc or above. Through this route, Piaggio will be able to price their scooters a bit cheaper, which might help them get more sales in the next few months.
The COVID-19 lockdown has put the two-wheeler industry in stress. In fact, last month was the first time when not a single two-wheeler was sold in India. The country is going through its third extended lockdown which will last till 17 May. Hopefully, business should come back to normal by as early as June.