- Benelli Leoncino 500 will be offered in one variant, road-biased scrambler version
- Likely to be priced around the Rs 4.7 lakhs to Rs 5 lakhs mark
- Deliveries are likely to commence within a month from tomorrow’s launch
Benelli India will be launching the Leoncino 500 in India tomorrow. To be brought via the CKD route like other Benelli models, the Leoncino will be a scrambler-styled offering expanding the company’s portfolio in India. Benelli is expected to price the motorcycle around the Rs 4.7 lakhs to Rs 5 lakhs mark positioning it just below the recently introduced TRK 502 and TRK 502X models. While the motorcycle is available in three variants (Standard, Trail and Sport) in the international market, for India, Benelli will be initially launching only the Standard variant.
The modern-retro Leoncino has been built around a new platform while being powered by Benelli’s 500cc parallel-twin. The motorcycle features a round headlamp sporting an all-LED headlamp that is accompanied by LED turn indicators and also a LED tail lamp. It is equipped with a quirky looking fully-digital instrument console that packs a lot of information. The retro appeal of the motorcycle is strongly pronounced by the shape of its fuel tank which blends with the side panel before finishing with a petite tail section. The seat is a single-piece unit with a ribbed pattern which gives the Leoncino a classy look.
In terms of mechanicals, the Leoncino is equipped with inverted forks up front and a monoshock at the rear. Braking is done by twin-discs at the front and a single disc at the rear, assisted by dual-channel ABS. Powering the middle-weight bike is the 500cc parallel-twin motor that registers 46.8bhp and 46Nm and comes mated to a six-speed transmission.
Post its launch tomorrow, Benelli is likely to commence deliveries of the motorcycle within a month. Notably, dealers have already started unofficially accepting bookings for the bike across the country. In the competition front, the Leoncino 500 will rival against the Kawasaki Z650 and the CFMoto 650MT in the country.
