- Kawasaki W175 India launch on 25 September
- Sports a conventional, retro styling
- Will compete against the Royal Enfield Hunter 350
Kawasaki India is set to launch a new motorcycle in the country this week, on 25 September. The W175 is also on sale in the Indonesian market and will be the most affordable offering in Kawasaki’s showrooms in India.
Now, the Kawasaki W175 is heavily localized to keep the costs in check. So we expect it to come with a price tag that is in the ball park of around Rs 1.5-1.7 lakh, ex-showroom. Although, going by the spec and features that it brings to the table, the W175 looks like an expensive proposition compared to the motorcycles it will compete against.
With the price it is expected to be launched at, the Kawasaki will sit next to the Royal Enfield Hunter 350 and the TVS Ronin as well. Now, both options have a bigger engine capacity, much more power and loads of features and customization to keep buyers interested.
To give you a clearer perspective, the Kawasaki W175 comes powered by a 177cc, single-cylinder, air-cooled motor that is good for just around 13bhp and 13.2Nm. In its feature basket lies an analogue instrument cluster with an analogue odometer and a few tell-tale signs and a single-channel ABS. On the styling front, the Kawasaki might appeal to some for being a properly retro motorcycle that derives inspiration from the ’66 Kawasaki W1. While that was chromed out, the W175 gets more of black to inch a bit to the modern side of things.
That said, it will be interesting to see how the Kawasaki W175 is like to ride and if it fits in a segment that is now beginning to feel crowded.
