Ahead of the deadline of 1st April 2020, Suzuki India has launched Intruder BS6
The 2020 Suzuki Intruder BS6 cruiser has been launched at INR 1.2 lakh (ex-showroom, New Delhi). That is an inflation of around INR 14,000 which is steep, since the engine had to be upgraded from carburetor to electronic fuel injection system.
Without revealing much details about what has changed on the powertrain front, the Japanese two wheeler maker says that the motorcycle’s 154.99 cc single-cylinder air-cooled engine now emits less in accordance to the BS6 standards. The motor is tuned to deliver 13.6 hp and 13.8 Nm of torque which is 0.4 hp and 0.2 Nm down compared to the BS4 version.
The difference is too marginal to be noticeable under real-world conditions. The addition of EFI should sharpen up the throttle response considerably. The transmission continues to be a 5-speed unit.
There are no visual changes to the cruiser which inherits its primary design features from its bigger liter-class ancestor. The motorcycle is available in three dual-tone colour themes – Glass Sparkle Black – Metallic Matte Titanium Silver, Metallic Matte Black – Candy Sanoma Red, and Metallic Matte Titanium Silver. Salient styling features include a sleek headlamp cowl, massive fuel-tank cladding, heavily contoured seats and vertically stacked twin-silencer canisters.
The 2020 Suzuki Intruder carries forward the amber-backlit fully digital instrument console, front and rear disc brakes with single-channel ABS, and 17-inch alloy wheels with 100/80-17 front and 140/60-R17 rear tyres. Though the bodystyle and ergonomics are touring friendly, the Suzuki Intruder primarily targets urban riders with its modestly powerful motor. The low-riding Suzuki competes with the Bajaj Avenger 160.
The 2020 Suzuki Intruder BS6 has already started reaching showrooms across the country. Despite its big-bike styling, the Intruder has been struggling to match its rival’s sales performance. The Avenger 160 BS6 is priced at a little over INR 90,000 (ex-showroom, New Delhi), thereby running away with a massive price advantage. Also, the Bajaj cruiser has been here for quite sometime and has garnered a very strong brand pull.
Suzuki is reportedly working on a 250 cc variant of the Intruder for India. A more powerful engine would go a long way in utilizing the untapped potential of the cruiser platform. The Intruder 250, if launched, will share its single-cylinder engine with the Gixxer 250 twins. On board the Gixxer, the motor develops 26.5 hp and 22.6 Nm of torque.
The smooth quarter liter motor with effortless performance would make the Intruder a decent highway tool and make it appealing to a much wider audience. The 250 cc engine platform could also spawn an adventure tourer in the foreseeable future.
