Aprilia may be known to the world as the make of razor sharp superbikes but in India, the Italian brand is better known for its sporty compact displacement premium automatic scooters. The Piaggio-owned brand made its intentions to expand its presence in the popular scooter segment clear at the 2018 Auto Expo by displaying a variant extension of SR 125.
More than the year later, the Aprilia Storm 125 which is essentially a sportier version of the SR 125 is all set to hit the showrooms. The recent spy shots show a bare-bones variant with drum brake at the front instead of disc, suggesting that Storm 125 would be priced lower than its sibling.
While the Storm is identical to its SR siblings in terms of styling, visual differentiation comes from fresh color theme and decals. While the SR 150 and SR 150 sport multi-color theme, the Storm 125 opts for dual-tone appearance with matte finish and a lot of black accents. The new automatic scooter variant is expected to be available in yellow, red and black color options.
The larger grab rail and Vee Rubber dual-purpose tyres (120/80-12 front and 130/80-12 rear) further differentiate the Storm from its stable mates. While there are no obvious visual clues, there could be a few cost cutting measures apart from the front drum brake. It remains to be seen if there will be a disc brake variant or not.
The Aprilia Storm 125 is powered by the same air-cooled engine that powers the SR 125. The motor is good for 9.5 hp and 9.8 Nm of torque, and is mated to a conventional CVT. The scooter is equipped with analog instrument console, alloy wheels, telescopic front fork, monoshock rear suspension, Combi-braking system (CBS) and comes with a smartphone app through which the rider can locate the vehicle, access emergency helpline with location info, search for petrol pumps, book service appointment, etc.
The new variant would give Aprilia a stronger chance at keeping the likes of TVS Ntorq 125, Suzuki Access 125, and Honda Grazia at bay. With an estimated price tag of INR 65,000 (ex-showroom), the Storm 125 would be around INR 7,000 cheaper than the SR 125, thereby helping the company cover a wider audience base.
This post was last modified on May 10, 2019 9:04 am