Piaggio's two-wheeler arm Aprilia commenced deliveries of its entry-level sports motorcycle RS 457 in North India earlier this week, opening the brand's first Motoplex showroom in Delhi which will serve as an outlet for retail of Aprilia and Moto Guzzi products. This marks Aprilia's entry into the north Indian market, and the company plans to set up dealerships in Jaipur and Chandigarh in the coming weeks.
Motoplex dealership will serve as the brand's premium outlet chain to sell Aprilia, Vespa and Moto Guzzi offerings. “Motoplex is our top brand store. We are looking to expand the Motoplex chain, taking it to 20 by the end of the year. Delhi and surrounding North India will have four of these dealerships,” said Ajay Raghuvanshi, Executive Vice President of 2W Domestic Business (ICE), Piaggio Vehicles told NDTV Auto.
Aprilia RS 457, as the name suggests, is powered by a 457-cc, twin-cylinder, liquid-cooled motor, making 47.6 horsepower and 43.5 Nm of peak torque. The engine is mated to a 6-speed gearbox, and is assisted by ride-by-wire, ride modes and traction control system. Aprilia RS 457 is priced at Rs 4.10 lakh (ex-showroom) and takes on the likes of Ninja 500 and KTM RC 390. Aprilia offers a 3 years/36,000 kilometres warranty on the RS 457.
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RS 457 is inspired by the bigger RS 660 and is manufactured in the company's plant in Baramati, Maharashtra. The made-in-India RS 457 is exported to several global markets. “The 300-500 cc sports bike category is one of the fastest growing segments in the two-wheeler industry, registering almost 36% growth. We are overwhelmed by the queries and bookings for the RS 457,” said Raghuvanshi. Without deliberating on the production and booking numbers, he added the waiting period for the motorcycle is up to three months.
The brand is also strengthening its network and presence to meet the demands for RS 457. “Besides Motoplexs, we will have up to 60 sales and service touchpoints by the end of the year for RS 457, Vespa and Aprilia scooters across the country," said Ajay. Our customers are young working professionals, aged between 22 and 32 years, Ajay added.
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