In a recent interview, Minoru Kato, President and Chief Executive of Honda Motorcycle and Scooter India (HMSI), hinted at the two-wheeler maker mulling over introducing a bigger engine scooter in the domestic market. Well, that launch of the new scooter may not be far away. There is no official word yet but the rumour mills have been working hard.
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A report of GaadiWaadi makes a bolder prediction that Honda's scooter could ride into the country before the end of the year in December. Also, the report suggests that the new scooter would be a 150cc model. For Honda loyalists, this should be great news.
"For the daily commute, the 125cc performance is good enough -- that is our understanding. But in the future, a customer not just wants performance but to showcase the capability of his two-wheelers. Yes, we do expect bigger engines, better performance scooters in future," said Kato earlier.
Although the company lords it over the scooter segment in India, it only sells 110cc and 125cc engines. What has been missing is a 150cc offering. If Honda indeed launches the new 150cc scooter, the company will enter the territory of Vespa and Aprilia. And the news of the new 150cc scooter also comes close on the heels of the new Grazia scooter launch.
Also read: New Hero 125cc scooter to debut on December 18; details revealed
The Grazia is powered by the same 124.9 cc air-cooled four-stroke engine that does duty in the Activa 125. The mill develops identical 8.52bhp at 6,500rpm and a peak torque of 10.54Nm at 5,000rpm, and is mated to CVT automatic transmission.
The details of the newly rumoured Honda 150cc scooter are scanty at this point of time.
Hero is also expected to launch a new 125cc scooter in India in December this year. The new 125cc scooter may get retro-styling, targeting the urban young Indians. If it is true, the new scooter will be pitted against Honda Activa 125 and Suzuki Access 125 scooters.
