Benelli has reflected on some real elaborate deep-rooted plans in the Indian market since the brand’s entry in the country. The results though have not been really encouraging for the brand but quite honestly there is not much that Benelli has done to stand out in the cut-throat market.
The automobile community was optimistic about hearing more from Benelli which the brand did not stand up to. Benelli’s first and only BS6 compliant offering in the Indian market is the Imperiale 400 which targetted the “retro phile” buyers, against the very obvious competitor the mighty Royal Enfield. Recently Benelli announced the launch of BS6 Leocino 500 and overhaul on the TRK 502 range to inculcate on the regulatory norms with some upgrades.
About the motorcycles
Design
The Leoncino, which means “lion cub” is a non-retro, scrambler from Benelli whereas TRK 502 range is an adventure tourer. The motorcycles follow the basic design lines of the category in which they fall in. with Leoncino bringing a strong street vibe to it and the TRK series with its aggressive fairings and tall stance representing sturdy and all-road design language.
Engine
The motorcycles being talked about a stand at a very similar pedestal on the price spectrum and with similar engine capacities. They are diverse when coming to the much more subjective design and preferences sector which is pretty much dependant on the buyers to consider.
With an engine displacement of 500cc for all these bikes, the TRK 502 and 502X will be pretty much similar to their outgoing BS4 predecessors in engine performance producing power in the range of 47 hp and torque figures of about 46 Nm. These figures may differ when these motorcycles are launched but not by a great margin. The Leoncino 500 is expected to come with a unit producing a 49 bhp and churning out torque in nearly the same region.
Pricing
This is where these offerings will part their ways, not on an intra-brand basis but when considering where they will stand in the market. The Leoncino seems to be filling in the void in the Scrambler segment in India in the price range of around Rs 5 lakh. Husqvarna and Honda have their offerings in the lower segment whereas Ducati and Triumph dominate the higher price range.
As far as the TRK series is considered, the 502X can be expected at somewhere around Rs 5.6-5.7 lakh where the 502 comes in a bit lower at around Rs 5.25 lakh (expected). It stands up to the Kawasaki’s Versys, the upcoming V-storm from Suzuki and Honda’s CBR500R.
