APRILIA SXR 160

India’s modern maxi-scooter is here?

- ADITYA CHATTERJEE

Type 160cc, air-cooled, single-cylinder

Max torque 11Nm@5,750rpm

Fuel tank 7 litres

Price ₹1.46 lakh, on-road, Mumbai

Kerb Weight 129kg

Max power 11PS@7,100rpm

Seat height 770mm

OD Rating

Design, performance Touring comfort, plastic quality

While most of the scooters that you see in India are limited to mundane commutes, back in the day there was this one offering which stood out from the lot like a macadamia nut amongst groundnuts. This was the Kinetic Blaze, a truly one-of-a-kind Italian scooter which India had never seen. It was far ahead of its time, it looked like no other, had better presence than the motorcycles of its time and came with a 165cc engine, making it the largest displacement scooter back then. All of that kind of justified the ‘Catch me if you can’ sticker on the tail.

After almost a decade and a half, Aprilia, another Italian two-wheeler brand, has ventured into this territory with its first-ever large displacement scooter for India, the SXR 160 which is the company’s flagship offering. Based on the already proven SR platform, the SXR 160 aims at offering more in terms of comfort, practicality and features to attract a wider audience. But then does it have what it takes to be India’s modern maxi-scooter?

Design