At the sidelines of the EICMA 2023 Motor Show, we got to meet Diego Arioli – head of product marketing, motorcycles, Piaggio Group – and he gave us some insights into the company's intentions with the RS 457 in India.
“In my opinion, India is a market with a class of customers looking for what’s the next chapter," Arioli said. “Seeing what’s currently on offer with affordable fully faired bikes, I noticed the proposition is all about single-cylinder bikes. In my opinion, the next big story could be moving to the twin and that’s why we wanted to launch the bike in India.”
That the RS 457 would be priced at a premium was always expected, but the concern was by how much. We finally have a clear idea as Arioli told us that the company is contemplating a price between Rs 3.75 lakh-4 lakh. He goes on to say that the price needs to be reasonable yet ambitious and not for everyone.
Diego told us that the main idea is that it shouldn't cost as much as a CBU. That being said, he confirmed that Aprilia will stick to its positioning as a premium company and will not get into the price competition with other players. With the RS 457’s parallel-twin motor, aluminium chassis and premium electronics, Arioli believes that the price is justified.
This philosophy goes with the fact that Aprilia has a big task on its hands with dealership expansion and training in order to offer the right experience for such an expensive product. This will be the first time Piaggio is selling a locally made motorcycle in India, and it will cost two to three times that of the existing Aprilia and Vespa scooters.
The RS 457 is a global product and it will be sold in the same spec in Europe. For now, India is the only production base, but CKD assembly might commence later: Piaggio has six production facilities worldwide – one each in India, Vietnam and Indonesia, and three plants in Italy. To make an entry in India, local production was the only way and that’s why the Baramati plant was selected for this project.
Arioli suggests that the advent of the RS 457 in India could have positive effects on the big bike business as well. With the opening of more premium Motoplex outlets in large cities, the sales and service network for big bikes could also be increased. This is something that is currently very limited to the Aprilia and Moto Guzzi CBU motorcycles.
The India launch of the Aprilia RS 457 is likely to take place next year, and we expect to ride the bike around that time as well.
Is a sub-Rs 4 lakh price tag appealing for the premium technology, equipment, design and brand value that the RS 457 brings? Let us know in the comments section below.