Lambretta returns to Australia on August 25

Lambretta will officially make its return to Australia on August 25, 2018. The company will sell six models – V50, V50 Special, V125, V125 Special, V200 and the V200 Special – through nine dealerships across the country.

The V and V Special variants are differentiated by their front mudguard, as showcased at EICMA last year. While the Vs get a ‘flex fender’ that turns with the wheel, the V Specials use a fixed fender – a signature Lambretta design that originally made its debut on the TV175 in 1957. All six variants are steel-bodied, based on same platform and sport identical dimensions.

The least powerful of the line is the V50, which is powered by a 49.5cc, air-cooled, carburetted, single-cylinder motor that makes 3.5hp at 7,500rpm and 3.4Nm of torque at 6,500rpm. The engine is belt-driven by a CVT, a configuration that is common to all three models. The V125 features a 124.7cc fuel-injected motor that produces 10.1hp at 8,500rpm and 9.2Nm of torque at 7,000rpm, figures that are very similar to 125cc scooters we see in India. The V200’s motor, also fuel-injected, displaces 168.9cc and makes 12.1hp at 7,500rpm and 12.5Nm of torque at 5,500rpm.

Lambretta has equipped the V Specials well, and they have all-LED lighting, a 12V charging socket, a 220mm front disc brake and telescopic fork. The V200 also features a Bosch ABS unit. Interestingly, these Lambrettas have a 770mm seat height, which is the same as on the Vespa 125 and 150 offered in India. The wheelbase, at 1,330mm, is about 40mm longer than the current Vespa range in India.

Back in November last year, we had learned that India is also slated to get the new Lambrettas, though, most likely in 2019 as the company is in the process of assessing a distribution system. As per the manufacturer’s representatives at EICMA, a manufacturing/assembly set-up is preferred for India (keeping in mind costs and volumes), explaining the timeframe it has in mind for an Indian debut. At present, Lambretta hasn’t confirmed if it will tie up with a local partner or enter as an independent entity.

Lambretta has made a comeback thanks to Austrian-based Lambretta GmbH, a joint venture of the Lambretta Consortium (Innocenti SA, with headquarters located in Lugano, Switzerland) that owns all the brand rights and the Austrian KSR Group GmbH.