Ready to Go
Emissions standards are tightening across the globe. In India, motorcycle manufacturers are updating for the BS6 standard. Benelli is the latest company to update its productions and the Benelli Imperiale 400 recently got its update. Not long before the update, Benelli hiked the price up by Rs 20,000 (around $265).
That might not seem like much, but in the segment that the bike competes in, it is actually quite a lot, according to Zig Wheels. The motorcycle now retails for Rs 1,79,500 (about $2,387) in its most affordable form. The motorcycle hasn’t received any notable updates and it still has the same 374cc fuel-injected engine that makes 20 hp and 21 lb-ft of torque. The price could increase more after the BS6 emissions update.
There’s also the chance that Benelli won’t hike the price up anymore, and that this jump was done in anticipation of the emissions update. Either way, the comparable Royal Enfield models are now BS6 compliant and actually more affordable than the Benelli, so it would seem that Benelli will be fighting an uphill battle in terms of price in the segment. I think the Benelli looks like an awesome motorcycle, but if it’s more expensive than its competition and doesn’t offer all that much more in terms of style and substance, I’d imagine the company to struggle to sell these bikes.