Aprilia Tuareg 660 Spotted Testing

The middleweight ADV is likely to debut in 2022

•  Could use the 660cc engine from the Tuono 660 and RS 660 in a different tune.
• Expect a full suite of electronics.
• Likely to be an off-road-biased bike.

At EICMA 2019, Aprilia teased its onslaught on the middleweight adventure segment with a bike hidden in a foliage. Now, the upcoming Tuareg 660 has been spotted testing and going by what Aprilia has achieved with the RS 660 and Tuono 660, the ADV too could be a good all-round proposition.

The Tuareg 660, in true-blue ADV fashion, gets a minimalistic semi-fairing and short windscreen, quite purposeful when doing serious off-roading. The test mule was spotted with a round headlight, however, we expect the bike to get the iconic three-pod LED unit in the production avatar.

The bike’s frame is likely to be the altered version of the one from the RS 660 and Tuono 660. The ADV is running on a 21/17-inch wheel setup complete with asymmetrical spoke design. We expect the bike to share the same braking hardware with its middle-weight siblings.

The Tuareg will continue to use Aprilia’s newly-developed 660cc, liquid-cooled, parallel-twin motor belting out 100PS and 95PS in the RS 660 and Tuono 660 respectively. However, the Italian brand could alter the tuning to suit the ADV’s character. We expect the bike to be tuned for better off-road experience. Just like its sibling, the Tuareg will get the full suite of IMU-based electronic aids like cornering ABS, traction control, wheelie control to eke the maximum out of the engine.

We expect the bike to make its global debut in early 2022, followed by the India launch later that year. With the Tuareg, Aprilia will challenge the likes of the Yamaha Tenere 700 and BMW 850 GS in many markets. If and when launched in India, the bike could be priced around Rs 13 lakh (ex-showroom).

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