Missed Day 1 of Auto Expo? Here is a Low-Down

The day that every automotive enthusiast had been waiting for has arrived and oh what a day it was. The break of dawn saw hundreds of motoring journalists and manufacturers rushing the gates of the 2016 Auto Expo on Tuesday. 

With a plethora of manufacturers all set to showcase the best they have to offer, it was a treat for the eyes and the soul. Yamaha India kicked off the day with their showcase of their new updated version of their popular scooter the Ray. Christened the Ray-ZR, the new scooter looks much bigger and better but will be powered by the same engine as the Yamaha Ray.

Next up was Honda Motorcycles who finally showcased the Africa Twin in India but were still unsure if it will work well in the Indian market. But the biggest unveil from Honda was the Navi. The Navi will go on sale for under Rs.40,000(ex-showroom Delhi) for the base variant. You’ll get a few variants to pick from and you can even tweak it to your liking. 

DSK Benelli enthralled the audience by unveiling four new motorcycles. Among them was the TRK 502 which marks Benelli’s entry into the adventure biking segment. The other motorcycle that caught our eye was the Tornado 302 which will go up against the likes of the Yamaha R3 and in its anniversary colours, the motorcycle looks drop dead gorgeous.

Japanese giant Suzuki soon had their turn to impress us but didn’t live up to our expectations. We were hoping to see the new Gixxer 250 however Suzuki decided to improve on their current line-up. Suzuki unveiled a new long overdue update of their most popular scooter the Access 125. Other updates are the inclusion of a new variant of the Gixxer which sports a rear disc brake and a variant of the Gixxer SF which now comes with a Fuel Injection system. 

Up next was Hero MotoCorp with four new motorcycles on display. First was the new Splendor i-smart which uses a new engine developed in-house by Hero. Next up was the new Xtreme 200S which gets an all-new design and a peppier engine churning out 18.6PS and 17.2Nm but is set to launch sometime next year. The shocker for everyone though was the XF3R which looks like a 300cc single cylinder motorcycle. Unfortunately, though, it’s only a concept for now. Last up was another concept, an electric version of the new Duet scooter but again it was only a concept.

The most awaited launch of the day was by newcomer UM motorcycles. They showcased the motorcycles at the last Auto Expo and have now finally decided to launch the Renegade range. The Renegade range of motorcycles is powered by a 279cc single cylinder oil cooled engine churning out 26PS and 22Nm. It gets a 6-speed gearbox and gets a massive 18litre fuel tank. The Renegade range starts at Rs. 1.49 lakh(ex-showroom Delhi). 

India’s very own TVS set the stage on fire with their new scooter the Entor Q210, their performance motorcycle the Akula 310 and their super sport the X21. The Entor Q210 is supposed to be a touring scooter and is powered by a 212cc engine. The Akula 310 and the X21 both look gorgeous and show that TVS have the capability of designing a true sport and super sport motorcycle.

The next manufacturer to unveil a new product was the Piaggio group. The Aprilia brand is normally known for its high-performance racing machines but they surprised everyone with the unveil of their new 150cc scooter the SR150. It’s got long telescopic front forks and massive tyres combined with a very predator like styling that’s definitely going to give other scooters an inferiority complex. It will be made at their Baramati plant in India and should launch in August this year. 

Mahindra had a massive stall at the Auto Expo this year and even though it was a mix of motorcycles and cars, they had a lot to show us two-wheeler enthusiasts. Although the Mojo did take centre-stage, the Mahindra Genze caught the spotlight. It has a top speed of 48kmph but looks like it’s a work in progress. There’s a lot more to be desired from the design point of view but it’s a good effort from Mahindra.