CNBC-TV18 OVERDRIVE Awards 2017: Aprilia SR150 wins Scooter Of The Year
The Aprilia SR 150 is a sporty scooter. That intent all on its own is a new idea in the Indian scooter market. But when the idea is backed by purposeful engineering, the results can be spectacular.
The 11.6PS/11.5Nm 150cc Aprilia SR150 is based on the Vespa 150 that preceded it, but Piaggio's engineers tightened up the feel of the transmission, changed the gearing and wrapped this up in a 14-inch wheeled package that positively oozes youthful intent. But when you ride it, you realise that the SR150 is more than the sum of its parts. It vibrates at idle like a bigger engine might and it smoothens out when you're riding. Aprilia has managed to eliminate the elastic feel of the automatic, and it makes the scooter feel extremely quick on the move and very taut and sporty in feel. This is unexpected from India scooters, and it feels great to ride the Aprilia!
The 14-inch wheels are gorgeous but their effect on the proceedings is remarkable. The scooter goes around corners with a feel and directness that reminds us more of motorcycles then scooters. The brakes are extraordinary for a scooter too!
It is this combination of ability matched perfectly to its intent and then rolled up into a price that is within the normal scooter ballpark that is a triple whammy that no one had an answer to this year. The Aprilia SR150, clearly, is the CNBC-TV18 OVERDRIVE Scooter Of The Year 2017. (Read the complete story here.)
A look at the winners of the previous years