Vespa VX

REDIFINING COOL - As the loved VESPA gets some updates

 VESPA just saying the word invokes visions of a beautiful Italian woman wearing oversized glasses, dressed head to toe in exquisite designer clothes riding on the narrow cobblestone streets of Rome. Or, maybe it invokes a memory of a time gone by when many Indians owned and rode a Vespa as form of daily commute. Today though, the Vespa brand positions itself as far from 'a daily commuter' as possible. Retro chic is the flavour of the day; as the new Fiat 500, the new Mini and the new Beetle has proven, and the fashion hungry Indian market seems to have accepted the high price point of the new avatar of the Vespa. However, the new Vespa was far from perfect and Piaggio seems to have sorted some of its biggest problems with the all new variant, the Vespa VX.
         On the onset, there don't seem to be any real changes to the Vespa in its VX avatar. In terms of basic styling, the Vespa VX and the earlier LX are almost identical. The only noticeable change is the slightly larger grab rail for the pillion, which naturally comes finished in high quality chrome. There is also a slight change in the instrument cluster as the VX model gets a newer fresher silver surround around the speedometer and fuel gauge. The new Vespa range also comes with two new paint shades, a lovely pink and a slightly more masculine turquoise. Paint quality, as expected, is top notch and so is the overall fit and finish. There are of course exceptions like the rubber strips on the floorboard that tend to peel off frequently even when the scooter is brand new. There is also a new beige seat option, which comes standard with the red Vespa VX and can be ordered on the other versions at an extra cost.
    The biggest and most important change in the Vespa VX though is addition of the front disc brake. The cross-drilled disc is certainly a giant leap forward in terms of the Vespa's braking performance, something that was dramatically lacking in the older Vespa LX. The Vespa now stops with much less drama and in a much lesser distance as compared with its drum brake for a chic and sexy new scooter. The new disc brake combined with Vespa's trademark monocoque construction and fantastic 125cc engine combined with it's effortlessly Italian looks are genuinely good package. We expect more buyers to opt for this slightly more expensive version and Vespa to slowly phase out the LX version in the months to come.
  

VESPA VX Specifications:

       Price              :  Rs. 65,600 (ex-showroom Mumbai)

       Engine           :  125.7cc, Single cylinder 3 valve

                                    10bhp @7500rpm

                                    10Nm @6000rpm

       Gearbox        :   Continuous Variable Transmission

       Brakes F/R    :   Cross Drilled Disk/Drum

       Tyres             :    90/100 R10

       Dimensions   :    L  : 1770

                                 W  : 690

                                 M  : 1140

                                 H   : 1140