Benelli Imperiale 400 will continue to use 374 cc air-cooled single-cylinder fuel-injected engine in its BSVI avatar
Benelli India introduced the Imperiale 400 as the direct competitor to the Royal Enfield Classic 350 and Jawa in October 2019 with a price tag of Rs. 1.69 lakh (ex-showroom). According to a report emerged on the internet, the BSVI compliant Imperiale 400 could be priced at a healthy premium compared to its BSIV counterpart upon its arrival.
Its price will be increased to as high as Rs. 2.20 lakh (ex-showroom, New Delhi) – close to Rs. 40,000 dearer compared to the BSIV model. Generally, the price hike of around Rs. 8,000 to Rs. 10,000 is seen courtesy of the BSVI updates but Benelli is said to increase the price by four times. It must be noted that the Imperiale 400 saw its first price hike a couple of months ago.
The report further suggests that the higher USD exchange rates is one of the reasons for the price hike along with the updates pertaining to BSVI emission standards. The BSVI Benelli Imperiale 400 will be launched in the coming months. The Imperiale 400 already uses a fuel-injected engine as the 374 cc air-cooled single-cylinder unit develops 20.7 bhp of maximum power and 29 Nm of peak torque.
The Italian manufacturer would only make slight changes as the engine already has fuel injection technology and thus a bigger catalytic converter and O2 sensor will likely be the possible additions. We do expect minor change in power output and torque figures as well. No mechanical changes are expected on the BSVI Benelli Imperiale 400.
The retro styled motorcycle won’t see any major styling updates but to justify the price there might be some minor decal changes. The Imperiale 400 features semi analogue instrument console, telescopic front forks, dual rear shock absorbers, front and rear disc brakes, 19-inch wheels, dual-channel ABS system and so on and they will continue to be retained.
The reported increase in price could put some potential customers off as the Royal Enfield Classic 350 BSVI only has a starting price of around Rs. 1.60 lakh (ex-showroom).