The combined sales of Husqvarna Svartpilen 250 and Vitpilen 250 stood at 725 units in July 2020 as against 208 units for the KTM Duke 250
Husqvarna is the latest entrant into the Indian two-wheeler space and the brand made an instant impact with its quarter litre twins. Earlier this year, the Swedish manufacturer introduced the Svartpilen 250 and Vitpilen 250 motorcycles with prices starting from Rs. 1.80 lakh (ex-showroom) after making their domestic premiere at the 2019 India Bike Week in Goa.
They are retailed from KTM’s dealerships across the country as Husqvarna is part of the KTM AG. In July 2020, 725 units of the Svartpilen 250 and Vitpilen 250 were sold in the country along with a sizeable volume in exports. Their combined sales were 517 units more than what KTM managed with the Duke 250. The latter has plenty in common with the Huskies.
KTM registered a total of 208 units with the Duke 250 as against 493 units during the corresponding period in 2019 with 58 per cent Year-on-Year sales de-growth. However, the highest sold 250 cc motorcycle within Bajaj’s portfolio was the Dominar 250 as it garnered 1,222 units. The smaller Dominar has been priced attractively in India and it has a refined engine to back up its touring credentials.
The Husqvarna duo is powered by the same 248.7 cc, liquid-cooled, fuel-injected, single-cylinder, four-stroke, DOHC engine that can also be found in the Dominar 250 and Duke 250. It is good enough to generate a maximum power output of 30 PS and 24 Nm of peak torque, and is connected to a six-speed transmission. It rides on the lightweight trellis frame as the Duke 250.
Some of the key features in the Husqvarna Svartpilen 250 and Vitpilen 250 are upside down front forks, monoshock rear suspension, 17-inch cast aluminium wheels, 320 mm front disc, 230 mm rear disc, dual-channel ABS system, digital instrument cluster, LED headlamp, tail lamps and blinkers and so on. The Svartpilen 250 comes equipped with a set of dual-purpose tyres for both on- and off-road usage.
It also has a rugged styling with an upright seating posture when compared to the Vitpilen 250 while boasting a touring styled handlebar as the latter gets clip-ons. The adventure version of the Duke 250 is expected to go on sale in the coming months.