Expanding its commercial passenger vehicle fleet, Piaggio India has introduced the new Ape City+ entering the mid-body three-wheeler segment. The new Piaggio Ape City+ is priced from Rs. 1.71 lakh for the petrol version and goes up to Rs. 1.92 lakh for the CNG variant (all prices, ex-showroom Mumbai) and is intended to improve last mile connectivity in semi-urban and rural areas that the company says offers a huge opportunity for shared mobility. The new Ape City+ has been developed from ground up and developed by the brand's R&D facilities in Italy and India. The three-wheeler will be available in four fuel variants - Petrol, Diesel, LPG and CNG.
The wide body Ape City Plus offers better headroom and legroom, and better cargo space as well
The Piaggio Ape City+ promises best-in-class space, power and torque, along with stepless entry and extra luggage space. The larger proportions liberate improved legroom and headroom for the passengers, while the driver also gets a more comfortable seat. The design language is familiar from the more compact models, which is likely to make it more relatable to its target customer base. The Ape City+ gets a ground clearance of 197 mm, the highest in the segment. The wheelbase stands at 1920 mm, while the overall length measures, 2880 mm. The width is 1435 mm and the heigh is 1970 mm.
Power on the Piaggio Ape City+ comes from an all-new three-valve 230 cc petrol engine tuned to produce 10 bhp at 4800 rpm and 17.51 Nm of peak torque. The LPG version develops slightly more power from the same motor at 11 bhp available at 4900 rpm and 20.37 Nm of peak torque at 3000 rpm. The Ape City+ diesel churns out 8 bhp at 3600 rpm and 21 Nm of peak torque. All variants are paired with a 4-speed gearbox. Suspension duties are handled by hydraulic telescopic forks at the front and rear, while drum brakes take care of the stopping power.
The BS4 Ape City Plus sales are currently open, while the BS6 version will be ready by the end of the year
Piaggio says the new Ape City+ offers a lower cost of ownership despite the larger proportions and more powerful engine, while the fuel efficiency too is class leading. The company claims the CNG variant returns 40 km per kg, while the LPG version returns 22 kmpl. The Ape City+ diesel promises a mileage of 40 kmpl. Piaggio India will also be offering a 36 month/1 lakh kilometre warranty on the Ape City+ petrol along with eight free services for the first year. The diesel variant comes with a 42 month/1.2 lakh kilometre warranty with five free services.
