Ducati India has launched its all-new version of a performance-cruiser hybrid, the XDiavel and XDiavel S, at Rs 15.87 lakh and Rs 18.47 lakh respectively (ex-showroom, Delhi).
The XDiavel, which is an evolved version of the popular Diavel model that is already on sale in India, is powered by an L-twin, dual spark, liquid-cooled, 1262cc engine. The engine, which generates peak power output of 156bhp (at 9500rpm) and maximum torque of 13.1 kgm (at low 5000rpm), is mated to a six-speed transmission system.
The power-cruiser, first unveiled at the EICMA Show last year in Milan, also gets three riding modes – Sport (156hp), Touring (156hp) and Urban (100hp).
According to the company, the XDiavel, which has a kerb weight of 247kg, also offers a lean angle as low as 40 degrees, which is more attributed to sports motorcycles than cruisers. The cruiser motorcycles, however, are typically limited on the front of their leaning angles. The XDiavel also features belt drive, which although is a common feature among several popular cruiser models worldwide, it is a first for any Ducati model.
“The XDiavel does everything that cruisers do and they don’t do. It leans and it accelerates well much like a sporty motorcycle. It is an intersection of two different worlds of motorcycling,” Claudio Domenicali, CEO, Ducati, had said while giving an official presentation on this model last year.
On the front of advanced electronics and sophiticated design, the XDiavel offers several features including multiple riding modes, cruise control, cornering ABS, slipper clutch, full ride-by-wire system, full LED lights with DRLs, backlit handlebar switches, Bluetooth, infotainment system, glossy appearance of the engine area with machined belt cover, machined aluminium mirrors and others.
The third Ducati model for India
The XDiavel will mark Ducati India riding its third super premium model in the domestic market in 2016. The company, which currently has a footprint of six exclusive stores across five major cities including Delhi NCR, Mumbai, Bangalore, Pune and Ahmedabad, had launched the 959 Panigale in July and the Multistrada 1200 Enduro in August this year.
It added its sixth store in Ahmedabad, a growing market increasingly prefered by the premium car and motorcycle makers, on September 5. The XDiavel will likely be brought to India as a CBU from Thailand.
Indian industry sales data for the FY2015-16 indicates that the total market size for super-premium motorcycles above 800cc stood at 3,525 units for FY2015-16 as against 2,992 units sold in FY2014-15. The 800cc and above motorcycle market, as understood, grew by close to 18 percent YoY last fiscal, a clear reason that explains why India is on the radar of almost every global big bike manufacturer.
You may like: Ducati XDiavel S bags ‘Best of the Best’ Red Dot Award 2016