The premium end of scooter segment initiated by a slew of Piaggio Vespas is likely to get even more livelier. After Hero previewed its 157cc ZIR at the Auto Expo 2014 and Mahindra-Piaggio alliance about to bear its fruit in Indian market with a couple of premium scooters, its the turn of Honda to respond. In an answer to a rising competition, Honda has silently imported a unit of PCX 150 in India, which is one of the premium scooters it sells in the European markets.

The Honda PCX 150 is a full-sized scooter, which is based on the PCX 125 showcased by Honda during the Auto Expo 2014. It comes with a four-stroke, single-cylinder, fuel-injected, 153cc engine, which churns out 13.5PS of power and 14Nm of torque, through a V-Matic CVT transmission. Apart from an appealing European design, the PCX 150 also incorporates some thoughtful features such as front and rear LED lights, 14-inch alloy wheels, steeped seat and a 12V power socket in the under-seat storage compartment.

Though the reasons of Honda importing the scooter are still unknown, there are strong possibilities that Honda will be testing the PCX 150 either for R&D purposes within their technical center or for testing it on the Indian roads to judge its feasibility on the Indian tarmacs. If launched in India, the PCX 150 will be priced in the range of Rs. 70,000 to 80,000. Currently, Piaggio is the sole player in the premium scooter segment, with a portfolio comprising of Vespas, such as Vespa LX125, Vespa VX125 and Vespa S.

Source:- indianexpress.com