Suzuki Burgman 150 Should Come to India!

Suzuki recently introduced the Burgman 15 in the Colombian market. The 150cc maxi-scooter is a fresh product and was never available before in any other market. And if you look at its details, it is a competent product when you consider scooters with the same displacement that are on sale in India. Now, if we were to take the liberty to do some wishful thinking, the Burgman 15 should be launched in India for a few reasons. However, if logic were to be applied, we also think Suzuki might never do that.

Competent Package

The Burgman 15 has the performance, hardware package, and technology to be on par with the current crop of 150-160cc maxi and sporty scooters. Pumping out 14.2bhp and 14.2Nm from its 149cc, air-cooled engine, it sits very close, slightly higher even, as compared to its rivals like the Hero Xoom 160, TVS Ntorq 150, and Yamaha Aerox 155. And given our experience with Suzuki products so far, this engine will certainly be refined and fuel-efficient, the latter being an important factor in the Indian context.

The Burgman 15 is also impressive when it comes to features. There is a data-intensive TFT screen with smartphone connectivity and turn-by-turn navigation. You also get keyless ignition, dual-channel ABS, and switchable traction control. What truly makes it a practical offering is the presence of a sizeable 25-litre underseat storage space with USB-C charging port and an 8-litre fuel tank, which is bigger than all of its aforementioned rivals.

BrandRecall

Burgman is already a trusted and popular brand in India. In fact, Suzuki India boasts about the Burgman Street 125 being their second-highest-selling two-wheeler for a long time now. The scooter has found 11.6 lakh takers in our country since its launch, which is an impressive feat. If the Burgman 15 ever comes to India, it can easily piggyback on that established trust and liking and have a great start. And if the bigger Burgman retains all the positive traits from its smaller sibling while offering a more premium appeal, it might become a logical upgrade for the existing Burgman Street 125 owners who have been using it for a long time.

Challenges

The launch of the Burgman 15 in India will certainly help Suzuki enter a new space, but it might not really be a lucrative decision, considering the 150-160cc scooter space has always witnessed a lukewarm response. One of the oldest contenders in this segment, the Yamaha Aerox 155, rarely crosses the 3,000-unit monthly sales mark. The Xoom 160, which is fairly new, is even lower and hasn’t garnered more than 1,000 customers in a month yet. The 110-125cc scooters are what bring in volumes for manufacturers in India. That clearly shows there’s a lack of demand for bigger scooters as of now, and setting up R&D and a new production line for the bigger Burgman might not prove viable for Suzuki.

Besides the lack of demand and business irrationality, the design of the Burgman 15 might not suit the taste of Indians. If you look at its 125cc iteration, even the new one, it is imposing and bold but not completely in your face. Products with outlier designs have rarely worked in India, unless done absolutely right. With its muscular bodywork and 14-inch wheels, the 150cc Burgman does look big. However, it is also visually polarising with its overly dramatic and busy front fascia. Moreover, at 145kg (kerb), it is significantly heavier than its contenders from Yamaha and TVS. It is 2.5kg more than the Hero Xoom 160 as well, which we already consider on the heavier side. And there is no discounting the fact that accessible weight is a priority in India, since scooters are ridden by all age groups and genders in our country.

Although Suzuki has been tight-lipped about venturing into this space, we are certain that it would, should there be an increased demand in the future. And even if it does, Suzuki might bring a more Indianised version of the Burgman 150 with a toned-down design and lighter weight.