Piaggio Vehicles launches new variant of diesel cargo Ape’ Xtra

Mumbai: Small commercial vehicle maker Piaggio Vehicles on Tuesday launched a new variant of its cargo three-wheeler Ape’ Xtra with a larger deck, to cater to increased demand for last-mile delivery of goods amid the pandemic at an introductory price of Rs 2.65 lakh (ex-Pune showroom).

Piaggio’s Ape’ Xtra range is already available with 5 feet and 5.5 feet deck and the latest Ape’ Xtra LDX + comes with 6 feet deck length, Piaggio Vehicles Private Limited (PVPL) said in a release.

PVPL is a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Italian Piaggio Group.

“Our new BS-VI performance range has been a huge success in the market due to superior specs than competition products. Ape’ Xtra LDX +, with longer deck size, will enable our customers to earn more and will further strengthen our position as a leader in the 3-wheeler cargo category,” said Diego Graffi, Chairman and MD, Piaggio Vehicles.

Ape’ Xtra LDX + comes with 599 cc diesel engine with a 5+1 gearbox delivering best in class mileage and superior load while the new aluminium clutch gives a smooth driving experience and long life of 30,000 kilometres, the company said.

The new variant with 6 feet deck length addresses the need for high volume load with more space requirement directly improving the earnings of customers.

“We are pleased to be launching the Ape’ Xtra LDX + diesel cargo. Through market research, we saw the latent need of a longer deck product required by the customer to carry high volume loads with higher unit length. The more powerful 599 smart BSVI engine gave us an opportunity to develop this variant on our already proven diesel platform.

“We feel that the 6 feet variant will especially be suitable for captive customers and e-commerce delivery businesses and will give stiff competition to four-wheelers small commercial vehicle cargo products,” Saju Nair, EVP and Head of Commercial Vehicle Business, Piaggio India said.