The Benelli 302R will be launched in July 25, 2017, and will be the full-faired version of the Benelli TNT300. Benelli has sent a 'save your date' request to us, confirming the date. The Benelli 302R is expected to be priced under Rs. 3.5 lakh (ex-showroom). The new model is essentially a Benelli TNT 300 with a fairing, sharing the same parallel-twin engine. But the 302R gets a new chassis, which is lighter than the one on the TNT 300 and will look different, thanks to a new front end with the fairing and split headlamp. Benelli will be hoping to ramp up sales volumes with the 302R, but a lot will depend on the price.
The Benelli 302R will be powered by the same 300 cc, liquid-cooled, parallel-twin engine which makes 35 bhp of power at 12,000 rpm and 27 Nm of torque at 9,000 rpm. One of the most attractive features of the TNT 300 is the sound the parallel-twin makes, although the power is far up the rev range and you need to work the throttle to get to that power. The 302R gets a six-speed transmission and cycle parts include upside down (USD) forks, rear monoshock and standard ABS. The TNT300 has a kerb weight of 196 kg, but the 302R is expected to shed some weight, thanks to the new chassis. Of course, the fairing will add some weight as well. Performance is expected to be more or less same as the TNT 300.
Benelli BN 302R gets a 300 cc parallel-twin engine
So far, there's no word on pricing, but Benelli will need to keep the 302R's pricing competitive, considering the rivals it goes up against. The Benelli 302R will rival the Kawasaki Ninja 300 and the Yamaha YZF-R3.
