Opinion: Does The Aprilia Tuareg 660 Make Sense At Rs. 19 Lakh?

Aprilia India made a huge splash launching not one, but four motorcycles in India on April 16, 2024. Out of these four, three have been on sale in India before and have been re-launched with new prices, but the one that has made its debut is the mid-size adventure bike, the Aprilia Tuareg 660. On paper, the Tuareg 660 does seem to have it all as a capable mid-size adventure bike, long travel suspension, relatively light weight, good ground clearance and a tractable engine, despite its relatively modest displacement. And then it rides on wire-spoke wheels with tubeless tyres, which is quite a welcome feature on any ADV in this day and age.

Also Read: Aprilia Tuareg 660 Launched In India At Rs. 18.85 Lakh

The Aprilia Tuareg 660 is launched in a choice of three colours, with the Evocative Dakar Podium colour scheme costing Rs. 19.16 lakh (Ex-showroom)

Aprilia Tuareg 660 India Prices:

But what is a shocker is the high price tag. Yes, it’s a full import from Noale, Italy, and that’s the main reason for the high sticker price, which starts at Rs. 18.85 lakh (Ex-showroom). For India though, even in the high-end ADV segment, price is always a consideration, particularly when you look at its main rivals like the Honda XL750 Transalp (Rs. 11 lakh) and even the Suzuki V-Strom 800 DE (Rs. 10.30 lakh). And if you look at the specs and prices of adventure bikes sitting even a segment above it, you do realise that power output, engine displacement and competitive pricing of the Tuareg’s rivals make it extremely difficult to justify or recommend it to anyone

Also Read: Aprilia RS 660 Launched At Rs. 17.74 Lakh

Lightweight frame, long travel suspension and tractable engine makes the Tuareg 660 sound like a promising adventure bike.

Consider the top-spec, off-road oriented Triumph Tiger 900 Rally Pro, which is priced at Rs. 15.95 lakh (Ex-showroom) and has a bigger 900 cc engine with a 30 bhp increment in peak power over the Tuareg 660. And if you look closer to the Tuareg 660’s prices, there’s the Ducati Desert X, which is priced at Rs. 18.33 lakh (Ex-showroom), and possibly offers much more bragging rights, not just in terms of brand value, but also in engine displacement, features, power and capability.

Also Read: Aprilia Tuono 660 Launched At Rs. 17.44 Lakh

The shocking prices of the Tuareg 660 seems more of a mis-adventure that this seemingly capable adventure bike just don't seem to justify.

For Aprilia India, launching the Tuareg 660 may not be so much about volumes than it’s about making a statement, that it’s a capable and enjoyable adventure bike which has it all to take on all kinds of terrain. The Tuareg 660 will be a first step into the ADV segment for Aprilia in India, and one that will be loaded with expectations and market response, no matter the volumes. Even if it's just a statement on Aprilia's product capabilities, we do have high expectations from the Tuareg 660, and it's just difficult to understand the logic behind the pricing strategy.

The Evocative Dakar Podium colour option of the Aprilia Tuareg 660 is priced at Rs. 19.16 lakh (Ex-showroom)

Ultimately, there’s no denying the fact that the Tuareg 660 is an expensive proposition, and even if it goes on to make an impression as a very good adventure bike, the price tag will be difficult for anyone to justify to put down and take it home. Eventually, the pricing of the Tuareg 660 seems more like a mis-adventure which this adventure bike just doesn't seem to justify.