Kawasaki India has sent out Block Your Date invites for 25th September 2022. And Kawasaki India will likely launch the locally manufactured W175 retro-styled motorcycle. The Japanese brand was going to launch the W175 in India in 2020. But then the pandemic happened.
Now ahead of Kawasaki’s 25th September event, the W175’s brochure has been leaked. Thus, further cementing the fact that it could be the next product from Kawasaki for India.
Firstly, there is no word on pricing. However, being a Kawasaki, it would be wrong to expect it to be affordable. Though the W175 is available in multiple versions in the international markets, India will only get one standard version. There will be a total of two colour options on offer – Ebony & Special Edition Red.
Powering the W175 will be a 177cc air-cooled single-cylinder engine. It also gets fuel injection and makes 13 PS at 7,500 rpm and 13.2 Nm of torque at 6,000 rpm. As for the gearbox, it gets a 5-speed unit.
As for the suspension and brakes, it will use telescopic forks at the front with 110mm of travel and dual shock absorbers at the rear with 65mm of travel. Meanwhile, braking hardware consists of a disc brake at the front and a drum brake at the rear.
The W175 measures 2,006mm in length, 802mm in width and 1,052mm in height. It is also light and tips the scales at 135 kg. To put things into perspective, the Yamaha FZ-X weighs 139 kg. Thus, due to its weight advantage, the W175 could have a better power-to-weight ratio when compared to its rivals.
Sources suggest that Kawasaki will make the W175 in India to keep costs in check. Still, the Kawasaki W175 will be anything but budget. Sources indicate the pricing will be around INR 1.5 lakh ex-showroom. This makes the Royal Enfield Hunter 350 Retro look like a bargain.
With the W175, Kawasaki will target the premium commuter category. In terms of features, the W175 will get an analogue instrument cluster, halogen headlight and taillight, and even halogen turn signal indicators. It will also run on spoked wheels and have minimal body panels.
In terms of competition, it does not have a direct competitor. The Yamaha FZ-X is much more affordable. While on the other end, we have the Royal Enfields, Jawa and Yezdi and Honda’s CB350. All of these offer larger engines than the W175 and cost around INR 1.5 to INR 2 lakh range.
Also Read: MY23 Kawasaki Ninja ZX-10R launched in India at INR 15.99 lakh