Since TVS revealed “Draken” in the last Auto Expo, speculations of an all new Apache have sparked up. Now, it is rumoured that the Hosur based company is going to launch the 200 cc variant of its flagship bike during Diwali, this year. But, remember that the rumours of a 200 cc Apache are doing rounds since 2012 and still nothing is official from the company.
The company might stick to upgrading its current line of Apache as the time just does not seem right for a 200 cc variant which is speculated to produce 20 bhp. If the new variant is priced around Rs. 1.1 lakh mark, it will directly go into the territory of Pulsar RS 200 which has a power output of 24 bhp and if it is priced between Rs. 1.3-1.5 lakhs, it will step into the territory of KTM RC 200 and Honda CBR 250R. Both the bikes have a power output of around 25 bhp.
As you can observe, a 20 bhp bike will not make the cut if it is priced above the 5 digit mark. Bajaj and KTM along with Honda are ruling Rs. 1-2 lakh price bracket in the country and a new entry into this segment is not expected to succeed at this time. The current 180 cc version of the bike is returning good sales numbers for the company and it might just give its engine a little tweak to produce more power and give a few cosmetic upgrades to give it a whole new look. Spy pictures have been doing the rounds on the internet which suggest that the whole design might change.
If TVS decides to launch a 200 cc variant, it will surely be based on the “Draken” concept which looked distinct from the current crop of the bike. The company has always been in the game with the help of few minor upgrades but it needs to do more than that if it wants to catch up with Hero Motocorp and Bajaj.
