Yamaha YZF-R15 wins India Design Council Award 2012
We have always been fans of the Yamaha R15’s razor-sharp styling, reminiscent of its much larger and sportier superbike siblings from the Land of the Rising Sun. Apparently, the India Design Council seems to agree with us, for they have recently bestowed this brilliant little 150cc crotch rocket with the coveted India Design Mark (I Mark) award.
The India Design Council is affiliated with India’s Ministry of Commerce & Industry and is made up of eminent people in academia, design and industry organizations. The I Mark awards program was organized with the cooperation of the Japan Institute of Design Promotion, organizers of Japan’s Good Design Award (G Mark). Adopting the same high standards as its Japanese equivalent, the submissions and judging for the first edition of the India Design Mark Awards was completed recently and the winners announced. Of the 71 applicants, 31 were awarded the I Mark, and the Yamaha YZF-R15 was one of four products from three Japan-based companies to receive the coveted award.
The YZF-R15, first unveiled at the 2008 Indian Auto Expo, underwent a model change last year that endowed it an even sportier design. The model’s body design is based directly on Yamaha’s supersport YZF-R series models, with which it shares many of its technologies too, like liquid cooling, Deltabox frame and link-type monoshock suspension at the rear.
The primary purpose of the I Mark award program was to increase design awareness and promote value of design in the industry and society, to raise the demand for good designs from users and manufacturers and improve the overall quality of life by encouraging these designs. Commenting on this achievement, Mr. Hiroyuki Suzuki, CEO & MD, India Yamaha Motor said that he was very pleased with this recognition that the YZF-R15 had received.
