Aprilia SR 175 hp.e - Scooter with a Dual Personality

The Aprilia SR 175 hp.e is the most premium scooter from the Italian brand in India yet. But the story is different when you start riding it

Story: Anvay Mahajan

Photography: Sanjay Raikar

We often associate Italian machines with being fast, red, and expensive. The SR 175 hp.e, however, breaks that stereotype; it feels somewhat less Italian, carrying a split personality. At times it leans towards an “Indianized” persona, making it a complicated scooter to place.

First things first. The design of the SR 175 remains very similar to that of the SR 160. It has all-LED lighting, a sharp styling, and 14-inch 10-spoke alloy wheels at both ends. What attracted me the most was the Matte Prismatic Grey colour which changes its shade when viewed under different lighting conditions and from different angles. This adds a premium touch to the scooter. The first change on this scooter is the new five-inch TFT display, which has features such as Bluetooth connectivity, music control, turn-by-turn navigation, and many more. The toggle switches on this scooter feels elegant and the screen response is quick as well.

The big change is the new 175-cc engine producing 13.26 hp and 14.14 Nm, though it does not get Aprilia’s i-GET Tech. The engine is smooth and linear but it has a negligible low-down punch. This is really good for someone making a transition from a 125-cc scooter to a 175-cc one. But for enthusiasts, it feels like it lacks that push, the push that slides you back.

This scooter has a 220-millimetre disc with anti-lock braking system (ABS) at the front and a 140-mm drum at the rear. Personally, I feel these are some of the best brakes I have experienced on a scooter. In fact, this was the first time that I experienced the ABS on a scooter, and it worked perfectly well in rain. The suspension duties are managed by a telescopic fork at the front and a monoshock at the rear. The suspension set-up is very stiff and one can feel the harshness when the scooter hits a pothole or a bump, but it works beautifully in smooth corners. Pair it with a good set of tyres and the scooter inspires a lot of confidence while leaning into corners. Personally, I felt the steering to be slightly heavy, good for open roads but overwhelming for traffic conditions.

In the end, the Aprilia SR 175 hp.e feels like a scooter with two personalities. It’s stylish, well-built, and loaded with modern features like the TFT screen and connected tech, giving it a youthful edge. But its engine doesn’t quite deliver the excitement one would expect from Aprilia’s sporty DNA.

Priced at Rs 1.28 lakh (ex-showroom), the SR 175 hp.e sits in an interesting spot. As of this article, it is the cheapest high-capacity scooter in the market. It rivals the Yamaha Aerox 155, which costs more at Rs 1.48 lakh but feels like a stronger package. With upcoming competition from scooters like the Hero Xoom 160, TVS Ntorq 150, and VLF Mobster, the Aprilia will appeal mainly to riders looking for their first step into the higher-capacity scooter space and at a low price.