Sportiest Vespa model now built in Vietnam
PIAGGIO Group, owner of the Vespa brand, announced it has started producing the Vespa GTS range at its Hanoi plant, where the model joins the Vespa lineup comprised of the LX, S, Sprint and Primavera, as well as other Piaggio scooters like the Medley ABS, New Liberty ABS, Fly and Zip. The company noted it has produced more than 740,000 motorcycles in Vietnam since it started operating in the country in 2008.
It added Piaggio Vietnam is its third-largest production plant after its facilities in Pisa, Italy, and Maharashtra, India. Besides catering to the Vietnamese market, motorcycles built by Piaggio in Vietnam are sold in Indonesia, Japan, Thailand, Singapore, Taiwan, Malaysia, South Korea, Cambodia, Myanmar, Hong Kong, China, Australia, New Zealand and the Philippines.
The company has yet to disclose when it would bring in the Vietnambuilt GTS to the Philippines.
Piaggio said the GTS range “hits new standards” in safety, technology, comfort and attention to detail, noting that — like all Vespas with large bodies — the model boasts a helmet compartment, more comfortable seating, and latest-generation instruments that display plenty of information.
Also fitted as standard on the new GTS series are a USB port and integrated LED turn signal/ day running lamps.
The scooter is powered by either a 125cc or a 150cc engine that’s liquid- cooled, and which features electronic fuel injection, four- valve timing and an automatic start/stop system to reduce fuel consumption and emission.
The top-spec GTS comes with a 300cc, four-stroke, four-valve, single-cylinder engine that also has electronic fuel injection. It is also equipped with electronic traction control and ABS.
These make the GTS the sportiest Vespa at present.