Mahindra2wheelers
Mahindra2wheelers has unveiled
two new motorcycles, the Pantero and the Centuro. With these new motorcycles,
the company is trying to capture market share in the executive commuter segment
as well as the premium commuter segment.
Both the Pantero and the Centuro are powered by a single
cylinder air cooled MCi-5 engine (Micro chip ignited 5-curve engine) which
produces 8.5bhp at 8500rpm and torque of 8.5Nm at 5500rpm. The Pantero is
targeted more towards first time buyers who are looking for basic features yet
with great design. On the other hand, the Centuro is targeted at premium
customers who are looking for lots of features.
The Centuro
features a "central locking" anti-theft system along with an engine
immobilizer, a remote 128 bit encrypted flip key which is first in its class.
It also features "find me" lamps that will help an owner locate his
motorcycle in a crowded parking lot and guide lamps that will remain lit for
seven seconds after switching off the ignition. The speedo is fully digital
with white backlighting for better visibility. The motorcycle also features
distance-to-empty fuel calculator and service due indicator.
The Pantero is a completely new motorcycle from Mahindra.
Rumours of the Stallio being rebadged as the Pantero can be put to rest. The
company has claimed that nothing has been carried over from the Stallio other
than the tank design. Everything else has been developed from scratch by
Mahindra’s R&D team. The motorcycle features a fully digital instrument
cluster with speedometer, tachometer, fuel gauge and clock. It also sports LED
pilot lamps and LED tail lamps.The Pantero has an ARAI-certified fuel
efficiency of 79.4kmpl.
The prices of both the motorcycles are yet to be declared but we
expect the Pantero to be priced at around Rs 48,000 and the Centuro demanding a
premium price somewhere between Rs 53,000 and 60,000.Both the motorcycles will
be manufactured in the Pithampur plant near Indore.
Design & Styling:
At first glance, many would simply
discount it for a rebadged Mahindra Stallio, but delve deeper into the
underpinnings of the motorcycle and it is clear that barring the cosmetic
similarities, the Pantero is a brand-new product built from the ground up by
the Indian bike-maker. On the outside, the Pantero takes the basic design of
body panels and fuel tank from the Stallio with the large front bikini fairing
housing LED pilot lamps (three on each side) and the headlight.
Having scrapped the Stallio project
in totality, the R&D division at Mahindra 2 Wheelers has made sure to not
only iron out the glitches that came to fore on the previous model but also
gone a step ahead and bettered it in every department crucial to the commuter
segment. For instance, the fuel tank although still a bit narrow, like on the
Stallio, is now aided by a longer (774mm, longest-in-class), flatter and a bit
wider seat, making for a comfortable riding stance.
Couple that
to the feet-forward placing of the rider foot pegs, and the ergonomic geometry
is dead right for city commutes. A closer look and it is telling that the
overall built quality and finish on the Pantero is not just better than what we
saw on the Stallio but on par with the current competition in the 110cc class
of motorcycles.
The paint quality is well finished
and there are no shoddy panel gaps or dodgy weld spots visible on the outside.
The full digital display console upfront comprises a tachometer, speedometer,
fuel meter and tell-tale lights. While the console is up to the task, the
switchgear quality on the chrome-laden bars could be improved to gel with the
overall finish of the Pantero.
