Piaggio Ape BS-IV

April 16, 2020: A major truck and the most popular three-wheeler vehicle option, Piaggio Ape enjoys its high GVW at 975kg. This powerful three-wheeler truck marks with a ground clearance of 165mm besides offering a maximum gradability of 25.21 %. The other major USP of the vehicle is its low maintenance offering at an affordable price. 

Coming to its competitors, the vehicle gives a healthy competition to the likes of Tata Ape and other mini trucks with sub 500cc engine capacity. Alike the other offering in its segment, the Ape DX is also offered in all the available fuel options of Petrol, CNG, and LPG. 

Powering the vehicle is a 435cc four-stroke single-cylinder naturally aspirated air-cooled engine which produces different levels of outputs for the different fuel type. The LPG trim produces 10.6hp of power along with 25Nm torque while the CNG drivetrain produces 8.04hp power with 23Nm of torque. Lastly, the Petrol engine produces 8hp power with 21Nm of peak torque. 

 

Overview

Piaggio Ape is referred to as India’s leading three-wheeler LCV (Light Commercial Vehicles). The vehicle is based on a Vespa scooter and is highly recommended by small business owners for its superb performance.

The Ape was first launched way back in 1948 at the end of World War II to fulfil the transport needs. It comes in many configurations and is used for different purposes, be it for light cargo movement or goods carriage.

The small truck has scooter-styled handlebars for its three-wheeler body and was originally designed for one person, though it can accommodate a passenger in the cab now. This affordable vehicle is easy to be operated and is offered in seven body colour options, such as orange, green, blue, white, yellow, and red.

Recently Piaggio launched a new range of the Ape in Gujarat with a water-cooled engine, including the Ape Xtra LDX and Ape. The newest range priced from Rs. 2.13 lakhs to Rs. 2.18 lakhs (ex-showroom prices).

Specs

• Engine - DI 0.4-litre water-cooled single cylinder
• Gross Vehicle Weight (GVW) - 975 kg
• Wheelbase - 2100 mm
• Power steering - No (Handlebar steering)

Engine and Performance

The Piaggio Ape mini truck is powered by a 0.4-litre water-cooled, single cylinder BS-IV compliant engine that can churn out a maximum power of 8.04 bhp at 3,400 rpm, along with the highest torque of 22.2 Nm at 2,000 rpm. The produced power is channelled through a 4-speed manual gearbox with the help of a multi-disc wet type clutch.

Though the power and torque seem to be a little too low, the dimension and weight allow it to have decent performance. The fuel efficiency is also on the better side as the engine returns with a mileage of around 36 kmpl.

Vehicle Built and Load Capacity

The Piaggio Ape is generally used to carry loads light like food items and more on both urban roads and hilly roads. Hence, the cargo deck is decently sized and there is a day cabin too. Though the cabin looks a little small, it can accommodate a co-driver along with the driver. The three-wheeler truck has an overall length of 3,110 mm, while the wheelbase stands at 2,100 mm.

The gross vehicle weight is on the lighter side with 975 kilograms. This makes for 481 kilograms of kerb weight and 494 kilograms of maximum payload capacity.

Handling and Suspension

The Piaggio Ape has an off-road gradeability of 18%, which is decent for a three-wheeler mini truck with such a setup. It comes with 165 mm of ground clearance, which works decently on bumpy and bad roads. However, off-roading is not an option here.

The mini truck features Helical spring with a hydraulic telescopic shock absorber at a front wheel, while on the rear wheel, there is a Rubber Compression with a hydraulic telescopic shock absorber. The suspension does not have a lot of travel, especially on the front wheel. However, the stiffer suspension setup helps the truck to maintain stability on the road as anything more bouncy would get it off its wheels.

Braking and Safety

The Piaggio Ape gets disc brakes doing the stopping duties. The brakes are pretty good and are in-line with the kind of power and weight that the mini truck possesses. And just like anyone would imagine, it does not have ABS for its brakes. However, parking brakes is a very worthy addition.

The mini truck does not have very rich safety equipment and it cannot be blamed as well. The extremely low price tag and small build take away the inclusion of seat belts and the truck does well without.

Design and Comfort

The Piaggio Ape three-wheeler mini truck isn’t the most attractive looking model but it gets the job done. There are extra additional mudguards for all the wheels. The suspension setup is better and is tuned just enough to keep the road stability intact.

Inside the day cabin, there is just a D+1 that isn’t the most spacious of the lot but good enough for short city hauls. The handle-type steering makes it easy to pass through busy city roads and stuffed streets.