Piaggio Ape City Plus

The Piaggio Ape City Plus is a three-wheeler auto rickshaw that offers a perfect blend of performance, usability and sustainability. It is designed to meet the last-mile passenger transportation needs of small businesses and individuals in urban and semi-urban areas in India.

Piaggio Ape City Plus Powertrain

The Piaggio Ape City Plus is available in multiple engine options including CNG, LPG and diesel. The Diesel variant gets a BS6-compliant, single-cylinder, 4-stroke, naturally aspirated 599cc engine that delivers a maximum power output of 9.39 hp at 3600 rpm and a peak torque of 23.5 Nm at 2200 rpm. The auto-rickshaw has a 5-speed constant mesh manual gearbox (5F+1R) and a top speed of 60 km/h. The CNG and LPG engines are Forced Air Cooled 230cc units making  9.17 hp @ 4700 rpm and 17 Nm @ 2300 rpm on the CNG variant and  9.9 hp @ 4700 rpm and a peak torque of 17.8 Nm @ 2300 rpm. Both are mated to a 4-speed constant mesh manual gearbox. 

Piaggio Ape City Plus Aggregates

The Piaggio Ape City Plus has a Gross Vehicle Weight (GVW) of 757 kg and a payload capacity of 277 kg on the CNG variant, 300 kg on the LPG variant and 300 kg for the diesel variant, which has a GVW of 802 kg. 

Piaggio Ape City Plus Features

The Piaggio Ape City Plus comes equipped with features such as a spacious cabin, a large windshield and a modern and stylish design that enhances its visual appeal. It also gets Hydraulically Actuated drum brakes for enhanced safety and control. It also gets safety doors for the passenger row. 

Piaggio Ape City Plus Comfort

The Piaggio Ape City Plus has a comfortable cabin with well-cushioned seats for the driver and passengers and offers a comfortable driving experience even during long journeys. 

Piaggio Ape City Plus Rivals

The Piaggio Ape City Plus competes with other three-wheeled cargo vehicles in the Indian market, such as the Bajaj Compact RE, TVS King Deluxe, Bajaj Maxima Z and Mahindra Alfa.

Overview

Piaggio is among the top players in the auto-rickshaw segment, both in the passenger carrier and cargo segments. Ape brand of auto rickshaws are known to every Indian, as they are omnipresent in cities, towns and villages. Piaggio has some popular products in its portfolio; the Ape City Plus, as the name suggests is an auto-rickshaw targeted for passenger carriers applications within the city. Apart from Ape City Plus, you can also refer to other passenger carriers such as Ape DX, Ape City and the full electric Ape E City.

In India, typically, an auto-rickshaw is vital to fill the void of efficient public transport. Hence, this segment is highly promising for OEMs. Piaggio is firmly focused on offering value for money, an affordable but efficient vehicle for millions of Indian day-to-day mobility needs. Also, an auto-rickshaw employs people with minimum investment and offers a stable income. Thus, auto-rickshaw is very much part of Indian mobility systems for the owner and the users.

Available in petrol, CNG and LPG, Ape City Plus is your business partner in the last-mile people carrier mobility business. Packed with the all-new powerful and fuel-efficient engine, a superior set of aggregates along with comfort and safety. Ape City Plus promises a lot to make you earn a stable income without spending much on the vehicle in the longer term. 

Exterior and Interior

Take a first look at Ape City Plus, and you won’t spot the difference. It appears like other auto-rickshaws in the Piaggio India portfolio. The key elements that Piaggio products standards for are superior built quality, strong road presence and finest fit and finish. You can easily make out once you see the Ape City Plus up and close. It is a new vehicle but not that different from Piaggio’s other autos. For example, the wide windshield makes driving easy with a clear view with a wiper for the rainy season. The headlamps in the middle of the front facia look nicer. It has got a sleek Italian design in a fairly large body, and the tyres are slightly bigger than the regular auto, higher ground clearance for better drivability, etc. Yet, at the heart of Ape City Plus is reliability, durability and performance. 

Inside the cabin, you can easily take three passengers comfortably, as the cabin is ergonomically designed with soft and durable material. The passenger seat is restful and the passenger can feel the difference even for relatively longer trips with generous head, shoulder and legroom. There is a safety door on the passenger side as a factory-fitted accessory. Getting in and out for the passenger is easy with a reasonable bigger entrance inside the cabin. Similarly, the driver gets a nicer cabin with all the control easily accessible. The Ape City Plus is easy to drive no matter what terrain you are driving. 

Performance

Piaggio Ape City Plus is promoted as a green vehicle with its alternate fuel options. This is not only environment-friendly but highly economical to run for an owner. We have the CNG and LPG variant performance figures, which make this auto the best city companion. Some of the key performance aspects are better pickup, easier and more comfortable driving experience, and also lowest noise, vibration and harshness for a smoother and enjoyable drive. 

In the Ape City Plus, Piaggio has fitted an all-new 3V smart tech engine that produces higher power and torque to take on a flyover or steeper terrain inside a city. Both the LPT and CNG engines are similar in specification, as the 230 CC displacement with a minor change in the power and torque figure as the engine is tuned for LPG and CNG fuel. The CNG powertrain is 9.17hp and 17Nm and LPG is 9.9hp and 17.8Nm of power and torque, respectively. The Piaggio claims the best mileage in the segment and lower maintenance so that you don’t have to spend money running this auto regularly.

To complement the engine, the aggregates are common on both the engine like multi-plate wet type clutch, constant mesh gearbox with 5-speeds. The front suspension is a hydraulic telescopic shock absorber with a helical compression spring with a dampener and the rear suspension is the same with just a rubber compression spring. The brake is a drum type with a hydraulically actuated internal expanding shoe type. To offer higher pickup and mileage, the tyre size is 4.50-10, 4PR.   

Ape City Plus CNG is 780kg, and LPG is 757 kg gross weight auto. The dimension includes a wheelbase of 1920 mm, width 1435 mm, length of 2880 mm, and 19200 mm in height. The minimum ground clearance is 200 mm. The gradeability is 24% on CNG and 25.45% on the LPG variant. 

Verdict

It is evident that Piaggio Ape City Plus is packed with the right aggregates and specs. What makes it special? A lot including all-new powerful, fuel-efficient engine and overall built quality. So, if you’re looking at a solid city performer in alternate fuel at an affordable price, then Ape City Plus fits the bill.