Want A Husky? Wait Until 2020

This might come as a bit of a bummer, but our sources have informed us that the Husqvarna 401s are not going to be made available to the Indian masses anytime soon. The announcement of all products expected from KTM is set to take place before March 2019 and we can only expect the 401s at the fag end of the next financial year. That means, even if one is highly optimistic, the 401s will only arrive by late 2019. However, KTM is gearing up for the launch of the 390 Adventure and the 790 Duke, the former of which was just spotted recently. This will push the launch date of the Husqvarnas significantly, perhaps to 2020.

We did see both the Vitpilen 401 cafe racer and the Svartpilen 401 scrambler roaming the streets of Pune sans camouflage. This prompted us to believe that the launch would have been sooner. But after speaking to a few top officials at KTM during the first ride of the 125 Duke, we were told of the development on the Husqvarna project.

Currently, the bikemaker is working on getting the assembly line in order. Plus, the Husqvarnas are premium products in comparison to the KTM 390 Duke they are based on. Items such as the LED headlamp, tail unit and tank panel are exquisitely designed by the Swedes and are nothing like its Austrian counterpart. And hence, the brand is still in the process of finalising dealers and vendors who would meet the high standards.

In terms of mechanicals, the trellis frame, WP suspension units and Bybre braking system are the same. Even the 373.3cc motor produces 44.1PS and 37Nm, but is said to have a different state of tune.

The current KTM 390 Duke retails for Rs 2.44 lakh, ex-showroom Delhi. Given that this we will be more premium and will be made in India, we expect the prices to be somewhere around Rs 3 lakh. But that does not change the fact that you will have to wait yet another year for its India launch.