What Ultraviolette X47's Electric Crossover Bike's Low Starting Price Doesn't Reveal
Ultraviolette Automotive’s latest launch- the X-47 gathered a lot of attention with its price and packaging. It has became the most affordable product in the Ultraviolette lineup, with a starting price of Rs 2.49 lakh, ex-showroom. This is in fact, introductory and will be increased to Rs 2.79 lakh after a certain number of units. The 2.8 lakh price tag will still place it on the lower end of the price spectrum. The F77 Superstreet and Mach 2 start at Rs 2.99 lakh and are thus pricier than the X47. The lower price tag is definitely here to make an impact among buyers. The manufacturer highlighted it well at the launch event. But there’s something that it did not reveal then- a fully loaded X47 variant has an ex-showroom price of Rs 4 lakh!
Ultraviolette X-47: Variants And Prices Explained
First things first, this isn’t something no other manufacturer has attempted. In fact, most automakers emphasize the entry prices so that the products get a smooth market entry. The X-47, in fact, got a grand entry into the market. Just the entry price was mentioned at the event. Finer details like variant-wise prices were kept undisclosed.
People started talking about its looks, the long list of features and the dual-sport aspirations. Newspapers wrote about it, and influencers talked a lot about it. In a short span of time, the motorcycle was trending on most social media platforms.
Now, we have learnt the variant-wise prices of the X-47 crossover. The base-spec X47 Original has an ex-showroom price of 2.49 lakh- the same that the internet is now talking about. This, however, comes with the smaller battery pack (7.1 kWh).
Two batteries are offered on the motorcycle: 7.1 kWh and 103 kWh. There are a total of four variants on offer- two for each battery size- Original, Original+, Recon, and Recon+. The first two feature the 7.1 kWh unit, while the Recon and Recon+ come with the 10.3 kWh battery pack.
The Original+ has an ex-showroom price of Rs 2.99 lakh. If you want to opt for the larger battery, the most affordable option would be the Recon, which has an ex-showroom price of Rs 3.49 lakh. The range-topping Recon+ variant will cost you Rs 3.99 lakh, ex-showroom. Clearly, the fully loaded X47 doesn’t have the price advantage that many claim.
Another interesting fact is that just the ‘Plus’ variants come with an onboard charger and other advanced feature that make the X-47 stand out from its competition. Given the dual-sport aspirations of this bike, most owners would want to pick the larger battery pack. This means that they will have to shell out Rs 4 lakh to take home a 10.3kWh X47 with an onboard charger!
Ultraviolette has also announced a special edition variant called Desert Wing, the prices of which are yet to be disclosed. It is likely to be more expensive than the Recon+ variant of the standard motorcycle.
Indeed A Clever Move!
India is a price-sensitive and value-conscious market, and Ultraviolette seems to know this well. Omitting the prices of higher variants from the initial launch and marketing materials is indeed a clever tactic. It would, in a way, prevent prospective buyers from being shocked by the actual ex-showroom prices of higher variants, and further bring them closer to the product with the tempting base prices.
To give you more perspective, the X-47 is comparable to the KTM Duke 250, on the performance front. It makes 40hp and 610 Nm of wheel torque. The KTM on the other hand, produces 31hp and 25 Nm. The X-47 is much heavier than the Duke 250, due to its 10.3 kWh battery pack. When it comes to power-to-weight ratio, both vehicles are on par with each other- averaging 0.19 hp/kg.
In terms of pricing, the X-47 leans more toward the Duke 390. It is in fact, more expensive than the 390 that has an ex-showroom price of Rs 2.95 lakh. Considering the EV technology, architecture, and all those fancy features that it comes with, it would be unjust to call the X-47 overpriced. However, it is still on the expensive side when compared to ICE models. And yes, the resale value could be bad, as with most electric vehicles today.
The X-47 can be rewarding in the long run, though. The low running costs would offset the high initial costs if you are to keep the bike for several years. If you are someone who rides extensively, the X-47 can be much better than previous models from Ultraviolette, like the F77 Superstreet.
Even though it uses the same powertrain as the F77 family, major changes have been made to the chassis and suspension of the X-47, aimed at improving the ride quality and making it practical and more suitable for daily use. The bike also comes with a more relaxed rider triangle. All these mean that we may soon see the X-47 becoming the company’s new best-seller.
Ultraviolette’s Leadership Confident About The Prices
When Ultraviolette launched its first product in 2022, many called its pricing ‘ambitious’. The F77 had a starting price of Rs 3.88 lakh, ex-showroom. The Limited edition variant came at Rs 5.55 lakh, ex-showroom. As years passed by, we saw updates and iterations of the F77 rolling out at better price points. Founders Narayan Subramaniam and Niraj Rajmohan are very confident (and happy) about the X-47’s pricing. They believe that the company has finally been able to hit the sweet spot in it.
Talking to ET Auto, Narayan Subramaniam explained that the first F77s were priced high because the tech was costing the company. Since the volumes were marginal, the component cost also was high. Over the years, Ultraviolette started manufacturing and developing many of the required components in-house. It even negotiated harder on cell prices.
The Battery Management System (BMS) was designed and calibrated to work smoothly with cells from multiple vendors. The time that the company took in developing the strong modular platform and underlying tech seem to have paid off well, as its latest plans involve branching out into more mass-market segments, using the same as the base. The company now has a presence in 10 European markets as well.