Amit Saraswat 
Ever since the launch of the Husqvarna 250 twins, the brand hasn’t been active with new product introductions or updates. Breaking its slumber, Husqvarna has introduced two new motorcycles — Svartpilen 401 and Vitpilen 250 in the Indian market.
Starting with the quarter-litre Vitpilen 250 first, it now retails at a revised price of INR 2.19 lakh ex-showroom. It shares its chassis and powertrain with the KTM Duke 250 offering improved agility and performance. Its engine puts out 31PS of power and 25Nm of torque. While the power and torque figures are similar to that of the Duke 250, the delivery is tuned differently for a more aggressive response.
The Vitpilen 250 also features improved ergonomics, with changes made to the placement of the handlebar and seat length. The Vitpilen 250 replaces its clip-on handlebar with a taller single-frame unit and the seat length is also increased by 100mm. Other changes made to the 2024 Vitpilen 250 include increased ground clearance of 177mm, lower rider seat height of 820mm and lower pillion seat height of 877mm.
On the equipment front, the new Vitpilen 250 comes with a 5.0-inch LCD display, a bi-directional quick shifter, LED headlight and tail light, dual-channel ABS, 43mm upside-down front forks, offset rear mono shock and cast aluminium 17-inch wheels. In addition, the inclusion of a new lightweight frame and swingarm has also resulted in better handling and more comfortable riding posture.
Moving to the bigger Svartpilen 401, it retains at INR 2.92 lakh ex-showroom and replaces the smaller-capacity Svartpilen 250. The 2024 Svartpilen 401 shares its underpinnings and powertrain with the new KTM Duke 390. The 399cc liquid-cooled engine puts out 45PS of power and 39Nm of torque. Unlike the earlier Svartpilen, the new 401 boasts a scrambler body style, featuring spoked rims and rally-grade tyres.
Despite its scrambler body style, while its ground clearance has increased over the outgoing Svartpilen, it is the same 177mm as the Vitpilen 250. Furthermore, it features a 5.0-inch TFT display, adjustable 43mm WP Apex suspension and a bi-directional quick shifter. Both the 2024 Svartpilen 401 and Vitpilen 250 also boast an increased fuel tank capacity of 13.5 litres.
