Piaggio Medley - competing with SH by technology in Vietnam

Medley brings surprises in operating technology and safety, eliminating the negative prejudices previously associated with Vespa.

Throughout its history, Piaggio has brought Vespa to customers through the "nail" factor of Italian design. The owner of the "bee" accepts to trade all the disadvantages of the engine, technology or cost of use to have a scooter with a beautiful appearance. But when it comes to turning around, Piaggio gives a different image.

Piaggio is the only two-wheeler brand that is purely high-end. Medley's mission is to continue the success of Vespa and Liberty, threatening the competition but in a different way, not only in design but also inperformance and technology, safety and comfort.

Medley is Piaggio's most technologically advanced model.

The exterior of the car is both familiar and strange. Familiar when you find the overall large, sporty lines of the Beverly, strange because of the practical details that are taken care of, something that Piaggio has often overlooked. For example, the footrest is easier to use when you just push it in and it pops out, the handle at the rear of the car is integrated for added safety when carrying children. Medley is not the muscular type, but masculine and calm.

But design is not the biggest difference, operation is where Medley surprises users.The engine is a 125cc iGet single-cylinder, 4-valve, electronic fuel injection, 12 horsepower, maximum torque of 11.5 Nm.

Medley is the first Piaggio model to use liquid cooling, this system is immediately effective for people who often travel in the city. Moving continuously for hours, the legs of the person sitting behind do not feel hot. In particular, when opening the trunk, the belongings in the trunk are not roasted as is often the characteristic of previous Piaggio vehicles.

The spacious trunk can hold two half-head helmets and many other items such as raincoats, jackets, and handbags.

The second surprise is that iGet is a historic technological achievement of the Italian car company. Medley operates smoothly at any speed range, equal to or even better than some Japanese models in the same segment. The previous drawback of a loud engine is no longer there. The shock absorbers are no longer the delicate single type on the front wheel of the Vespa, instead they are double shock absorbers both front and rear, so the car is much smoother when going over potholes.

As soon as two adults go, the car gently increases to 60 km/h and feels like flying. The car does not have feedback from the road surface such as vibration of the handlebars or footrests, partly thanks to the improved shock absorber system and the engine holding to the frame. Good acceleration, throttle lag is reduced to the maximum. With the same iGet 125 engine, the throttle response of Vespa and Medley is opposite. While Sprint gives smooth enough acceleration, Medley is extreme, intervenes immediately on the throttle, much more masculine.

Medley also "plays it cool" as the first scooter in Vietnam to integrate ABS for both wheels. With a high sitting position and large size, ABS helps the driver feel more secure when braking, especially in bad road conditions, with lots of rain and storms. When braking, if the possibility of the wheel locking is detected, the system will intervene to continuously brake and release to help the driver avoid slipping and falling.

Stable long-distance travel. Climbing Tam Dao slope, the car continuously turns sharply without losing power even though there are two adults in the car. Idling-Stop technology automatically turns off the engine when stopping at red lights, experiencing the reality that one liter of gasoline can run about 43 km in mixed road conditions with a comfortable, carefree driving style.

USB charging port hidden in the front trunk, away from rain and wind.

Medley is also convenient. The trunk is as spacious as the Honda Lead, twice as large as the SH, and can hold several helmets and many other items. The front rack is convenient, the LCD clock face has additional ambient temperature and battery power level indicators, an electric trunk opening button on the handlebars, and a USB charging port in the front trunk. The headlights are halogen with daytime running lights and a "passing" flashing button, an anti-theft magnetic lock, and a tilt sensor that helps the vehicle automatically turn off in case of an accident, reducing the risk to the driver.These little conveniences are not available on competitors.

The Italian car company has set new ambitions and strategic directions for Medley, a high-end scooter that harmonizes design, operation and utility. Medley runs well and is suitable for Vietnamese roads. Everything is ready for the product, the remaining challenge is to convince customers to overcome historical brand prejudices.

Piaggio Medley sells for 71.5 million VND for the standard version, the S sports version costs 72.5 million. Medley's main weakness lies in its historical factor, being launched when SH was already a monument, had a large fan base and was "field tested". However, for those who like new things and prefer European-style vehicles, Medley is worth considering.

According to VNE