Piaggio Liberty 150 could soon be a common sight in the Philippines
It was October last year when an email from Piaggio headquarters in Italy landed in our inbox confirming a major shift for the brand in the Philippines. The 142-year-old Italian manufacturer said that it is setting up its own local company in the country, marking a move away from third-party distribution arrangements for its Piaggio, Vespa, Aprilia and Moto Guzzi products.
That announcement meant that Piaggio joins Honda, Yamaha, Suzuki, and Kawasaki in having a direct corporate presence in the Philippines, handling the importation and distribution of its own products.
Now eight months later, signs point to a new model, possibly carrying the “Piaggio Philippines” badge. The unit in question looks to be the Liberty 150.
Based on government documents we’ve come across, the model listed carries at least a 155cc displacement and uses electronic fuel injection (EFI) for fuel management. If this does turn out to be the Liberty 150, it would bring a familiar package to the local market.
That includes an air-cooled 155cc i-get 3-valve engine producing 12 PS and 13 Nm of torque, a full LCD instrument cluster, front disc brake with ABS, and a 6-liter fuel tank. One of its more distinctive traits is its wheel setup, with a 16-inch front and 14-inch rear wheel combination, a layout not commonly seen in today’s scooter segment, well, at least here in the Philippines.
In the US market, the Liberty 150 carries a price tag of around USD 2,749, or roughly PHP 169,200 before duties, VAT, and other landing costs are factored in. But again, nothing is final at this stage. The filing could also point to other Piaggio Group models such as the Vespa Primavera 150 or Sprint 150, both of which use the same 155cc i-get 3-valve engine.
For now, it remains speculation. But one thing is clear: The scooter space in the Philippines is getting more interesting with every passing month.
