2024 autoX Awards: Husqvarna Svartpilen 401 Performance,

2024 autoX Awards: Husqvarna motorcycles are known for their Swedish minimalism and stunning design, and I’ll admit, I’m a big fan of the smaller Svartpilen 250. While it’s beautiful, it’s not without its flaws. However, the new Svartpilen 401 seems to solve many of these problems, starting with one of the most important ones – road presence. The 401 is larger in every way, offering more space and a more rugged road appearance.

In terms of design, the rear of the bike has been transformed from a custom style tail to a more traditional look. While the taillight design remains the same, the indicators and license plate housing have been moved to standard mounting points, rather than being attached to the tire holders as before. The 401 also now features a larger armrest, and the tank panel no longer extends significantly under the rider’s seat. The uniquely shaped fuel tank is also wider, enhancing the visual impact. While the road appearance does improve, I’m not entirely convinced it’s as stylish as the original.

Despite the rough-looking tires, the Svartpilen is definitely a street bike with a Scrambler feel. It is powered by the famous 399cc liquid-cooled engine of the KTM 390 Duke. We’ve long considered this engine to be the most exciting in its class, and even if the midrange exhibits a bit of vibration, the engaging drivetrain is still the highlight here. Husqvarna has also upgraded the previous round instrument cluster to the Duke’s square TFT display, but with a custom graphic design that looks great. It comes with features like traction control and SuperMoto ABS, but lacks the IMU found on the KTM.

Also read: Husqvarna Vitpilen 801 makes its world premiere, equipped with KTM 790 Duke engine, Bi-LED projector headlights and more

As the competition in the 400cc segment in India increases, Husqvarna Svartpilen 401 still manages to stand out. It doesn’t even feel like it’s competing in the same space – in fact, it seems to be in a league of its own, with a unique character that’s sure to resonate with riders.