TVS confirms plans for new Nortons
By Ben Purvis
It's been more than five years since Indian giant TVS - the world's fourth-largest motorcycle manufacturer by volume - rescued the remains of Norton from its controversial administration and embarked on a long-term project to bring the brand back to prominence. Now we will start seeing the results of those plans after TVS revealed there will be four new models in 2026 with expansion into India and four key European markets.
TVS MD Sudarshan Venu revealed the plans during an interview with Indian TV station CNBC-TV18, confirming that the UK's newly-minted free trade agreement with India will help bring the plans to fruition, with Norton production being shared between the company's UK base in Solihull and the new Norton India operation that's due to launch soon.
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| F450GS concept |
Norton has previously spoken of six new models, and Venu confirmed those plans, saying: "There will be six products, four of which will be available for the summer of 2026 in the UK plus France, Germany, Italy and Spain, and also, of course, in India.
"So this is where I think we are heading towards, by starting off with the four-cylinder superbike at EICMA and then we will also share the remaining three that will be available in early 2026 at EICMA or soon after. They're all in the advanced stages of development."
The V4SV superbike is already part of Norton's UK range, but the current model isn't type-approved to meet Euro5+ standards, or even the previous Euro5 levels. Instead, it gets sold under the British Motorcycle Single Vehicle Approval regulations that are aimed at small-scale manufacturers in the UK and not applicable to international markets.
To fulfil Norton's ambition to sell in the four largest mainland European markets, the planned EICMA superbike launch must be an updated, Euro5+-compliant version of that bike, potentially accompanied by other changes.
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| V4SV |
The remaining three models due to be launched for 2026 will include smaller-capacity, more affordable machines, with Venu suggesting Norton will tap into TVS's long-term partnership with BMW to source a power unit. TVS will be manufacturing BMW's upcoming 48hp, 450cc parallel twin, which was previewed in the F450GS concept shown last year. A production version of the F450GS is expected before the end of 2025, with TVS taking on responsibility for at least part of the manufacturing process.
Previously, TVS manufactured BMW's 313cc G310 single-cylinder models, as well as using the engine in its own Apache RR310 sports bike, and makes BMW's CE 02 electric scooter. Venu said of the new 450 twin-cylinder family: "BMW has shown their version at last year's EICMA and you will see Norton and TVS versions using a similar platform in the coming months."
The 450cc model or models could provide Norton with an answer to Triumph's hugely successful Speed 400 and Scrambler 400X, although the company's initial plans to have production levels of around 10,000 per year means it will start off at a fraction of the size of its rivals.
In future, the Indian manufacturing capacity of Norton might offer a route for a rapid increase. Venu said: "There is manufacturing in the UK and there is going to be manufacturing in India as well. Some of the models will be made with greater value-added content in India and some with greater value-added content locally. And I think this new India-UK FTA (Free Trade Agreement) also helps both ways in terms of ensuring that components and kits and things from our side can go to the UK in sub-assemblies, but also ensuring that the fully built vehicles can come into India."
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