Temperatures around freezing point, nasty rain, first slippery roads – currently there is not much to say about voluntarily getting on a motorcycle or a scooter. Unless the vehicle has three wheels and can be swung around the corner even in adverse weather conditions. This physical feat succeeds on the Piaggio MP3 530 Exclusive. The new MP3 top model is the first large scooter to have comprehensive assistance systems such as lane change assistant, blind spot warning and reversing camera.
In addition, there is the mandatory ABS and attentive traction control. All in all, this makes the new generation of three-wheel scooters almost as safe as a modern small car.
Two wheels at the front, one wheel at the back, with enough space in between and a lively one-cylinder swingarm at the rear. “With its patented parallelogram suspension and steering system, the MP3 combines the safety of a car with the user-friendliness and comfort of a scooter and the driving pleasure and dynamics of a motorcycle,” promises Piaggio spokesman Fabio Gilardenghi. His success proves him right: no other three-wheel scooter sells anywhere near as well as the MP3. In Germany, the MP3 300 ranks second among the best-selling power scooters. 751 new registrations from January to November 2022 – plus 286 units of the previous top model MP3 500 and 245 new MP3 530, makes a total of 1282 new registrations and three places in the top 20. The Yamaha Tricity 300 (518 new registrations) completes the tricycle in 10th place.
The greatest advantage, in addition to the increased safety provided by the second front wheel, is the cost-neutral driveability: anyone who is at least 21 years old and in possession of a car driver’s license (class B) can swing onto the three-wheel scooter. Thanks to the wide front track – on the MP3 it measures 46.5 centimeters – neither a motorcycle driver’s license nor a B196 driver’s license extension is required. Switching from four to three wheels should be easy for most people: the foot brake prescribed for three-wheel scooters acts on all wheels at the same time, just like on a car. On top there are two handbrake levers. Three-channel ABS and the traction control that can be switched off help to stop and accelerate safely.
The drive principle is simple: sit up and accelerate, there is no need to switch gears. The continuously variable CVT transmission sets the drive train swing arm in motion smoothly and quite quickly via a belt drive. Piaggio announces a top speed of 145 km/h for the MP3 530. That’s ten kilometers per hour more than the new little brother MP3 400. Handling and chassis are impressive right away. Piaggio has almost completely eliminated vibrations and background noise from its new three-wheel scooter. This is an absolute rarity in this segment: something always creaks in the depths of the rather voluminous three-wheeler bodies.
The greatest advance of the new Piaggio MP3 is the driver assistance package ARAS. The abbreviation stands for “Advanced Rider Assistance System” and is reserved for the top model MP3 530 Exclusive. This will make it the world’s first passenger vehicle without a roof to be equipped with the automotive safety features of rear radar, lane change assistant and blind spot warning. If vehicles are approaching from behind at high speed or are driving in the blind spot of the rear-view mirror, the electronic system sounds the alarm with a large warning triangle on the seven-inch TFT display. The system works flawlessly. It strikes early but not overly hectically. In addition, it is not annoying – in contrast to many car assistants – with crazy beeping or crazy blinking. The reversing camera, which now complements the reversing function, also does a good job. As with a car, colored lines help when maneuvering and parking.
Piaggio has touched on three driving modes for the MP3: Sport, Comfort and Eco. The latter dampens the power development and allows the traction control to intervene earlier. Comfort is the standard driving program, Sport relies on subsequent control interventions by the electronics. The driving program trio feels quite homogeneous even in the rain and frost. The consumption is officially four liters per 100 kilometers (MP3 400: 3.8 l/100 km). In the test drives with the 530 it was pretty accurate (4.2 l/100 km). The windshield and leg shield offer sufficient weather protection when driving. If it rains like buckets, you will of course get wet as soon as the speed drops or a traffic light forces you to stop.
The sound is pleasantly restrained. The Piaggio developers have reduced the exhaust gas storage system by up to 2 dB(A) compared to the predecessor. In return, they noticeably improved torque and acceleration. A little more than 44 hp and 50 Newton meters of torque drive the 530 Exclusive, just over 35 hp and 38 Nm for the 400. Feet can remain on the floor pan even when stopping: the standard “roll-lock” mechanism keeps the MP3 balanced by switching the parallelogram front suspension from dynamic to rigid. The blocking function is activated with a lever to the left of the throttle grip. Very practical, but not free from snags: if the wheels are not completely straight when coasting, the MP3 involuntarily swerves to the right or left. So it’s better to activate it when you’re stationary.
Accelerating is enough to release and drive off – or you slide the switch over to the right once, which also unlocks the suspension. A parking brake secures the MP3 against rolling away when parked for a longer period of time. The accessories include useful extras such as a waterproof blanket that the driver can wrap around from the leg shield to the waist. This means that riding a scooter in winter almost completely loses its horror. (Ralf Bielefeldt/cen)
Daten Piaggio MP3 530 hpe Exclusive
Drive: En-cylinder swingarm, 530 cc, belt, CVT
Power: 32.5 kW / 44 hp at 7250 rpm
Max. torque: 50 Nm at 5250 rpm
Acceleration 0-100 km/h: not specified
Top speed: 145 km/h
Transmission: CVT, continuously variable
Drive: belt
Tank capacity: 13.7 l
Seat height: 790mm
Weight: 280 kg (ready to drive)
Standard consumption: 4.0 l/100 km
CO2 emissions: 93 g/km
Test consumption: 4.2 l/100 km
Tires: 110/70-13 (front) / 140/70-14 (rear)
Price: 13,299 euros