Lambretta G350 Review NZ: Stylish Scooter That Beats the Fuel Crunch

• Stylish Italian scooter with decent 330cc performance and modern tech
• Comfortable, capable commuter that handles city and motorway riding
• A fuel-saving alternative that delivers practicality with real character

With fuel prices biting hard, stylish urban transport suddenly makes more sense — and the Lambretta G350 delivers it with attitude

The Case for Scooters (Again)

With fuel prices continuing to climb and no real certainty around where they’ll settle, there’s never been a better time to start looking at alternatives for everyday transport. For commuters, especially, the maths is getting harder to ignore. Sitting in traffic in a car while watching the fuel gauge drop is one thing — filtering through it on something that sips petrol is another entirely.

And that’s where scooters come back into the conversation.

But not all scooters are created equal. Because while saving fuel is one part of the equation, there’s also the small matter of wanting to actually enjoy what you’re riding. That’s where the new Lambretta G350 comes in.

Because yes, it’ll save you money at the pump — but more importantly, you’ll look seriously cool doing it.

A Name That Carries Weight

To understand Lambretta, you have to go back to post-war Italy, where style, practicality and mobility all collided in the best possible way.

Founded in Milan in 1947, Lambretta quickly became one of the defining names in scooter culture, going head-to-head with Vespa in a rivalry that would shape urban transport for decades. Where Vespa leaned into softer curves and a more approachable aesthetic, Lambretta carved out its own identity with sharper lines, more industrial styling and a slightly edgier appeal.

It wasn’t just about transport — it became a cultural statement. Through the ‘50s and ‘60s, Lambretta was synonymous with youth culture, particularly in the UK Mod scene, where rows of highly polished, mirror-clad scooters became as much about identity as mobility.

While the brand faded from the spotlight for a period, its revival in recent years has been about reconnecting with that heritage — blending classic design cues with modern engineering and performance.

Enter the G350

Sitting at the top of the current range, the G350 represents Lambretta’s push into more serious, real-world usability without losing that all-important design DNA.

Powered by a 330cc single-cylinder engine, the G350 is a step up from the typical city-focused scooters most riders are familiar with. It’s designed not just for short urban hops, but for riders who want the flexibility to stretch their legs beyond the city limits when needed.

The styling is unmistakably Lambretta. The fixed front mudguard, sharp body lines and distinctive side panels all nod back to the brand’s heritage, while modern touches like full LED lighting and funky digital instrumentation bring it firmly into the present.

Underneath, it’s a proper modern scooter platform too — with ABS, traction control and a steel monocoque chassis designed to offer more stability and confidence than the small-capacity machines many commuters are used to.

On paper, it’s an interesting proposition: a scooter that promises practicality, performance and presence in equal measure.

City & Beyond

Personally, I love a scooter  — and the G350 taps straight into that. It somehow causes me to disengage my brain and revert to my days as a London inner-city commuter, where traffic is treated like I’m in some sort of video game. I can’t help it: the twist ‘n’ go throttle, rear brake on the left, as there’s no clutch, just triggers something within me. It’s lucky (or not) that you can’t deactivate the rear ABS on the G350, as I’d have been sliding up to every traffic light.

With around 25hp and 25.5Nm of torque on offer from the 330cc single, delivered via a CVT transmission, acceleration is pretty standard for this sort of category. It’s quick but not lightning fast. Still, it’s enough to keep you ahead of pretty much everything on four wheels away from the traffic lights.

Talking of traffic lights, the way the weight is held so low within the Lambretta’s chassis makes this great for feet-up balancing, simply by holding on a bit of throttle and the rear brake. I was quite disappointed if I needed to put a foot down before the lights turned green. When they did, it was off again to nip and tuck through the traffic, helped by the narrow profile of this Italian sweetheart. It’s not especially light at somewhere around 173kg, but that weight disappears as soon as you’re rolling. You do, however, feel it when you’re trying to get the G350 up on its main stand, with the rear grab handle hidden under the back of the saddle, making it a little tricky. Being Italian, you’d always expect form over function, so looks obviously took precedence.

Practicality

While it’s a scooter, the Lambretta is still a reasonably sized. It’s not one of those micro scooters you see around town struggling to get up to 50km/h. No, this is a ‘proper’ scooter, and you only need to pull the pillion pegs out that click neatly away into the bodywork to turn the G350 into a scooter you can be cool on with somebody else.

There are neat little touches everywhere you look, with the small compartment in front of your knees opening to reveal room for a phone and, well, not much more. There is, however, a USB outlet, so you can charge said phone. And you can also connect it to the funky TFT screen that welcomes you every time you turn the bike on. It really is delightful. There’s more room under the saddle, although, like the front compartment, it’s not exactly massive. You’d get an open-face helmet in there or maybe a bit of shopping. Otherwise, you’ll be utilising the hook that pops out between the rider’s legs to hook a bag on for carrying stuff home.

Out of Town

Heading out of the city limits, the Lambretta doesn’t feel out of place. If your commute involves a bit of motorway riding, it won’t be a problem on the G350, which will pull up to and beyond the legal limit quite happily – I saw 120km/h on the clock, and it was still going. The small wheels, which offer lightning-fast handling around town, can feel a little nervous as speeds creep up, but it’s nothing dramatic. And the funky double-arm link suspension makes this one of the most comfortable scooters I’ve had the pleasure of riding. I went out of my way to hit manhole covers and other road imperfections, and never once felt a whack coming through from underneath.

Conclusion

I read somewhere the other day that it now costs $400 to fully fuel a Ford Ranger! This fuel crisis is really hurting, so it’s no surprise that many drivers are looking for alternatives. If that alternative involves two wheels, then the Lambretta G350 averaged about 3.2l per 100km on our test, which means you’ll have done around 270km before having to think about putting more fuel in the 9.5l tank. That makes the Italian scoot not only an economical way to get to work, but you’ll look seriously cool doing it on a genuine Italian scooter that can back up its name with true heritage. And right now, that combination makes more sense than ever.

At $11,690 + ORC, the Lambretta G350 is a great option to beat the pain at the pump and look good doing it.

Key Features

• Steel monocoque chassis – true to Lambretta heritage, offering rigidity and premium feel
• Full LED lighting system with signature hexagonal design
• TFT digital display with smartphone connectivity (Bluetooth integration)
• Traction control & ABS braking for added safety
• Automatic CVT transmission – twist-and-go ease
• USB charging & modern electronics for everyday usability
• Premium touches like interchangeable side panels and classic Italian styling cues

Summary

The Lambretta G350 is a stylish, mid-capacity scooter that blends classic Italian design with modern performance. With enough power for city and motorway riding, it offers a practical and fuel-efficient commuting solution while retaining the heritage and character the Lambretta name is known for.

Publisher/Editor

Paul

Paul is the owner, publisher and editor of Bike Rider Magazine, a role he has had for over two decades. He has been BRM’s primary test rider throughout that time, riding and reviewing everything from learner machines to high-performance superbikes. After cutting his teeth with Superbike Magazine in the UK, Paul moved to New Zealand in the early 2000s and has since dedicated his career to delivering honest, rider-focused motorcycle journalism.