New scooters for 2014

It’s a no-brainer that every major two-wheeler manufacturer (barring Bajaj Auto) is concentrating on their scooter portfolio to boost their sales figure. Scooter sales have grown an impressive 18 per cent in comparison to a meagre one per cent of motorcycles. Owing to this, bikemakers are concentrating on their scooter portfolio to boost their sales figure. This fact was very much evident at the recently concluded 2014 Indian Auto Expo, where every manufacturer unveiled atleast one scooter offering at their stand. We take a look at all the major scooter offerings that were showcased in this year's Auto Expo.

Hero ZIR:                                                                                           

Hero MotoCorp's latest 150cc scooter - ZIR was one among the scooters that grabbed the most number of eyeballs at the 2014 Indian Auto Expo. The ZIR was unveiled in two different variants, the flat board model and the stunning European style step thru. The new offering has been loaded with features such as dual projector headlamps with daylight running lights integrated in them, petal disc brakes, LED turn indicators and tail lamp, windscreen etc. These features were were never seen in the scooter segment earlier. Apart from visual differences, the European style step thru variant gets additional features like cowl-mounted console, and a larger windscreen. Both the models will be powered by a 157cc, liquid-cooled mill producing 14PS of power and 12.7Nm of torque. Hero claims that the ZIR can hit a top-speed of 110kmph. Hero announced that the ZIR will be launched only in 2015 and haven’t revealed any details about its pricing. With the ZIR, Hero plans to revive a new segment of maxi-scooters, which was started by the Kinetic Blaze close to a decade back.

Hero Dare:

Apart from the ZIR, Hero also showcased a new 125cc scooter - Dare. With its snazzy and sporty styling, the Dare has been designed to appeal to the male buyers and college students. The Dare is powered by a 125cc, air-cooled mill pumping out 9PS of power and 9.5Nm of torque. The new offering has been loaded with features such as LED daylight running lamps and taillight, full digital instrument console, mobile phone charging socket, boot light etc. For safety purpose, the Hero Dash comes with an E-Coded security key. Hero has loaded the new scooter with quality cycle parts like telescopic forks, disc brake at front and alloy wheels. The Dare will be launched by mid-2014 and will be pitched against the Yamaha Ray Z and Honda Dio.

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Honda Activa 125:

Claimed to be the “King of Scooters”, by Honda, the new Activa 125 was introduced at the Indian Auto Expo 2014. The scooter features Honda’s new 125cc engine which according to the company would offer the best-in-class fuel economy. Following the hugely popular Activa 110cc, the Activa 125 comes with telescopic forks, combi-brake technology, optional disc, tubeless tyres and digital instrument console. Even in terms of design, the larger capacity scooter resembles the 110cc Activa with an understated yet practical design, clear-glass turn indicators and crowned headlights. The 124.9 cc engine pumps out 8.6PS @ 6,500rpm and 10.12Nm @ 5,500rpm. Though the Japanese automobile giant has not disclosed the pricing yet, the new model is assumed to be slightly higher than the current range of Activa.

TVS Scooty Zest:

TVS expanded the Scooty portfolio by unveiling the Zest at the 2014 Indian Auto Expo. The latest offering isn’t unlike its Scooty predecessors and has grown both in terms of size and styling. The front fascia has been beefed-up with a larger and more contoured headlamp and neatly integrated indicators. The LED taillight is very sharp and is flanked by cool-looking boomerang shaped indicators. The Zest is based on the Wego's underpinnings and the chassis and wheelbase is similar. Owing to this fact it has provided larger seats, footboard area and under seat storage in comparison to other Scooty's. The engine is also sourced from the Wego, which is an air-cooled, 110cc mill and is mated to a CVT-I transmission. To provide better ride quality, the Zest has been equipped with telescopic forks at front. With part sharing, it is expected that TVS will be able to price the Scooty Zest competitively and it will be launched by April 2014 and will be slotted between the Wego and the Scooty Pep+.

Yamaha Alpha:

Yamaha India extended its scooter family by launching its long speculated unisex scooter, Alpha at the 2014 Auto Expo. The new scooter is based on the Ray’s underpinnings but the design is more mellowed down to suit the family oriented and unisex appeal of the scooter unlike the sharp and edgy styling of the Ray siblings. Other differences between the Alpha and the Ray include top mounted headlights, more under-seat storage of 21-litres compared to 15-litres along with higher and longer seats. Powering the Alpha is the same 113cc air-cooled 4-stroke two-valve single cylinder engine powering both the Ray offerings. Peak power is 7.1PS @ 7,500rpm and peak torque is 8.1Nm @ 5,000rpm. It gets telescopic suspension upfront and unit swing type in the rear. The 104 kg scooter get 130mm drum brakes for the front and rear with no disc brake option. The Alpha has been priced at Rs 49,518 ex-showroom Delhi and will compete against the likes of the Honda Activa, Hero Maestro and TVS Jupiter.

Suzuki Let's:

Suzuki had on display at the 2014 Auto Expo, its recently unveiled scooter offering – Let's. Unlike the two scooter’s under its portfolio, the Access and the Swish, the Let's is an all-new scooter with a new powerplant. Unlike the other two offerings, the new scooter is lighter and more compact in terms of dimensions to suit its target audience, which are female riders and young college students. The Let's uses a 112.8cc engine that makes 8.7PS and is mated to a CVT transmission. Suzuki has employed a new fuel efficiency tech called Suzuki Eco Performance (SEP), which promises class-leading fuel efficiency and claims an efficiency figure of 63kmpl. The new scooter uses up-to-date cycle parts like telescopic forks upfront. The Let's will be positioned against the Honda Activa-I and Yamaha Ray in our two-wheeler market.

Vespa 946:

Without a shadow of doubt, the 946 with its retro-futuristic design was the visually striking scooter on display at the 2014 Auto Expo. The major design highlights of the 946 is its floating saddle which is hinged on a cast aluminium support, full LED headlamp and taillight and LCD instrumentation cluster. According to the manufacturer, its retro-futuristic design gives an indication to the styling cues of future generation Vespas, and this means expect some few more stunning scooters in the near future. The Vespa 946 is powered by a single-cylinder 125cc mill, producing 11.9PS of power and 10.3Nm of torque. Piaggio has loaded the 946 with electronic goodies like disc brakes at the front and rear with ABS (anti-lock braking system) and ASR (anti-slip regulator) Traction Control, which, with the aid of electronic system, helps the rear tyre from slipping. The 946 is currently undergoing homologation, post which Piaggio plans to launch it in our Indian two-wheeler market. The scooter will come in via CBU route, so expect to shell out a premium to own one.

Vespa S:

The Vespa stall was pure eye-candy as it had the gorgeous and stunning 946 and the Liberty on display. Piaggio is contemplating of launching these two offerings, but it has confirmed that the Vespa S will be launched in the near future. The major distinctive visual feature of the Vespa S is its 1970s-styled square headlights in contrast to the round one found on the standard Vespa and VX. To distinguish the scooter further, the mudguard on the scooter has been cut back further to reveal more of the front suspension and the seat profile have been changed. The instrument cluster has been re-designed to add to its retro charm and sports an analogue speedometer and fuel gauge, digital clock and different tell-tale lights. No changes are expected on the mechanical front and the Vespa S would be powered by the same engine as on the standard Vespa. Piaggio hasn't revealed any details about the pricing of the Vespa S but expect it to command a premium over the VX and hence it won't be cheap by any means.