Hero Passion XTEC

Overview

The Hero Passion range is known to be a more premium, sporty-looking sibling of the iconic Splendor range. In its latest avatar, the Hero Passion Xtec is a feature-loaded 110cc commuter from Hero. It is also the only 110cc bike from the Indian bikemaker. With generational updates over the years, here’s how it fares in the modern times:

Design:

The Hero Passion Xtec is a fantastic looking motorcycle for its class, thanks to the sporty bodywork and elegant graphics and colour schemes. The design has been revised considerably in its BS6 iteration, and it has worked well in keeping the bike up to date.

Engine, Mileage & Performance

The 113.2cc single-cylinder engine churns out a humble 9.15PS and 9.79Nm. It offers a great mid-range grunt and the torque comes in earlier in the rev range, ensuring peppy performance. Even the gearing is tall, allowing you to sustain 60-70kmph on the highway in a fuss-free manner. The taller gear ratios also have a positive effect on the mileage. In our real-world mileage test, the Hero Passion Xtec returned 68.2kmpl in the city and 70kmpl on the highway. That said, the engine refinement could have been better, and so is the gear shift feel, particularly in the lower gears, while moving in slow traffic.

Handling & Ride Quality

The telescopic fork and the twin preload-adjustable shock absorbers do a great job at keeping most of the road imperfections at bay. Equipped with a diamond frame, the bike handles well in the city, and is nimble enough to snake through traffic, despite the 118kg kerb weight. The bite and progressions from the brakes are pretty good but the lever feel could’ve been better. 

Comfort

The riding position is upright and is comfortable for the city. Though the seat is soft, it tends to sink in while riding for extended hours, so long-distance riding isn’t as comfortable as commuting in the city. At 799mm, the seat is tall but the narrow profile makes it fairly easy to get on and off the bike for riders of most heights. However, if you’re 5’6” or below, you might end up tip-toeing. 

Features

The Hero Passion Xtec comes with a proper projector LED headlight, a segment first. Hero has also thrown in a full-LCD instrument cluster, that too with Bluetooth connectivity. It gets a call/SMS reminder with caller ID display, mileage indicator, fuel gauge, trip meters, along with the regular set of information. It also gets i3S technology, which turns off the motor when it idles in traffic, and turns it back on with the pull of the clutch lever. 

Should you buy the Hero Passion Xtec?

If you’re looking for a well-balanced 110cc commuter bike that comes with a great features list, is peppy enough for city commutes, and also manages to grab attention. It excels at what it’s meant for - city riding, and then manages to offer more - with commendable highway mileage.