Honda Activa i

Features: Cosmetic updates for 2018 include four new dual tone colours: Candy Jazz Blue, Imperial Red Metallic, Lush Magenta Metallic, Orchid Purple Mettalic; and one single tone Mat Axis Grey Metallic colour. It also gets colour coded mirrors. The Honda Activa i is a sleeker and lighter version of the popular Honda Activa designed to woo first-time scooter buyers and college-going students. For an added bit of convenience, the Activa i comes with AHO (Always Headlamp-On) and 18 litres of under-seat storage with a mobile charging socket. CBS (Combined Braking System) is available as standard. Sadly, there are no alloy wheels here. But you do get tubeless tyres, though. New features include refreshed instrument console display, metallic heat shield, 4 into 1 lock opener and hooks on the front apron and below the seat.

Engine: Powering the Activa i is the same 109cc engine as the Activa 5G. It produces 8.03PS of power at 7000rpm and 8.94Nm of torque at 5500rpm. Built around an underbone-type chassis, it gets a bottom link suspension at the front, which is long due for an update, and a single hydraulic damper at the rear. To bring the scooter to a halt, the Activa i is equipped with 130mm drum units on both ends. The scooter packs a 5.3-litre fuel tank and weighs in at 103kg (kerb).

Rivals: Hero Pleasure: The Hero Pleasure has been a favourite amongst the female youth thanks to the proven motor backed by the company’s strong marketing initiatives and the vast sales and service network. However, it misses out components such as telescopic front forks that would make it a more comfortable commuter. Also, the build quality is acceptable but not at par with its other competitor, the Scooty Zest. It’s also the least powerful here, but only by 1PS. The seat height of 760mm is at par with the Zest, making it manageable for riders of almost every height and size. TVS Scooty Zest: The TVS Scooty Zest checks all the boxes when it comes to features, performance, refinement and comfort. On the feature front, it gets DRLs on the front apron, LED tail light, front storage space, an under-seat storage space with a boot light and a mobile charging socket. It also gets an external fuel filler cap. The ride quality is a lot more supple with the telescopic front forks. Power is at par with the Activa i, but the big boon here is the more modern CVTi gearbox which engages swiftly in comparison to the outdated variomatic gearbox on the Honda Activa i and the Hero Pleasure. Even the build quality is far better than what the Honda and Hero offer. The steel wheels here are finished in black and come wrapped with tubeless tyres. It is also lightest of the lot here, tipping the scale at 97kg.