2021 TVS NTorq 125 Race XP Road Test Review: India’s Quickest 125cc Scooter, Again

Published September 13, 2021
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4 min read

Here’s how TVS revitalised the NTorq 125’s youthfulness

2021 TVS NTorq 125 Race XP Road Test Review: India’s Quickest 125cc highlights

Our biggest issue with the 2020 TVS NTorq 125 was that the process of meeting new emission norms robbed some of its sporty edge. Its acceleration was hampered and it even lost out in our mega 125cc scooter comparison. Not one to accept defeat, TVS did a fair bit of work on the NTorq for 2021, especially in the powertrain department. It has increased power, reduced weight and given ride modes, the first for an ICE scooter in India. Has it paid off?

2021 TVS NTorq 125 Race XP Road Test Review

The Performance Updates
The 124.8cc single-cylinder 3-valve mill has been worked upon a fair bit. TVS claims to have improved its breathing and combustion process to churn out 0.82PS more power and 0.3Nm more torque. Also, weight saving measures in key areas have been carried out as a result of which the NTorq is now 2kg lighter. How much of a difference do these small tweaks make?

Specs	2021 TVS NTorq 125 Race XP	2020 TVS NTorq 125 Race BS6
Engine	124.8cc single-cylinder, 3-valve	124.8cc single-cylinder, 3-valve
Power	10.2PS @ 7000rpm	9.38PS @ 7000rpm
Torque	10.8PS @ 5500rpm	10.5Nm @ 5500rpm
Acceleration
0-60kmph	8.07s	9.26s
0-80kmph	15.37s	18.73s
20-50kmph	4.32s	4.46s

Quite a lot, actually. The NTorq now is the quickest it has ever been. In the sprint from 0-60kmph, it is over a second quicker than the 2020 BS6 model and the gap widens to over 3.5 seconds by the time you reach 80kmph. It even managed to beat our current champion of 125cc scooters, the Suzuki Burgman Street 125, by nearly a second. These are quite astonishing figures as the Burgman and the 2020 BS6 NTorq was tested by a guy who is significantly lighter than our new tester.

The improvements in fueling are evident as the NTorq once again lurches ahead to scythe through traffic. It pulls cleanly to 90kmph and has a claimed top speed of 98kmph.

Fuel efficiency	2021 NTorq Race XP	2020 NTorq Race BS6
City	54.33kmpl	51.54kmpl
Highway	55.8kmpl	56.23kmpl

The great bit here is that the extra performance doesn’t come at the expense of fuel efficiency. Rather, the NTorq Race XP outscored its standard Race model by 3kmpl within city limits and out on the highway, it was almost on par. This balance has been achieved by improvements in fuelling, mid-range performance and by using the Street riding mode.

Ride Modes For A 10PS Scooter?

Specs	2021 TVS NTorq 125 Race XP - Race Mode	2021 TVS NTorq 125 Race XP - Street Mode
Power	10.2PS @ 7000rpm	9PS @ 7000rpm
Torque	10.8PS @ 5500rpm	10Nm @ 5500rpm

The NTorq Race XP is India’s first ICE scooter to offer riding modes. While you would say that a 10PS scooter doesn’t need riding modes, the purpose here is simple. It isn’t to restrict performance in the name of safety. Rather, by activating Street mode, the engine’s characteristics are altered to increase fuel efficiency by dulling down the throttle response just enough to make it feel like a sedate 125cc family scooter.

You can switch between the modes by a single press on the starter button or by giving voice commands.

SmartXonnect Is Even Smarter Now But…
...it has quite a lot of bugs. The NTorq was the first scooter in the country to get smartphone connectivity, call alerts and turn-by-turn navigation. For the Race XP, there’s a brand new UI experience which displays the two riding modes and the rpm when the engine is active. However, the voice commands feature still needs to be worked upon. Understanding and executing the instructions takes a while and the experience isn’t seamless. But hey, it is nothing that a few app and console firmware updates cannot fix.

There are a few cosmetic changes to differentiate the NTorq Race XP from its other variants as well, which you can read about in this story here.

The Quickest 125cc Scooter In India

Variants	Price (ex-showroom Delhi)
Standard Disc	Rs 77,320
Race	Rs 80,325
Race XP	Rs 84,025

The Race XP trim comes in at a premium of Rs 6,000 over the standard disc model of the NTorq 125. For the extra moolah, you get a sportier graphics theme, quite a lot of extra features and, most importantly, class-leading performance. After riding the Race XP, you feel energised, with a wide grin plastered inside your helmet. And if you are a bit conscious about fuel efficiency, you have riding modes to help you out. So, kudos TVS, and thank you for making the NTorq 125 the quickest 125cc scooter in India once again.