Ather Rizta vs Ather 450X/450S/Apex: Which One Should You Buy?

Ather recently launched the Rizta electric scooter in India and it promises a riding experience that is very different from what we’ve come to expect from Ather scooters. And that begs the question: Which is the Ather for you? Well, we attempt to answer that very question for you in this story: 

Now before we dive deep into the details, let us get two things out of the way: features and design. In terms of features, while the 450S has an LCD console and the other two have TFTs, all of them have Bluetooth connectivity and other important features like turn-by-turn navigation, hill hold and even the reverse mode. So as far as the important features that’ll help you in your everyday life go, all three have them. 

And as for the designs, they’re obviously subjective and both design languages (450X/450S vs Rizta) are very different, so it’s not that you’ll be confused between the two. One thing I would like to add though, is that while the 450 design language is the more modern of the two, it has largely been unchanged ever since it was first launched. So while it is the sharper, more sporty looking, the Rizta’s design does look the fresher one of the two. Now that we have these out of the way, here’s which scooter you should go for: 

Who Should Buy The Ather 450X/450S/Apex?

Enthusiasts. That’s essentially who should buy the Ather 450X/450S/Apex. While both scooters are well made, feature-loaded, reliable electric scooters, what they really stand for are machines that are fun to ride. The chassis combined with the skinny, grippy tyres make for a scooter that turns and zips through traffic better than some bikes. Add to that the Warp mode on the 450X (Warp+ on the 450 Apex), and it makes for an incredibly exciting scooter. 

And all that sportiness obviously comes at an expense. All the three Athers have suspension that’s on the firmer side, so they’re all far from the most comfortable scooters on sale. And the compact size that makes it a joy to filter around in the city means that there isn’t a lot of room for you to take pillions. 

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So who should buy the Ather 450X, 450S or the Apex? People who are willing to put up with the slightly impractical bits in exchange for the excitement on offer. People who usually ride their scooters without pillions and are essentially looking to buy something for themselves rather than something for their entire family. 

And for such very people, Ather also offers its 450 lineup at four very different prices. Take a look here: 

Note: Prices for the 450S and 450X are effective ex-showroom Bengaluru prices that include the charger, 2024 EMPS subsidy (Electric Mobility Promotion Scheme). The price for the 450 Apex, meanwhile, is the effective ex-showroom Bengaluru price since Ather hasn’t applied for any subsidies for the Apex.

So if you are someone who is on a relatively tightly strung budget, the 450S or the 450X (2.9kWh) might be the one for you. But if you are willing to really stretch out your budget for the sheer performance on offer, the 450 Apex is arguably India’s most fun-to-ride electric scooter. More about it in our first ride review.  

Who Should Buy The Ather Rizta? 

The Ather Rizta, on the other hand, promises a very different experience. While we’ve not ridden the scooter yet, the overall theme seems to be comfort and practicality as opposed to outright performance and excitement. Be it the simplicity of just two riding modes (Zip and SmartEco), tons of space on offer (super large seat and the massive 34-litre boot space) or even the 

 160km IDC (Indian Driving Cycle) claimed range on the top variant (the highest ever seen on an Ather scooter), all of these things point towards a scooter that the entire family can ride on a daily basis. As for the prices, here’s how much each variant of the Rizta costs: 

In sum, if you want something for your entire family to ride, the Ather Rizta does seem like the better choice, at least on paper. That said, we will be riding the scooter soon, so make sure you stay tuned to ZigWheels to be among the first ones to catch our first ride review.