2016 Auto Expo: Honda Navi Top 7 facts

The beginning:

The Honda Navi isn’t what it was supposed to be. Let us explain it further. The basic guidelines given to Honda engineers were to make the most affordable Honda motorcycle in the India context. With this new product, Honda was planning to tap the rural market with a bare basic motorcycle. But during development stage, the officials came up with a new prospect. An idea of a mini motorcycle for the urban market which will be different from anything the Indian market has ever witnessed. Thus the Honda Navi was born and we are glad that higher rank Honda officials took a brave decision to give the Navi project the green signal. 

What is it?

With the new Honda Navi, the Japanese two-wheeler giant plans to kick-start an all new segment in the Indian market which is a brave move from Honda which is known to be conservative. The Honda Navi is a combination of motorcycle and scooter but in a scaled down avatar. Let us explain it further, the Honda Navi looks like a motorcycle with its riding dynamics similar to a normal commuter motorcycle. But the powerplant is automatic which means that it doesn’t have a manual gearbox similar to a conventional motorcycle. 

Power & Performance:

The Honda Navi is powered by the same automatic engine as seen on the popular Honda Activa scooter. The 110cc, air-cooled, single-cylinder motor churns out 7.9PS of power at 7,000rpm and 9Nm of peak torque at 5,500rpm. The motor is mated to a CVT transmission. Given our experience with the Honda Activa we can vouch for a fact that the engine on the Honda Navi will be extremely refined and reliable as well. Talking about performance, Honda claims that the Navi can hit a top speed of 81kmph which we feel is a conservative figure. Given the fact that it would be mostly used in cityscape the top whack of 81kmph will be satisfactory for daily commutes. 

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Mileage:

The Honda Navi used the same powerplant as seen on the Honda Activa so mileage numbers should be similar. But the Navi is almost 10kg (101kg kerb weight) lighter than the Activa which should help in becoming more fuel efficient than the highest selling scooter in the country. It also gets the mileage enhancing HET tech as seen on the Activa which reduced friction among the mating parts and improves thermal efficiency of the engine. While Honda claims 60kmpl for the Activa we feel the Honda Navi will have a mileage figure of more than 60kmpl but the above number needs to be verified and we shall be test riding the Navi next month. Fuel tank capacity is 3.8 litres which should result in a real world range of above 220km on a full tank. 

Suspension & Cycle parts:

Among the most striking feature of the Honda Navi is the employment of telescopic front forks. The telescopic front forks should result in a more comfortable ride quality on the Navi as compared to the Activa. The popular scooter uses trailing link suspension which has a tendency to judder while going through potholes. At the back a spring loaded hydraulic type suspension setup has been used. The frame is based on the Activa but has been redesigned specifically for the Navi and Honda calls it under born type frame. Tyre specs are 90/90 R12 at front and 90/100 R12 at the rear. Braking is done by drum brakes on both the wheels.

Variants & Colour Options:

Apart from the stock variant, Honda plans to introduce the Navi in various avatars. The Honda Navi will be offered in three forms: Navi Street, Navi Adventure, and Navi off-road. Apart from the above variants, Honda plans to offer many customisation kits so that owners can customise the Navi based on their requirements. The Honda Navi will be available in total of five colour options – Patriot Red, Shasta White, Hooper Green, Sparky Orange and Black.

Price & Deliveries:

Honda has priced the Navi at Rs 39,500 ex-showroom Delhi. The above pricing is for the base variant of the Navi while pricing for the other variants hasn’t been announced yet. The Navi can be booked from the dealership or via an android app. The booking amount for the Navi has been set at Rs 1,000. But prospective owners have to be patient as deliveries for the first lot of Honda Navi will only start by March as Honda will start shipping the two-wheeler by end of February from its factory.