New scooter launches for 2016

Hero ZIR

Hero MotoCorp's latest 150cc scooter - ZIR was showcased at the 2014 Auto Expo and it definitely grabbed the most number of eyeballs owing to its styling. The Hero ZIR has been loaded with features such as dual projector headlamps with daylight running lights integrated in them, petal disc brakes, LED turn indicators and tail lamp, windscreen etc. It will be powered by a 157cc, liquid-cooled mill producing 14PS of power and 12.7Nm of torque. Hero claims that the ZIR can hit a top-speed of 110kmph. With the ZIR, Hero plans to revive a new segment of maxi-scooters, which was started by the Kinetic Blaze close to a decade back.

Expected Launch Date: Mid-2016

Expected Price: Rs 80-90,000

Rivals: Vespa SXL 150

Honda PCX 150

Honda is the undisputed king when it comes to scooters in the Indian market. Last year it upped the ante by launching its first 125cc scooter for the Indian market in the form of the Activa 125 which has been received well by consumers. For 2016, the Japanese two-wheeler giant wants to take a step further and will bring in its first 150cc scooter offering- Honda PCX 150. Honda had showcased the PCX 125 AT THE 2014 Auto Expo and it generated lot of curiosity among the consumers. The Honda PCX 150 gets an European scooter design language which comes as a fresh breath of air in the rather monotonous design adopted by scooters in India. Powering the Honda PCX 150 is a single-cylinder, fuel-injected, 153cc motor producing 13.5PS of power and 14Nm of torque. Whether Honda ditches fuel injection for cost purpose remains to be seen, and it has already imported the PCX 150 in India for R&D purpose. With its arch rival Hero MotoCorp all-set to launch the ZIR 150cc scooter in 2016, Honda seems to have an able rival in the form of the PCX 150.

Expected Launch Date: Mid-2016

Expected Price: Rs 90,000

Rivals: Vespa SXL 150

Hero Dare

Apart from the ZIR, Hero also showcased a new 125cc scooter – Dare at the 2014 Auto Expo. With its snazzy and sporty styling, the Dare has been designed to appeal to the male buyers and college students. The Dare is powered by a 125cc, air-cooled mill pumping out 9PS of power and 9.5Nm of torque. The new offering has been loaded with features such as LED daylight running lamps and taillight, full digital instrument console, mobile phone charging socket, boot light etc. For safety purpose, the Hero Dare comes with an E-Coded security key. Hero has loaded the new scooter with quality cycle parts like telescopic forks, disc brake at front and alloy wheels.

Expected Launch Date: Mid-2016

Expected Price: Rs 60,000

Rivals: Honda Activa 125, Suzuki Access

Get latest updates on
the automobile community

Login Now

Yamaha NMax

With its rivals planning to enter the 150cc scooter space for 2016, Yamaha is well prepared in the form of its new global scooter. The Yamaha NMAX has been developed as a global scooter and was launched in Indonesia first. The styling of the Yamaha NMAX is similar to a maxi scooter and features a European style step thru design. Powering the new Yamaha scooter is a 155cc, liquid-cooled motor producing 15PS of power and 14.4 Nm of torque. Power is transmitted to the rear-wheel via a CVT transmission. The Yamaha NMAX sports Blue Core technology that reduces friction between mating parts thereby returning better fuel efficiency. Talking about features the scooter features a smoked out headlamp, digital instrument console, external fuel cap, telescopic forks, and 13-inch alloy wheels. Braking is done by disc brakes at front and rear while ABS is standard which will be dropped on the India-spec model for cost cutting.

Expected Launch Date: Late 2016

Expected Price: Around Rs 1 lakh

Rivals: Vespa SXL 150

Yamaha 125cc scooter

Yamaha has tasted a fair bit of success in the Indian scooter market owing to its Ray series and the Alpha that was launched in 2014. Continuing its expansion in the scooter segment, Yamaha India will launch its first 125cc scooter offering in the Indian two-wheeler market. The new 125cc scooter has been codenamed 04X and will be manufactured at Yamaha India’s upcoming scooter production facility in Chennai. The new 125cc scooter will be based on the Yamaha Nozza Grande that was launched in Vietnam in 2015. The Yamaha Nozza Grande is powered by a fuel-injected motor in the Vietnam market but it is expected that it will be given a miss to cut cost. Expect the 125cc mill to generate around 8PS of peak power and 9.5Nm of torque. The Yamaha 125cc scooter will be pitched against the Honda Activa 125 and the Suzuki Access 125 in our market.

Expected Price: Rs 58,000

Expected launch: Mid-2016

Rivals: Honda Activa 125, Suzuki Access

Honda Aviator 125 

The Honda Aviator is among the best scooters money can buy yet it somehow failed to click in the Indian market and has been completely overshadowed by the Activa. Honda Motorcycles & India Pvt. Ltd (HMIL) plans to give a new lease of life to the Aviator by plonking the 125cc motor from the Activa 125 and give it a cosmetic update to distinguish itself from the standard scooter. The air-cooled, single-cylinder engine delivers 8.7PS of peak power and 10.1Nm of peak torque. We feel the new Honda Aviator 125 to get design influences from the Honda Lead scooter which is on sale in Southeast Asian markets.

Expected Launch Date: Mid-2016

Expected Price: Rs 65,000

Rivals: Vespa VXL 125

Piaggio Liberty

Piaggio has been present in the Indian scooter segment via the brand Vespa. But Vespa hasn’t been able to garner the sales figure as desired by Piaggio owing to its high sticker price and is considered as a niche marquee. But Piaggio plans to bring in the new Liberty which will be more utilitarian on nature than the Vespa for daily use. Powering the scooter will be the same 125cc engine that is seen on the standard Vespa but it will lose the 3-valve technology to cut cost and will be tuned to deliver better fuel efficiency. Highlights of the Piaggio Liberty will be the 14-inch wheels compared to 10-inch wheels found on most other scooters on sale in India, electronic immobiliser and disc brakes.

Expected Launch Date: Mid-2016

Expected Price: Rs 65,000

Rivals: Honda Activa 125, Suzuki Access

Mahindra Gusto 125

The new Mahindra Gusto 125 will make its public debut at the 2016 Auto Expo in February with a nationwide launch soon after. The scooter will be powered by an in-house developed 125cc motor churning out around 10PS of power and 11Nm of peak torque. The Mahindra Gusto 110 produces 8PS of peak power and 8.5Nm of maximum torque. Expect the claimed mileage figure for the Mahindra Gusto 125 to be around 55kmpl. In terms of styling the new 125cc scooter is expected to retain the design cues of the Mahindra Gusto 110 with minor tweaks to differentiate them. Expect the Mahindra Gusto 125 to retain all the features including the height adjustable seat with two different settings as seen on its 110cc sibling. Suspension duties will be handled by telescopic front forks and coil type setup at rear. While braking is done by 130mm dia drum brakes at front and rear.

Expected Launch Date: March, 2016

Expected Price: Rs 54,000

Rivals: Activa 125, Suzuki Access.

Hero Leap

Hero MotoCorp will not restrict its scooter offering to internal combustion engines as it plans to launch the Leap hybrid scooter that was showcased as a concept at the 2012 Auto Expo. The Leap is a serial hybrid scooter with an 8KW electric motor and 124cc petrol mill. It’s got a small 3-litre fuel tank and a range of 340km hinting that it will be a highly efficient scooter. It weighs in at 140kg, quite heavy for a scooter of this size. This is mainly due to the large lithium-ion battery powering it. It’s got 240mm discs up front and drum brakes for the rear wheels. The Hero Leap will definitely among the most highly anticipated scooter launches of 2015 and it will be launched in international markets before makings its debut in the Indian two-wheeler market.

Expected Launch Date: Early 2016

Expected Price: Rs 65-70,000

Rivals: None

Vespa 946

Without a shadow of doubt, the 946 with its retro-futuristic design will be the most visually appealing scooter to be launched in the Indian scooter market. The major design highlights of the 946 is its floating saddle which is hinged on a cast aluminium support, full LED headlamp and taillight and LCD instrumentation cluster. The Vespa 946 is powered by a single-cylinder 125cc mill, producing 11.9PS of power and 10.3Nm of torque. Piaggio has loaded the 946 with electronic goodies like disc brakes at the front and rear with ABS (anti-lock braking system) and ASR (anti-slip regulator) Traction Control, which, with the aid of electronic system, helps the rear tyre from slipping. The scooter will come in via CBU route, so expect to shell out a premium to own one.

Expected Launch Date: Mid-2016

Expected Price: Rs 6-8.00 lakh

Rivals: Aprilia SRV 850