Honda Activa 125 Variants Explained

Honda recently launched the updated Activa 125 and added a new variant to the scooter’s lineup, which means the bigger Activa is now on sale in four different variants. If you’re wondering what’s different between all of them, here are all the deets. 

Activa 125 Drum (Rs 78,920, ex-showroom Delhi)

First off, the drum variant is the base variant and thereby the most affordable Activa 125 you can buy. It gets an external fuel lid, steel pressed wheels and drum brakes on both ends. 

Activa 125 Drum Alloy (Rs 82,588, ex-showroom Delhi) 

As the name suggests, this variant gets alloy wheels and drum brakes on both ends. In terms of features, the Drum Alloy variant is on a par with the disc variant and misses out on a front disc brake and Idle Start-Stop System. Features offered with this variant include an LED headlamp, a semi-digital instrument console that displays real time mileage and distance-to-empty, side stand engine cutoff and an engine kill switch. You get all this for a Rs 3,668 premium over the Standard variant.  

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Activa 125 Disc (Rs 86,093, ex-showroom Delhi) 

This trim comes with all the bells and whistles expected from a top-end variant. It gets alloy wheels and a front disc brake. It obviously gets all the features of the Drum Alloy variant with the only addition being an Idle Start-Stop System, apart from the front disc brake of course. This tech is similar to Hero’s i3S setup and shuts off the engine if it is idling for a longer while at a traffic stop. To switch it on again, you simply have to twist the throttle. So essentially, you get a disc brake and start-stop tech for an additional premium of Rs 3,505 over the Drum Alloy variant, which does seem a bit steep.

Activa 125 H-Smart (Rs 88,093, ex-showroom Delhi)

This new variant not only packs everything that the lower variants get, but also has a smart key, which performs a multitude of functions, more about which you can read in our launch story (see link above). In an attempt to further justify the premium, Honda has given the scooter a small open glove box on the left side of the apron. The company also says it has redesigned the 18-litre under-seat storage to optimise space better.

So, which one should you go for? Well, going for drum brakes despite having the option to opt for a disc brake isn’t something we would ever recommend. So that leaves the top two variants for you to choose from. 

Now, the H-Smart variant is surely a welcome addition, but the convenience it offers is not substantial. We’d have appreciated it had Honda equipped the scooter with smartphone connectivity and turn-by-turn navigation. So, up until Honda does the same, the Disc variant should do just fine for you. You’d be better off putting the Rs 2,000 you save in fuel.