Ather 450 Apex First Ride Review

Can you believe it's already been 10 years that Ather has been in existence as a company? And in that time they established themselves to be the makers of the best e-scooter in India, the 450X. So now, to celebrate their 10th anniversary, Ather has launched a limited edition electric scooter called the 450 Apex. And yes, the Apex represents the pinnacle of what's possible with this 450 platform. So what is it that makes the Apex so special?

Looks special

First, of course, is the design. Now the Apex has the same shape as the 450 - nothing’s changed there. What's clear to see is the clear panel at the back, and it's really cool because the panel is glossy on the outside and frosted on the inside. Plus, you can see the orange sub frame through the clear panels, along with orange wheels which are as KTM as they get. 

What makes the Apex even more special is Apex’s new blue color. Ather calls this colour Indium Blue (YInMn Blue) - a pigment made from the elements yttrium, indium and manganese. It’s got a lovely matte texture that looks and feels gorgeous. But what makes it really special is that it was the first new colour pigment to be discovered in over 200 years, making it the newest colour in the world, created in just 2009.

Moves special

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But if you're someone who likes the 450 for its performance and not so much it looks, then you'll be very happy because Ather has packed more performance in the Apex as well. The peak output of the motor has gone from 6.4 kW to 7 KW and that means you get more performance both in terms of acceleration and top speed. In fact Ather claims the Apex can go from 0 to 40 in just 2.9 seconds and hit a top speed of 100kmph.

While you will notice the quicker acceleration off the line, what you’ll notice even more is its roll-on acceleration. The way it builds speed from 40 to 80kmph is just incredible. Pair that with the 450’s already fantastic handling, and we think that, in our books at least, the 450 Apex has just become India’s most fun-to-ride electric scooter.

And to use all that extra oomph it has introduced a new ride Mode called Warp+. Now this Warp+ mode comes with some really funky graphics on the dashboard, in addition to the regular Smart Eco, Ride and Sport modes.

But there is a slight caveat: if you're on the highway riding flat out in Warp+ mode for too long, maybe 3-4 km, the motor will get a little hot and derate, giving you a little less performance.

Now in our test ride around this go-kart track, we did see some derating, but very little. After a few hot laps, on average, we lost 2-3kmph of top speed at the end of the straight. That said, even waiting for 30-40 seconds was enough to get the Apex back to peak performance. In all fairness, though, we did ride on a pretty chilly evening in Bengaluru. We think, in normal everyday riding conditions, most people will see little to no derating when using Warp+.

Stops special

While you have Warp+ to go faster the Apex gets something to go slower as well. The 450 Apex has something called “Magic Twist,” Ather's new version of regen braking. For that Ather has given the Apex a significantly increased reverse throttle. And the braking you get with this is quite potent. To the point that if you're riding in the city, in theory you can ride without touching the brakes at all, as it’s possible to modulate that reverse throttle really easily, to get exactly the amount of braking you need.

Of course, the Magic Twist does take some getting used to. Especially if you’re someone who relies mostly on the front brake. While we really believe average commuters would love using this Magic Twist for braking, more enthusiastic riders would prefer to go into the settings and switch Magic Twist to Low, or off!

Costs Special?

So, finally, let's get down to the brass tacks, and that’s the price. The Apex is a limited edition scooter which means it is unfortunately expensive. It’s priced at Rs 1.89 lakh ex-showroom Bengaluru, without FAME II. And yes, that does sound like a lot. But if you compare it with the 450X with the 3.7kWh battery, add the Pro Pack and remove FAME 2–it’s going away in March anyway–then you’re paying less than Rs 10,000 more for the Apex. So given the unique looks and performance it's not such a bad deal. 

Ather will be making only a few of these and they have not given us a number as of yet. But production will continue till October of this year, with deliveries beginning from March onwards. So if you want to get your hands on India's most fun-to-ride e-scooter that looks very special indeed, we don't think you can go wrong with the Ather 450 Apex.