Ather Rizta Road Test Review: Good, But Not Completely There Yet

The Ather Rizta is the EV maker’s first family-oriented scooter. Having only developed sporty scooters till now and the brand being synonymous with that kind of performance over the years, the Rizta will surely face comparisons with its sporty siblings from interested customers. We recently road-tested the 2.9kWh Z variant to see for ourselves if it’s fair to make those comparisons and whether the scooter has enough qualities of its own to stand out in the EV maker’s lineup.

Design

One thing’s for sure, the Rizta doesn’t look similar to any other Ather scooters at all. The EV maker has successfully managed to do that part right. The boxy design language along with the flat front apron and side panels do give the impression of a family-oriented scooter. It looks quite big in the flesh and has its own road presence. 

That being said, the overall looks of the scooter aren’t that impressive. I’m not saying that because it doesn’t look as striking as the 450S or the 450X as being sporty is not what this EV is about. But being a family scooter doesn’t mean that it has to look a bit dull. A scooter CAN look stylish with a boxy design language. It’s just that the Rizta is not there yet. The build quality is top-notch, though, which is expected from an Ather scooter and no visible panel gaps are always an assuring sign of that.

Performance, Battery and Range

The Rizta’s motor produces a peak power output of 4.3kW and a peak torque output of 22Nm. This results in a smooth acceleration and the scooter has enough power (in one riding mode) on tap to overtake other vehicles with ease. And as expected, being an Ather, the throttle calibration is on point. 

The scooter has two riding modes: Smart Eco and Zip. In Zip mode, the performance is spirited enough and has some characteristics of the 450X to allow you to ride the scooter in a fast manner from time to time. It is the Smart Eco mode that’s disappointing. It is meant to be a riding mode where performance is restricted to a degree for a higher range output, which is needed in a family scooter. But Ather has probably taken the performance restriction part too seriously because in that mode, the scooter’s performance just feels lethargic and is quite slow to get up to speeds of even 40-50kmph. In fact, during our real-world tests, the Rizta took 16.69 seconds to accelerate from 0-40kmph in Smart Eco mode whereas in Zip mode, it did that in 4.28 seconds. Such a stark difference between the two meant that I ended up riding in Zip mode most of the time. Maybe a third riding mode with performance levels falling in between the Smart Eco and Zip modes would’ve made the overall experience much smoother.

The 2.9kWh Rizta Z variant we tested has a claimed IDC (Indian Driving Conditions) range of 123km and a real-world range of about 105km in Smart Eco mode. We managed to get a real-world range of about 90km when riding mostly in Zip mode, and switching to Smart Eco when the traffic permitted (since Smart Eco feels too slow when leaving from traffic signals or overtaking). And honestly, we think that this amount of range from a full charge should be enough for most people for their daily commutes.  Also, it takes about 5 hours and 45 minutes to fully charge the scooter using the fast charger, which is alright considering you’ll be mostly charging the scooter either at home or at office using a standard 3-pin plug.  

Handles like a Family Scooter

If you are expecting to find out that the Rizta can zip and zap out of traffic easily and is fun to handle like the 450X, then I’d like to tell you that it doesn’t. And as a family scooter, it actually doesn’t need to do that. The Rizta feels agile enough to move in and out of traffic without stress, the kind of leisurely but not lazy character you’d want from a scooter whose main priority is comfort over sportiness. Sometimes, the heft of the scooter that weighs 119kg can be felt. But, it’s not a deal breaker.

The brakes offer great stopping power and the feedback is quite good as well. The front brakes are very sharp while the rear brakes, only comparatively, are less reactive which provides a fine balance of stopping performance when pressed together. On top of that, the MRF tyres offer good grip and straight-line stability. 

The Magic Twist feature, first seen on the Ather 450 Apex, provides quite a unique braking experience. By simply twisting the throttle in the opposite direction, you can decelerate the scooter in a manner similar to pressing the brake levers. It can feel overwhelming initially for those who are used to using the throttle aggressively. But when you find the right groove after riding the scooter for a few days, it is possible to go about your daily commutes without pressing the brake levers for a majority of the time. To me, interesting is the perfect word to describe this feature.    

Not AS Comfy as a Family Scooter

The Ather 450X’s suspension setup is on the firmer side and that’s expected and alright as a sporty scooter. The Rizta’s setup, on the other hand, is softer than that and handles bumps and potholes in a more plush manner. But as a family scooter, it isn’t plush enough. Don’t get me wrong, the ride doesn’t feel as bumpy as its sporty siblings’, but you still have to be on the lookout for the big potholes so as to not arrive in front of one suddenly and feel a bit disappointed a few seconds later. 

The same goes for the seat as well. The padding on it is better, comfort-wise, than the 450X but not enough to not feel anything on the backside after a long day of commuting. With a pillion on board, the overall ride quality does improve a bit. Safe to say, the ride quality is comfortable to a degree but needs to get better in the next round of updates.  

There is a small silver lining here, though, in terms of the spaciousness of the seat and the riding positions of both the rider and the pillion. Ather claims that the Rizta’s seat is the largest in the segment and it certainly feels like that. Even with a pillion sitting behind, there is enough space for the rider to wear his/her backpack without it being a hindrance for the pillion. The pillion backrest provides additional comfort, which is always a boon. The upright riding posture of the rider with the ample space in the floorboard feels quite comfortable and the well integrated footrests mean that the pillion can seat comfortably during those commutes as well.   

Features

The Rizta has a 7-inch TFT instrument console with Bluetooth connectivity and Google Maps navigation. The various functions on the screen are controlled by a 5-way joystick on the left handlebar and it works seamlessly most of the time. The joystick provides a good feel, even when used with gloves. Features like music and call controls, going through the various settings options of the scooter and setting up the navigation are all handled by joystick. The experience is intuitive, especially after getting used to the console’s layout. 

The Rizta has plenty of underseat storage space (34 litres, to be exact), which is more than enough for your daily groceries and shopping. The floorboard space is big enough to carry a couple of small bags and if you opt for the new optional Frunk accessory, you get an additional 22 litres of storage space, which is a lot. Also, the storage organiser accessory for the underseat storage space is quite a nifty feature and is essentially a big carry bag that fits seamlessly in that space. It removes the hassle of having to carry your own bags every time you need to head out for some groceries and utilities.   

The other features found in Ather scooters like AutoHold, auto brightness of the console, document storage and much more are also present in the Rizta and they work seamlessly. The new Skid Control, which is Ather’s version of traction control, works really well in preventing the rear tyre from slipping when travelling over gravel surfaces and sometimes, you won’t feel that it is doing its job. 

But all these fancy features are part of the Pro pack, which costs an additional Rs 13,000 to Rs 20,000 (depending on the variant you choose). And the Frunk and the storage organizer cost Rs 2,499 and Rs 1,499 respectively. So, the convenience and comfort provided by the fancy features and accessories do come at a pretty steep price.

Verdict

The Rizta is the EV maker’s first attempt at a family scooter and from that perspective, Ather Energy has done a good job. It offers good performance (even though in just one mode), good handling characteristics, lots of storage and an extensive features list. Yes, the not so eye-catching styling, lethargic performance in Smart Eco mode and the stiffer ride quality are some of the things that need improving for sure. And the other thing is that with a price tag of Rs 1,26,499 for the 2.9kWh Z variant (Rs 1,46,499 for the top-end 3.7kWh variant), if you opt for the Pro pack, the price stretches to about Rs 1,41,499 (all ex-showroom) for this 2.9kWh Z variant, which is pretty steep to be honest. 

Whatever Ather has done with the Rizta is a step in the right direction. It’s just that for it to command such prices, the above mentioned improvements should be a high priority in the next version.