Hero Xoom Review | Big On Performance, Small On Price

The 110cc scooter segment is an important one. For most new and young riders, it’s a gateway to the exciting and thrilling world of two-wheelers. However, when shopping for your first scooter, ‘sporty’ can’t come at the cost of sensibility. Because what most parents want most is a scooter which not only makes their kids happy but is also easy on the pocket. There’s no doubt that the new Hero Xoom is both sporty and stylish. But, is it just as frugal? 

The design of most 110cc scooters may come off a little bland to a young rider’s taste buds. They are as youthful as your dad’s closed toe sandals, no matter how comfy they may be, you’ll never feel cool in them. In that sense, the Xoom is easily the most youthful, modern and sporty looking scooter in its segment. 

The Xoom is among the few 110cc scooters which look properly sporty. This design’s aggressiveness is amplified by these upswept lines and sharp creases. But what really helps the Xoom get that commanding stance are its 12-inch rims. And what makes it feel cool are its features.          

Tyre Size:

From all LED lighting and cornering lights, to a digital instrument console with Bluetooth connectivity, the Xoom is packing so much more than its rivals. The digital console features a real-time mileage indicator, caller ID and sms alerts along other basic readouts like speed, ODO and trip. 

However, one area where we felt a little let down was its fit and finish levels. The quality of plastics just don’t feel up to the mark for a Hero product. However, the Xoom quickly moves your attention to another one of its strong suits - practicality. Besides a large and spacious underseat storage cabin, you get split cubby holders behind the front apron along with a USB charging port below it. 

But we wouldn’t advise keeping your valuables like phones in there. Over our poor quality roads there’s a real risk of them falling out. Maybe having the USB in the boot or securing the cubby holders with a locking flap like on Suzuki scooters would have been smarter.

It’s normal to feel ‘the sportier a scooter looks, the faster it will go’, but that’s not always the case. The Xoom’s performance is modestly sporty at best but also good fun for beginners. But here’s the interesting bit, according to our V-box data, it's not only faster than most other 110cc scooters but almost as quick as some 125cc too. 

Acceleration test:

With 8PS and 8.7Nm on tap, there’s enough pep to ride through town enthusiastically and just enough power to sustain short highway commutes as well. The Xoom builds power quickly because all of its torque comes low down at 5700rpm. That initial grunt is followed by a brief flat spot before the power surges back up again, because peak power is found higher up near the 7200rpm mark. However, by this point the motor starts to feel way too busy. 

Lower down in the power band the scooter sounds a bit gruff and there's even a mild buzz from the floorboard and handlebar. However, that smoothes out quickly as you go faster. The Xoom, like most Hero scooters, may come across as lacking a little refinement because of its gruffness, especially if you're benchmarking it against a Honda scooter. But, they’re pretty refined and that little gruffness is just characteristic of Hero’s engines. 

The Xoom uses a telescopic front fork and a monoshock at the rear standing on 12-inch alloy wheels. Hero’s gone with a firmer setup on the Xoom, hence, the ride feels sporty but a bit unpleasant. Over rumblers, undulations and speed breakers the scooter shudders and tosses. Faster you go, the shuddering and tossing becomes more pronounced. 

And that’s the problem. Although a sporty scooter, the ergonomics on the Xoom is neutral, upright and comfy. The seat is nice and wide, and long, hence even riding two up is pretty comfortable despite its compact dimensions. And that's the catch, considering the Xoom is an urban dweller, a softer suspension set up would have complemented the relaxed ergonomics.

In the city, there's enough agility to flick the scooter around, and the 90/90 and 100/80 (front and back) section tyres offer sufficient grip to weave through traffic. However, the combination of the firm suspension and asymmetric tyre profiles leaves the scooter feeling a little unsettled at first. But over time, you get a hang of its riding dynamics.    

That said, what does work in the Xoom’s favour are the brakes. The front disc and rear drum brake offer good bite and the combined braking system ensures the braking is progressive and controlled. Also note, the base variant of the Xoom comes with drum brakes at either end.

• Front Brake: 190mm Disc / 130mm Drum

• Rear Brake: 130mm Drum

Braking Test:

Enough sporty, let’s talk frugality. The Xoom returned a fuel efficiency of 63.8kmpl in the city and 50.6kmpl on the highway. Imagine savings! Weekly, you’ll spend less on fuel and more on stuff you like. What helps the Xoom extract such high efficiency is Hero’s i3S engine start-stop technology. 

It isn’t the most seamless form of this technology we’ve used recently. Suzuki scooters do it best. A gentle twist on the throttle is all you need to fire up a Suzuki engine from stationary. However, Hero’s system feels a bit rudimentary. You need to engage the rear brake, twist the throttle just the right amount to get it going. Whack open the throttle and the i3S system can stall forcing you to thumb start the normal way. A bit of calibration should do the trick Hero!   

Verdict:

If you’re a kid, your parents are probably insisting on the Honda Activa as your first ride, but you want something sporty like a TVS Ntorq 125. If you find yourself in a similar gridlock where you guys can't find a perfect middle ground, it’s time to consider the Hero Xoom. With its sporty performance, youthful styling, frugal characteristics and an accessible price tag of Rs 68,599 onwards (ex-showroom Delhi) onwards, it's easier to get your parents on board, and as a matter of fact it makes for a pretty sweet first ride.