Honda Activa 4G

After their monumental rise, fall and the recent resurgence in the Indian market, scooters have become the cash cows for several two-wheeler manufacturers in the country. And the scooter which made this possible was the Honda Activa. Since it was launched at the turn of the millennium, the Honda Activa has carved a very important place for itself in the Indian two-wheeler industry. The highest selling two-wheeler in the country, the newest iteration of the scooter is called as the Activa 4G.

While the ‘4G’ hints at the fourth generation of the scooter, fact is that the Activa has remained more or less the same in the last few years. Looking at the sales numbers, the company seems to have taken a ‘don’t fix it, if it ain’t broke’ approach towards the scooter. The styling is conservative and elegant, a design which offends no one, but won’t attract eyeballs either. The front apron is edgy and gets two vents at the centre, while the headlamp and turn indicators are mounted on the handlebar. The analogue instrument cluster is also simplistic, and gets a speedometer, fuel gauge and odometer. The full metal body of the Activa 4G is one of its biggest plus points, as it gives the scooter a sturdy feel, something which is highly sought after among scooter customers. The underseat storage compartment has 18 litres capacity and also gets a 12v socket which can be used to charge your phone. The fuel cap is also located below the seat. The rear section also gets a conservative design, and is dominated by a tail lamp flanked by turn indicators. The seat is wide and long making it comfortable to ride around in the city.

At the heart of the Activa 4G is a tried-and-tested 109cc air-cooled single-cylinder engine. The engine delivers 8bhp and 9Nm of torque through a CVT transmission. The engine gets Honda Eco Technology which aims to maximise efficiency without compromising on performance. The Activa returned 61.6kmpl in our standard test cycle, which when coupled with the 5.3 litre fuel tank gives it a maximum range of just over 320 kilometres.

The Activa 4G rides on trailing link suspension at the front and a monoshock at the rear. It gets 10-inch steel wheels at both ends shod with tubeless tyres. Brake setup consists of 130mm drum brakes front and rear. Honda’s proprietary combi braking system (CBS) is offered as standard. This system automatically activates the front brake every time the rear brake is used.

The Activa 4G is available in seven paint schemes which add some glitz to the otherwise conservative-looking scooter – black, red, blue, grey, white brown and silver. The Activa 4G competes against the TVS Jupiter, Hero Maestro Edge and the Yamaha Fascino.