-New family electric scooter
-Gets LED illumination, TFT display, traction control
-Available in two variants
Ather has launched its new family-oriented electric scooter, the Rizta in India. This is their all-new scooter in years and joins the Ather 450-series electric scooters in the company's portfolio. The Rizta is available in two variants- S and Z. Here's what the new Ather Rizta is all about.
Beginning with the design, the Rizta takes a relatively conservative approach in comparison to its sporty, sharper-looking 450-series siblings. The front apron comprises a horizontally laid out headlight cluster with integrated DRLs and turn indicators. The side and tail panel is one unit and it has been neatly integrated as Ather has tried to blend form and function with the Rizta's design. The tail-light has a similar, bar-style shape as the headlight and it sits nicely within the bodywork. Overall, the Rizta's design should appeal to people across a wide age group.
The Rizta is also the largest electric scooter that Ather has made. It has a 900mm long seat and the company says it is the biggest seat of any scooter in India. Under the seat, there's a pretty large boot that can hold a variety of items, including office bags, groceries, umbrellas, etc. There's also a nifty little storage bin in front of the main storage area to keep wallets, loose change or a cleaning cloth. Ather will also sell a flexible frunk that attaches to the back of the apron and has 22-litres of space. In conjunction with the 34-litre underseat storage area you've got a total 56-litres of space in the Rizta.
Coming to the battery, they are available in two sizes. The Rizta S has a 2.9kWh battery that offers a true range of 105km. The Rizta Z is available with two battery options, the 2.9kW battery as on the 'S' and a bigger, 3.7kWh battery that has a true range of 125km. The battery comes with a five years/60,000km warranty as standard. Ather adds that it has a IP67 rating and the Rizta has a handy, 400mm water wading capability.
On the features front, the Ather Rizta boasts a pretty long list. The Z variant gets a 7-inch colour TFT display with Bluetooth connectivity and navigation. It has a different UI to the 450X. The Rizta S gets the 'deepview' LCD display that's seen on the Ather 450S.
Unlike the 450X, the Rizta has two ride modes only- Smart Eco and Zip. However, like the 450X, you've got reverse mode and auto hill hold. The claimed top speed of the electric scooter is 80kmph.
One of the big highlights is the underseat wireless charger for the Ather Halo smart helmet which magnetically attaches to the back of the helmet once it is stored in the boot and charges the Halo's batteries. It can also be used to send power to an accessory portable powerbank that can then charge mobile devices like smartphones and laptops.
Moving to the hardware, the Rizta has an underbone chassis that's derived from the 450-series. The big change is a longer, wider subframe that's also placed lower than on the 450s. The frame is suspended by a telescopic forks and monoshock. The Rizta rides on 12-inch wheels, shod with MRF tyres.
Adding to the Rizt'a safety quotient is the Ather Skid Control technology. Think of it as a traction control system that uses wheel speed sensors to detect rear wheel slip and modulates the power to prevent wheel spin over slippery road surfaces. It also gets an ESS system that flashes the tail light and warns vehicles when you apply brakes in an emergency. There's the Ather Fall Safe feature as well that cuts off the motor in case the scooter tips over to prevent unintentional acceleration when one tries to pick up the scooter using the throttle side of the handlebar.
Ather is offering the Rizta Z in seven colour options while the Rizta S is available in three colour options only.
The introductory price of the Ather Rizta is Rs.1.10 lakh for the S variant. In case of the Z, the 2.9kW variant is priced at Rs 1.25 lakh while the 3.7kW version is priced at Rs 1.45 lakh for the Z (ex-showroom, Bengaluru). The Ather Rizta rivals the Ola S1 and TVS iQube range.
