After a brief hiatus, Hero MotoCorp brought back the Passion Plus. The bike had been a household name for a while and in its latest trim, the Passion Plus received mild tweaks to make it better than before. Apart from the Shine 100, the Passion also rivals the TVS Radeon in this segment. Let’s stack the two commuters against each other on paper and see which one comes on the top.
Design
Both bikes don proper commuter bodywork and feature a plain-Jane and slim build. From the curvy headlight to the small fuel tank and the single-piece seat, all the elements are more oriented towards purpose than being a visual treat. However, the Radeon offers a tad more value with its tank grips, utility hooks on the side, and a small rack at the rear that doubles down as the pillion grab-rail. The Passion Plus, on the other hand, misses out on the bits mentioned above.
Engine
Powering the Passion Plus is a 97.2cc, single-cylinder, air-cooled engine dishing out 7.9bhp and 8.05Nm. The TVS Radeon gets a 109.7cc mill dishing out 8.08bhp and 8.07Nm. Both bikes get a four-speed gearbox. While the TVS bike makes about 1bhp more, it’s also to be noted that it gets a larger engine and weighs about 2kg less than the Passion base model.
Hardware
Both bikes ride on telescopic front forks and dual rear springs and get drum brakes at both ends for their base models. But the Passion gets a 130mm rear drum brake whereas the TVS gets a 110mm rear drum. Then, both motorcycles ride on 18-inch wheels. TVS also offers a front disc brake option with the Radeon’s higher spec model, which comes at an additional cost.
Features and Dimensions
On the feature front, the Passion Plus packs semi-digital instrumentation, a USB charging port, a side-stand cut-off function, and Hero’s standard i3S technology. Meanwhile, the TVS Radeon comes with a twin-pod analogue console, a USB charging port, and synchronised braking. Here, the Passion Plus gets the upper hand.
The Passion comes with an 11-litre fuel tank and weighs 115kg. Meanwhile, the Radeon gets a slightly smaller, 10-litre fuel tank and tips the scale at 113kg for the drum brake model.
Price
Hero has priced the 2023 Passion Plus at Rs. 76,301 (ex-showroom, Delhi) and offers it in three paint schemes — Sports Red, Black Nexus Blue, and Black Heavy Grey. Meanwhile, the TVS Radeon is priced at Rs. 60,925 for the base model. There’s a notable price difference between the two, which makes the TVS Radeon better on paper.
