Introduction:
Earlier today, Suzuki expanded its line-up of 125cc scooters with the launch of its new flagship model the Access 125. Apart from revising the chassis and powertrain, Suzuki has taken a completely different approach in the styling department, positioning the new Access 125 as more of a lifestyle scooter than your every day ride. But in the near future, this market space will also witness the launch of a brand new scooter – the Mahindra Gusto 125. To give you an idea of what you can expect from these scooters, here’s a detailed spec comparison of the Access 125, Activa 125 and the upcoming Gusto 125.
Design and engine:
Thanks to the cosmetic updates, the Suzuki Access 125 gets a refreshing neo-retro look, designed along the lines of old-school European scooters. The front gets a new fascia thanks to the redesigned apron and boxy headlamp, while the side profile gets curvy body panels to match its retro character. The subtle touches of chrome on the headlamp and the exhaust shield give it a premium feel. The Honda Activa 125, on the other hand, gets a very conservative look. While the overall philosophy design is very similar to the other Activa models, subtle contemporary touches like the black visor and the chrome panel at the front give it the premium look.e. The Mahindra Gusto 125 looks identical to the standard Gusto, though the dual-tone paint scheme does help in distinguishing it from its 110cc sibling.
When it comes to the powertrain, all three scooters are propelled by 125cc single-cylinder air-cooled engines, with almost identical power outputs. Both the Suzuki Access 125 and Activa 125 engine are rated at 8.6bhp and 10.2Nm of torque, while the Gusto 125 is marginally less powerful, developing 8.5bhp and 10Nm.
The Access 125 engine comes armed with the company's proprietary Suzuki Eco Performance (SEP) technology, which improves the efficiency without compromising on the performance. The Activa 125 comes with a 125cc single-cylinder engine inbuilt with Honda Eco Technology (HET), also aimed at improving the efficiency. The Gusto 125 engine, on the contrary, can boast of M-TEC technology, which is targeted at bumping up the performance and the usability of the scooter. All three scooters are offered with CVT transmissions.
Features and Cycle parts:
All three contenders over here are almost on par with each other, when it comes to cycle parts. All three ride on telescopic front suspension and a swingarm linked rear monoshock. Even when it comes to brakes, the base variants of these scooters are offered with drum units for both wheels, though the Activa 125 does get combi brakes as standard. Both the Activa 125 and the Access 125 can also be specified with alloy wheels and a front disc brake, but these come at an additional premium. Both the Access 125 and the Activa 125 ride on a 12-inch front wheel and a 10-inch rear wheel, while the Gusto 125 benefits from 12-inch wheels on both ends. Tubeless tyres too are common among all three scooters.
The Access 125 comes with a new Suzuki Easy Start System and a DC power socket, though a USB charging port could have been more useful. The Gusto 125 gets a height adjustable seat, find-me-lamps, guide light and a remote flip key. Compared to the other two, the Activa 125 is rather meagrely equipped and doesn’t get any innovative feature it can boast about (apart from the combi brakes). The instrument clusters on the Access 125 and Activa 125 integrate a digital multi-information display, while the Gusto 125 gets a plain vanilla fully-analogue console.
Price:
All these technological and cosmetic updates on the Suzuki Access 125 however, come at a price. Retailing at Rs 53,887 (ex-showroom, Delhi), the new Access 125 is over Rs 2,000 more expensive than the previous version. And this is for the base drum brake and steel wheels version. Suzuki will launch a more premium version kitted with alloy wheels and a disc brake in the next few weeks,. This is expected to be around Rs 3,000 pricier than the base version.
The Honda Activa , moreover, is available in two versions to suit different budgets. The standard drum brake and steel wheels version is priced at Rs 55,689, while the more premium Activa 125 Dlx version with disc brake and alloy wheels retails at Rs 61,857 (both ex-showroom, Delhi). And while the Mahindra Gusto 125 is yet to go on sale in India, given Mahindra’s strategy of pricing their products competitively, we can safely expect it to be the most affordable scooter in this lot.
