8 Upcoming Scooters in India for all the gear-less lovers...

The Indian scooter market is slowly and steadily evolving, which means there is more room than ever for growth in the years to come. Having established themselves in the 100-110 cc scooter segment, 2018 kick-started with manufactures exploring the 125 cc space which commands more thought and better products to a more informed customer.  For the informed scooter buyer out there, here are the top scooters that will be making their way to the market in the years 2018 and 2019.

1. Hero Duet 125

(The Hero Duet 125 is based on the Duet 110 scooter)

Hero MotoCorp made its entry into the growing 125 cc segment. The two-wheeler maker revealed the Hero Duet and Maestro Edge 125 cc scooters at the Auto Expo 2018 in February, and while they may not be as exciting the Dare 125 concept was, the company does plan to launch these soon. The Hero Duet 125 is built on the existing Duet platform and gets a bored out engine as well as a few styling and feature upgrades. Most prominent is the addition of the i3S start-stop system that makes its way from Hero's motorcycle range on the scooter. Power comes from the new 125 cc single-cylinder air-cooled motor tuned for 8.7 bhp at 6750 rpm and 10.2 Nm of peak torque at 5000 rpm. As is the case with Hero products, the Duet 125 will be competitively priced, expected to start from ₹ 57,000 (ex-showroom).

2. Hero Maestro Edge 125

(Hero Maestro Edge 125 shares its engine with the Duet 125)

Joining the Duet 125, the Hero Maestro Edge 125 was also unveiled at the biennial event and shares its underpinnings and the engine with the former. Compared to the Duet 125 however, the Maestro Edge 125 gets a sharper design targeted towards a younger set of buyers. Both scooters use the same engine in the same state of tune, while the feature list also remains the same with the i3S idle start-stop system, digital display, boot light, mobile charging socket, side stand indicator and more. Expect the Hero Maestro Edge 125 to command a slightly premium price tag over the Duet 125.

3. Suzuki Burgman Street 125

(The Suzuki Burgman Street 125 will be India's first maxi-style scooter)

The Suzuki Burgman Street 125 made its India debut at the Auto Expo 2018 and takes the scooter game up by a notch in the country. Styled on the lines of a maxi-scooter, the Burgman Street 125 borrows design cues from larger displacement Burgman offerings with full bodywork, tall windscreen and a step-up style seat. The scooter also features a full-LED headlamp, digital instrument console, alloy wheels, and a segment first adjustable foot peg position. Power on the Burgman Street comes from the tried and tested 125 cc motor from the Access tuned for 10.7 bhp and 10 Nm of peak torque. The Suzuki scooter will be going on sale by mid-2018 and prices are expected to be around ₹ 60,000 (ex-showroom). With its unique styling and impressive feature list, the scooter is the one you should look forward to this year.

4. Twenty Two Flow

(Deliveries for the Twenty Two Flow electric scooter will commence in June 2018)

Indian start-up Twenty Two Motors launched the Flow electric scooter at the Auto Expo 2018 priced at ₹ 74,740 (ex-showroom, Delhi). The all-electric offering is Indias' first lithium-ion powered scooter gets a host of features including artificial intelligence, digital console, electronic braking, LED lights, geo-fencing and more. Power on the scooter comes from a DC motor that is powered by a lithium-ion battery and can produce up to 90 Nm of peak torque. The battery can be charged within a span of five hours and offers a range of 80 km with a speed of 60 kmph. While the price and specifications have already been announced, deliveries for the Twenty Two Flow will commence from June this year.

5. Ather S340

(The Ather S340 will be one of the completely made-in-India electric scooters)

Founded by IIT Madras alumni Tarun Mehta and Swapnil Jain, Indian start-up Ather Energy could introduce the S340 electric scooter this year. The scooter was shown back in 2016 as a concept and looks promising as well, as an urban runabout. The Ather S340 is also loaded on googies with power coming from lithium-ion batteries. The scooter will be made it India and the battery will be able to charge up to 80 per cent in an hour. Other features include regenrative braking, multiple riding modes, monoshock suspension and more. Ather is yet to announce a timeline for the S340's launch.

6. Hero Electric Scooter

(The Hero Duet E will be Hero MotoCorp's all-electric scooter)

While Hero does produce electric scooters under its sister brand 'Hero Electric', the company is expected to develop its own offering as the segment begins to open up. In fact, Hero MotoCorp also showcased the Duet E at the Auto Expo 2016 and its upcoming electric scooter could be based on the same. The Hero Duet E unveiled, shared its components with the standard model, while power came from an electric motor that can belt out 5 kW and 14 Nm of peak torque. Hero claimed a 0-60 kmph run in 6.5 seconds. Hero also revealed at the expo that the scooter has a travel range of 65 km on a single charge. That said, Hero has not revealed any plans for its electric two-wheeler range yet.

7. TVS Creon-Based Electric Scooter

(The TVS Creon electric Scooter concept has been described as a performance-oriented offering)

TVS Motor Company is also said to be entering the electric market soon and giving a glimpse of its future offering, the company showcased the Creon electric scooter concept at the Auto Expo 2018. Now, the two-wheeler maker does churn out production ready products from its concepts and it is likely that the bike maker will also introduce a Creon-based electric scooter in the future. At the time of unveil, the manufacturer described the offering as a "performance-oriented, electric scooter concept". The concept features a 12 kW electric motor with acceleration from 0-60 kmph in under 5.1 seconds and a claimed range of 80 km. The battery can be charged to 80 per cent capacity in just 60 minutes. TVS is yet to confirm details on the launch of the production-ready Creon, and we certainly hope to see this one hitting the markets soon.

8. Mahindra Electric Scooter

(Anand Mahindra at Mahindra R&D facility in Pune with the upcoming electric scooter)

While operations for Mahindra 2Wheelers may have not panned out as the company hoped, it is quite likely that the Indian two-wheeler will take an early plunge into the electric two-wheeler space. It is believed that Mahindra will be introducing an electric two-wheeler based on the Gusto scooter. Details though on the powertrain, range, top speed and charging are yet to be confirmed though. Mahindra is already working on electric two-wheelers internationally and in fact, sells the GenZe electric scooter in the US. We exclusively reviewed the learnings from the former will help in the development of the new electric scooters for India. That said, there are no confirmations about this from the company yet, but we do hope to hear something soon.

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