Maxi scooters in the 150–160cc segment are slowly gaining popularity. Yamaha introduced the Aerox 155 a few years ago, making it the first scooter in India to sport a liquid-cooled engine. The scooter went up against Aprilia’s SXR 160, which borrows its idea from its larger siblings. Now, we have a new one — the Hero Xoom 160.
Showcased as a concept earlier, the Xoom 160 has all the credentials for a maxi scooter, and the highlight is its engine. So let’s see how the Indian-made Hero Xoom takes the fight to the Italian Aprilia SXR 160.
Hero Xoom 160 vs Aprilia SXR 160 — Design and features
On the design front, both scooters get a large front apron with split headlights. The Hero Xoom 160 gets a little beak, giving it an ADV look, while the Aprilia SXR 160 keeps a more road-focused look with typical Aprilia styling for the headlights. The other big noticeable difference is the floorboard — the Xoom 160 gets a more motorcycle-style positioning for the feet, while the SXR 160 gets a traditional floorboard.
In terms of features, both scooters get telescopic front forks, while there is a difference in the rear, the Xoom 160 gets dual rear shocks while the Aprilia gets a single shock. The Hero Xoom 160 runs on 14-inch tyres at both ends and the Aprilia gets a 12-inch front and a 14-inch rear wheel. Both scooters get a disc brake for the front and a drum brake for the rear.
Hero Xoom 160 vs Aprilia SXR 160 — Engine specifications
Both scooters focus on performance, and they are both powered by a single-cylinder engine mated to a CVT gearbox. However, the biggest difference here is that the Xoom 160 gets a liquid-cooled engine, and the Aprilia gets an air-cooled unit. The result is more power on the Xoom. That combined with its larger wheels will give it a more sporty character, however, we will reserve our comments until we ride it.
| Specifications | Hero Xoom 160 | Aprilia SXR 160 |
| Engine | 156cc single-cylinder, liquid-cooled | 160cc, single-cylinder, air-cooled |
| Max Power | 14.6 bhp | 10.9 bhp |
| Max Torque | 14 Nm | 12.1 Nm |
| Transmission | CVT | CVT |
| Price | Rs 1.48 lakh | Rs 1.45 lakh |
