From cafés to college to even office, this scooter is sure to turn heads wherever you ride it to. It can be your ticket to thrills (like a motorcycle), but does it have the utility of a scooter? I rode it for a full day in urban traffic, to a market, and then took it on a highway, racing cars and motorcycles.
What is it?
Possibly Hero MotoCorp’s biggest launch of the year, the Xoom 160 is a global product from the company, and it shows everywhere – from its adventurous design, to its refined engine, to its paint quality, and powerful performance.
How’s the design?
Inspired by adventure motorcycles (Hero’s own rally bikes), it has a muscular front apron, a tall windscreen, sharp LED lights, and chunky body panels, giving it a commanding look that sets it apart from traditional scooters. The seating position is upright, and there is a lot of space to move your legs around.
But the design is polarising – some people I talked to during the ride found the front fascia overdone, and despite it being a premium scooter, the switchgear looks basic and appears to be borrowed from Hero’s entry-level scooters. For example, even when all phones have shifted to USB-C charger, the Xoom 160 has that ancient Type-A connector.
It’s long, at almost 2 metres (1,983 mm), has a seat height of a comfortable 787 mm, and ground clearance of 155 mm.
How’s the engine?
It’s supremely refined, so refined that when I started the engine in traffic, I couldn’t even hear the sound or feel the vibrations.
It’s 156-cc, liquid-cooled, and produces 14.6 bhp and 14 Nm torque. Transmission is CVT automatic.
How’s the ride?
While it starts quiet, it growls when you twist the throttle – and races ahead like a sporty motorcycle. It’s light (at just 142 kg), and that makes it nimble navigating traffic despite its size.
On highways, I was able to comfortable cruise at 80-100 km/h, and its 14-inch tyres helped with straight-line stability. Telescopic front forks and twin shock absorbers at the rear let me ride smoothly over bumps and potholes, but on really broken roads, I could feel a lot of vibrations – possibly because the suspension is on the firmer side, not softer.
Alternative to motorcycles?
While it can match up to 150-200-cc bikes at speeds of up to 60-80 km/h, motorcycles have manual gearbox that gives them better top-end performance (by shifting to a lower gear). The Xoom 160 starts fast, but the power delivery seems to taper as you cross 80 km/h. Motorcycles also have longer range because of their bigger fuel tanks of 12 litres and above, but the Xoom 160 has a 7-litre fuel tank, which means you cannot take it on long rides without stopping for refuelling. I couldn’t test it for fuel efficiency, but it’ll be in the range of 40-45 km/litre.
Should you buy it?
It has its limitations. For example, I couldn’t carry groceries in a bag between my legs – as is possible in regular scooters – because it doesn’t have a flat floor (there’s fuel tank cap there).
Prices of the Xoom 160 start at 1.48 lakh, ex-showroom – competitors are Yamaha Aerox 155 (Rs 1.5 lakh), Aprilia SXR 160 (Rs 1.45 lakh), and the far more affordable TVS Ntorq 150 (Rs 1.19 lakh).
It’s definitely a super-scooter, but doesn’t have the utility of a scooter, and is unlikely to attract motorcycle enthusiasts who demand a much more engaging riding experience.
