I’m a first-time scooter buyer and confused about whether to go for a petrol or electric one. I find 125cc scooters a bit heavy, so I prefer something smaller. My budget is around ₹1 lakh. I work from home and don’t ride daily. I’m looking for a typical family scooter. Please suggest.

autocar.india

•4d

If this is to be your very first motorcycle, it makes more sense to go for the smaller Honda Rebel 300 over the bigger 500, although the 500 can also work as your first bike if you plan to keep it for many years but the learning curve will be quite steep in the initial days of your motorcycling journey. Both the Rebel models are much lighter than the comparable Royal Enfield bike so weight really isn't the issue. Coming to whether you will fit on the Rebel, we can't yet comment on that as we haven't been able to spend some quality seat time on either of them. We suggest you wait until both are available in a showroom near you and take a test ride before you make a decision.

autocar.india

•2d

Given the budget, usage and long-term ownership focus, we would recommend the Renault Kiger CVT over the Hyundai Venue or Kia Sonet DCT. A daily 15 km office commute with frequent bumper-to-bumper traffic, along with occasional highway trips, is better suited to a CVT than a DCT. CVTs are smoother at low speeds and work well in stop-start traffic. They can also be less demanding in such conditions over the long term.DCTs can be reliable when maintained properly, but they are not the ideal choice for regular stop-start traffic. Repeated low-speed crawling can generate heat and accelerate clutch-pack wear, potentially leading to expensive repairs over time.The Kiger also offers a modern design, a spacious cabin and a good feature set for its price. Renault's after-sales service has improved in recent years, while the Kiger offers strong value for money in this segment. The budget also stretches further with the Kiger CVT, allowing a higher-spec variant with some money left over. In comparison, the Sonet and Venue are positioned slightly higher, so the same budget would typically mean settling for a mid-spec variant.

Renault Kiger

Hyundai Venue

Kia Sonet

autocar.india

•4d

Since you want comfort as a top priority in your next purchase, the two bikes that will deliver that much better than the others in your shortlist are the Royal Enfield Himalayan 450 and the 350cc Triumph Scrambler 400 X. The Himalayan is more adept on the highway front, but the Scrambler is the better city bike, so depending on where you spend more time, pick between these two. The TVS Apache RTX 300 is a phenomenally capable bike (especially for the price), but its engine feels a little dull once you spend some time with it. If you are okay with that, then as an overall package, the TVS is quite hard to fault. If you decide you want something more road-biased, then the 350cc Triumph Speed 400 and Honda CB350RS are good options to consider. We'd skip the RE Meteor models because the Super Meteor has stiff rear suspension, and instead of the Meteor, look at the Classic / Bullet if you want more comfort with an old-school relaxed retro vibe. These are all very different machines within a broad price range, so depending on the segment you are looking at specifically, we'd advise you to take test rides of the options above and then make your decision.