The Hero Xoom is the latest entrant in the hotly-contested sporty 110cc scooter space and for all intents and purposes, its primary rival is the long-standing Honda Dio. The metal-bodied Honda Activa H-Smart and the TVS Jupiter are here because of their sheer popularity in the Indian market, even if they aren’t direct competitors to the Xoom.
For this comparison, we have chosen to stack the top-spec variants of the scooters against each other, except in the case of the TVS Jupiter. While the Classic is the most expensive variant of the Jupiter line-up, it has a more retro-oriented design language and gets a simple analogue display, which is why we’ve chosen to compare the ZX SmartXonnect variant of the Jupiter.
Hero Xoom vs rivals: engine and output
All the scooters here are powered by a simple air-cooled, single-cylinder engine displacing roughly 110cc, so output figures of all are within striking distance of one another. Where the Hero Xoom and the TVS Jupiter have the upper hand is in the implementation of the respective brand’s start/stop technology, which should help in increasing the fuel efficiency, especially in big-city traffic. Where the Activa H-Smart claws back some ground is that it eliminates the kick-starter and only gets an electric start system, although this is not available on the lower variants. The Honda scooters come equipped with a silent start system and an engine kill-switch as well. The latter is also present on the TVS Jupiter.
Hero Xoom vs rivals: suspension and brakes
The TVS Jupiter is the first of this lot of 110cc scooters to have debuted with 12-inch wheels at both ends and Hero has done the same with its Xoom scooter. In fact, the Xoom features the widest rear tyre in this bunch, a 100-section unit. The suspension department is where they all follow similar approaches with a telescopic fork/monoshock setup. The Activa H-Smart is the first 110cc scooter from Honda to feature alloy wheels but the Dio still continues to use steel wheels, and none of the Honda 110cc scooters come with a front disc brake, even as an option.
Hero Xoom vs rivals: weight and dimensions
At 109kg, both the Xoom and the Jupiter are 4kg heavier than the Honda duo, but even so these scooters aren’t what you would call intimidating. The Activa H-Smart weighs a kilo less than the other two variants, putting it on par with the Dio. At 155mm, the Hero Xoom has the lowest ground clearance while the Jupiter boasts the tallest figure, at 163mm. All scooters here have near-identical fuel tank capacities.
The figures not listed here are unavailable on the respective manufacturer’s website, and the companies have not yet responded to our requests for the numbers.
Hero Xoom vs rivals: features
The latest entrant here, the Hero Xoom, packs in a lot of technology in the form of cornering lights, a Bluetooth enabled digital dash and Hero’s patented i3s stop/start tech. It even has 90-degree valve stems, two large glove boxes at the front with a USB charger and boot light. However, one relatively basic convenience the Hero lacks is an external fuel cap and you have to remove the key from the ignition slot to release the boot. The Activa H-Smart gets a unique feature in the form of keyless ignition but misses out on a digital dash, which is found on the DLX variant of the Dio. The Jupiter ZX SmartXonnect variant comes across as the most rounded package with a Bluetooth enabled digital dash, TVS’ Intelligo stop/start tech, an external fuel filler cap, a glovebox and a USB charger. All scooter variants compared here come with an LED headlight and tail-lamp.
Hero Xoom vs rivals: price
The Hero Xoom is currently the most affordable in this class, by just Rs 26 compared to the Honda Dio, and since these prices are introductory, this will change soon enough. The Honda Dio is one of the more affordable offerings here, but also the most basic and lacks features such as alloy wheels or even an optional front disc brake. The Activa range has the highest starting price and even at Rs 80,537, its H-Smart variant misses out on things that have become increasingly common in the scooter segment such as a 12-inch rear wheel, a front disc brake and a digital dash. The TVS Jupiter is by far the most expensive scooter in this company and the ZX SmartXonnect variant we’ve compared here costs Rs 85,673 and is Rs 590 less than the rather old-school Jupiter Classic. However, the Jupiter’s starting price is much more affordable than the Activa’s and on par with the other two.
Of these four 110cc scooters with their unique strengths and features, which is your pick? Let us know in the comments section below.
Rishaad Mody
Azaman Chothia
Vishal Venugopal
