At one point, it seemed unlikely that the Yamaha Aerox would come to India – it has the liquid-cooled engine from the R15, which makes it expensive, and a big spine section that makes it impractical. But Yamaha was brave enough to launch it here in 2021, and at that point, we at Autocar India praised it quite highly. But, we also questioned if the Indian market was ready for such a scooter. A few years down the line, it’s safe to say that the Aerox has been a success, and has done even better than Yamaha initially expected, to the point where the Japanese brand has now rolled out an update to try and sweeten the deal, and make it a little more India-friendly.
Yamaha Aerox Version S: changes to standard model
You now get a top-spec variant called Version S, which comes with a keyless system. The international Aerox has had this feature for a while now – it was removed as a cost-cutting measure when the scooter first came to India, but is now being offered if you’re willing to pay for it. The Aerox was already a fairly convenient scooter – it had a combination keyslot, which you still get on the other variants, and a fuel-filler conveniently placed in front of you. Now, it’s even more convenient – you can open the seat and the fuel filler, lock and unlock the handlebar and operate the scooter, all without the key fob leaving your pocket.
The other change here is suspension – Yamaha says it has tweaked the suspension to make it a little better suited to our roads. This is important, because one of the biggest drawbacks of the Aerox when we first rode it was its very stiff and unforgiving ride quality. Has this new setup improved things? Possibly. Marginally. In some situations. We’d really have to ride both versions back to back to be sure, because that’s how small the differences are. But is this now suddenly a plush and comfortable scooter? No. The ride still feels rather firm and stiff, and this is not the scooter you would want to be on over poor stretches of road. The final change here is the addition of a traction control system, which is unlikely to come into play often, but still a good safety net to have.
Yamaha Aerox Version S: price and verdict
Considering the subtleness of these changes, it’s unsurprising that the essence of the Aerox has remained largely unchanged. At the heart of the experience is a quick and entertaining engine that outclasses anything else in this price range. Backing it up is a capable and rewarding handling package that really allows you to have some fun. It’s still very much an enthusiast’s offering, and isn’t the most practical or comfortable scooter around, especially if you’re on the taller side. But the market has shown that there are enough takers for this flavour of scooter. We still continue to like the Aerox for what it is, and we hope Yamaha and other manufacturers draw encouragement from this.
Gavin Rodrigues
Dinshaw Magol
Rishaad Mody
