Ather has been one of the flag bearers of EV tech, not just in India, but also at the global level. First launched in 2020, the 450 was one of the first scooters to have set the bar for how EV scooters were going to be. Since then, Ather has launched multiple scooters on the 450 platform besides the family-focused Rizta. Over the years though, the 450X, which is Ather’s flagship product, has remained the same visually. However, Ather has ensured it updates the scooter with more performance and newer features regularly, and that’s despite the 450X always being quite potent as an electric scooter. And Ather has just given the 450X yet another update, christening it the 2025 version of the scooter.
The 450X remains unchanged on the design front, still carrying its signature sharp, compact look. Two new colours have been added to the existing lineup, Stealth Blue and Hyper Sand. Stealth Blue is a dual-shade hue and looks similar to the Rizta’s Pangong Blue colour while Hyper Sand (the one we rode), with its orange wheel and frame accents and body graphics is what I liked more.
I’ve always liked the riding position too, thanks to the positioning of the handlebar, the footboard space and the way one sits on the compact seat without feeling uncomfortable, and Ather has retained it all. It hasn’t touched the ergonomics of the 450X overall in fact, so if you are someone who liked its seating position, you’ll have no reason to complain.
The biggest change comes in the form of a three-mode traction control system, including Rain, Road, and Rally modes. Rain has maximum intervention, allowing the least amount of tyre slip while Road senses the loss of traction by assessing the slip and steps in slightly later. Then comes Rally mode which allows maximum amount of slip and intervenes at the very end. The best bit is that you can also turn traction control off completely. We test rode the 450X at the Aruani Grid, which is slightly bigger than the average go-karting circuit.
Ather set up a course mimicking different riding conditions including a slalom, seesaw, narrow market simulation, a water pit and also a small dirt section. We rode the 450X on pavement, dirt and through water and found traction control to work well. To experience the traction control functioning, you would actually have to ride the scooter hard, else it functions without you ever noticing it. Through most day-to-day usage the traction control wouldn’t kick in, but if you ask me, it is always good to have the safety net than miss it later, when you really need it.
A major update is the inclusion of Magic Twist, which was earlier available only on the Rizta and the 450 Apex. It works the same way here as on the other two where you need to turn the throttle in the opposite direction for a few degrees. It increases the level of regenerative braking besides also working like a brake by itself and is meant to add to convenience. As per Ather, Magic Twist also contributes a 15 percent increase in energy efficiency, which is an impressive number.
The UI also gets an update in the form of Ather Stack 6. One can now receive WhatsApp message notifications on the dashboard, and the messages can be read while the scooter is stationary. The scooter also gets Alexa support, Google Maps and live location sharing directly from the scooter.
The only hardware change for the 450X is the inclusion of new MRF Zapper-N E-Tred tyres that have been developed by MRF for Ather specially, keeping low rolling resistance in mind. During our time at the track, I didn’t feel a noticeable difference in grip levels or the handling of the 450X, and that is a good thing, as the previous tyres were already doing a brilliant job of keeping the 450X stable.
As per Ather, the inclusion of Magic Twist and the low rolling resistance tyres contribute to a 20 percent increase in overall efficiency. As Ather likes to call it, ‘True Range’ has gone up from 85km to 105km for the 2.9kWh battery pack and from 110km to 130km for the bigger, 3.7kWh battery pack, while range as per the IDC cycle now stands at 126km and 161km respectively, and these are good numbers.
The new 450X, with all the updates, has gotten more expensive though. The 2.9kWh variant costs ₹1.47 lakh ex-showroom now, while the 3.7kWh variant costs ₹1.57 lakh. That said, while there are more players with very competitive products in the market today, most remain focused on building family-friendly scooters. As a result, the Ather 450X continues to stay relevant as a performance-oriented electric scooter!
