Photography: Saidatta Naik
Scooters in India are getting bigger, not just from the size perspective. With powerful engines, better hardware and loads of features, the buyers are going to have a hard time picking one for themselves. Hero is calling the Xoom 160 a super scooter, but is it really super as they claim it to be? We have ridden it and this is what we have to say.
The Hero Xoom 160 is a scooter which does not look like a regular scooter, because it is designed as an ADV-styled maxi-scooter. The visibly large front-end with the dual chamber headlamps, the beak and the dual purpose tyres make its intentions clear the moment you lay your eyes on it. When you look at it head-on, you will notice it looks like an eagle face or at least has some resemblance.
The LED headlamps with integrated DRLs, windscreen, turn indicators, wide handlebar with a big plastic shroud create the impression of a larger vehicle. Switchgear includes an i3S button and starter button on the right; and the usual headlight, horn, indicators and a pass switch on the left. However it has a higher quality fit and finish of the switchgear along with the body panels.
The footboard is spacious and has multiple foot positions depending where you want to place your feet. The center tunnel of the footboard hides a 7-liter fuel tank, which is an unusual location. The aluminum swingarm, the radiator, and the upswept exhaust are visible on the right while on the left you can see the transmission cover and a big air box placed right above it. At the rear you find the LED tail-lamps that complete the ADV look.
At the heart of the Xoom 160 is a 156cc 4-valve, liquid-cooled, single-cylinder engine, which puts out 14.8PS and 14Nm. For a scooter, like the Xoom 160, the engine is made to suit various riding styles and conditions. It’s easy to putter around at slow speeds in the city, and if you twist the throttle hard enough, it lays down enough grunt to keep you engaged on the highways. There is enough grunt throughout the rev range, which makes short work of overtaking.
The main features highlight on this one is the keyless ignition, which is complimented by a keyless fuel access door and underseat storage access. There is a multi-functional knob located right below the handlebar. Beside the knob, there is a glove box, which isn’t lockable and it contains the USB charging port. For most of the time, I kept the key fob in the glove box while riding.
The other attention grabbing feature is the large underseat storage, which is one of the largest among all the scooters I have ridden in India. You can fit a regular size full face helmet inside it along with more of your necessary stuff. Not only this, there is a small light inside the storage space so you don’t have to fret when looking for something in the dark.
While riding the Xoom 160, I found it to be comfortable right from the time I swung my leg over. Be it on the tarmac or off-the-road, the Xoom 160 handles like it looks. The 31mm front forks with 97mm travel and the dual-rear shocks with 94mm travel take care of all the bumps and potholes you encounter in the city or while riding an off-road patch.
But don’t take this maxi scooter lightly, because it is 142 kg, however, it doesn’t shy away from taking the road less travelled as it can handle most surface with aplomb. The contoured seat is well padded too making it comfortable for longer runs. The 240mm front disc has a good bite while the 140mm rear drum is adequate for braking duties, aided by single-channel ABS. However, we would have loved to see traction control on the Xoom 160 as scooters in this segment are now coming with a lot of tech.
At the end of the day, at ₹1.48 lakh ex-showroom, the Hero Xoom 160 feels reasonably priced for what it offers in this segment, which is a focus on multi-terrain capability. Ever since the Xpulse came out, Hero’s brand identity has focused more on off-road cred rather than on-road performance, and the Xoom 160 matches those ethos. Whether Indian customers will take to this new form of maxi-scooters or not, only time will tell, but for the meantime, full marks to Hero for the effort.
