Words Abhishek Pandey | Photography Saidatta Naik
The electric two wheeler market in India has grown tremendously in the past few years and every two wheeler manufacturer has been eyeing on grabbing a piece of the pie. Almost all major legacy players have an electric scooter offering in their portfolio and the japanese marque Suzuki is the latest to enter the segment with the e-Access. We first glimpsed the e-Access at the Bharat Mobility Show earlier this year, and now we finally get to put it through its paces,on a go-kart track at the outskirts of Bangalore. The Access 125 has earned a solid reputation over the years, but can its electric sibling live up to the name? Let us find out.
The Suzuki e-Access carries a typically Japanese design, look at it for long and you might even get a very retro-esq vibe from the way the scooter looks. The simple flowing lines lends it a very mature look, although some might even think it to be boring. The sharp nose with the sleek headlight on the handlebar cowl and a vertical DRL sitting just under it seems simple yet attractive. The front panel houses a small cubby hole, good enough for a phone or a small bottle with a lit USB Type-A charger placed just next to it. Instead of a key slot, there is a knob which allows for turning the scooter on, opening the seat and also the charging socket lid. The side houses two different panels with minimal lines with one housed above the taillight the other below it with indicators positioned at either ends keeping it clean and minimal.
e-Access is a comfortable scooter but taller riders might find the seating position a bit cramped, especially since the handlebar tends to brush against one’s knees during tighter turns. Although it is not a dealbreaker in any way, one can stretch one’s legs forward onto the apron just like on the Burgman Street, which helps the rider triangle become a bit better and makes for a more relaxed posture. With 160mm of ground clearance and a 765mm seat height, the e-Access should be pretty easy to ride and manage for riders of any height.
On the features front, the e-Access checks most of the expected boxes, three riding modes (Eco, Ride A, and Ride B), a USB charging port, and smartphone connectivity through a 4.2-inch TFT dash that gives you access to the usual suite of smart features. But there’s one thoughtful touch that really stood out: the seat stays propped up exactly where you leave it, unassisted. It’s a small but genuinely helpful detail, especially when your hands are full. That said, what’s under the seat is a bit of a letdown. The storage space is limited to just 17 litres, about half of what some rivals offer. In fact, even the latest petrol-powered Access gives you a larger underseat space. And for a scooter that’s meant to be practical, that feels like a real missed opportunity from Suzuki.
Powering the e-Access is a 3.07kWh LFP battery paired with a motor that produces 5.57PS and 15Nm of torque. Suzuki claims the IDC to be 95km on a full charge, based on the AIS 039 (ARAI) test cycle. But what really stood out is how well the throttle has been calibrated. The response stays consistent across most of the battery’s charge, from a full 100 percent right down to 10 percent, which isn’t something you often see in this segment. As for the riding experience, the numbers don’t promise fireworks, and true to form, the e-Access delivers a calm, measured performance that fits its commuter-friendly persona perfectly. Talking about charging, Suzuki includes a compact 600-watt portable charger that takes about 6 hours and 20 minutes for a full top-up. The brand also plans to install DC fast chargers at all its dealerships within the year, which will cut charging time down to just 2 hours and 12 minutes.
Under the skin, the e-Access uses an underbone frame that cleverly integrates the aluminium battery casing as a stressed member. Suspension duties are handled by a telescopic fork up front and a swingarm-mounted monoshock at the rear. Since our ride was limited to a go-kart track, we’ll save real-world ride and handling impressions for when we test it in Pune.
On track, the e-Access behaved just as you’d expect from a family-focused scooter, predictable, easy to ride, and agile without ever feeling nervous. It’s not the sharpest in the segment, nor does it try to be. Over a few rumble strips, the rear felt a bit quick to rebound, but riding it in the real world would be different. Braking duties are taken care of by a front disc and rear drum, which in eveyway felt adequate.
So the e-Access is practical, thoughtfully engineered and carries good build quality. So yeah it ticks almost all the right boxes. But what would determine if it would woo cutomers or not is how Suzuki prices the e-Access. Real-world range and ride comfort are still question marks and can only be determined once we ride it outside the track. Pricing should be out soon, but to take on the likes of Ather, TVS, and Bajaj, Suzuki will need the pricing to be really competitive.
