The Hero Xoom 160 is slated to be launched soon and it marks a new chapter in the history of the company as it ventures into the premium scooter space. This will also be the company’s first maxi-scooter and here is what we know about it so far.
Styling
Hero has taken the ADV approach with the design of this scooter. This is visible in the styling elements such as the tall windscreen on the front apron, below which resides two LED headlights. There’s a little beak below these headlights, quite like the ADV bikes we see on the market.
Viewed from the side, the Xoom 160 looks like a typical maxi-scooter with a central spine and a neatly executed side and tail section which appears as a cohesive unit. Overall, the Xoom 160 looks good and unlike the conventional scooters we see in our market. The looks should also be one of the biggest USPs of the scooter.
Features
With the Xoom 160 expected to assume the flagship scooter role for Hero MotoCorp, it should be kitted out with as many bells and whistles as possible. The scooter we saw at the Baharat Mobility Expo 2024 had a digital instrument cluster and it should be equipped with Bluetooth connectivity and turn-by-turn navigation. It also gets keyless ignition which is quite a nifty feature.
There’s a remote release for the boot and expect it to be of a reasonably large volume considering the fuel tank is located under the central spine. The scooter should get a LED headlight and tail light but the turn indicators might be halogen ones.
Hardware
The Xoom 160 has an underbone chassis, with a telescopic fork and twin shock absorbers. The scooter rides on the 14-inch wheels that are shod with wide, block pattern tyres. Braking, meanwhile, is taken care of by a ABS equipped disc at the front and a drum brake at the rear. The kerb weight is 141kg which seems reasonable for the size of the scooter.
Engine
Hero has developed a new, liquid-cooled engine for the Xoom 160. It is a 156cc, single-cylinder unit that is said to develop 14bhp at 8,000rpm and 13.7Nm at 6,500rpm. It is paired with a CVT transmission. These figures are marginally lower than the Yamaha Aerox 155, its current competitor in the market.
Launch and pricing
The Hero Xoom 160 is expected to go on sale in a few weeks and should be priced somewhere around the Rs 1.3 lakh mark.
Once launched it will compete against the Aprilia SXR 160 and the Yamaha Aerox 155. The Yamaha Nmax 155 is another scooter that will be the direct competitor to the Xoom 160 but that depends on if and when Yamaha launches it in India.