Hero Xoom 160: In a daring move which is bound to disrupt India’s premium scooter space, Hero MotoCrop has taken the wraps off the Xoom 160 – a sporty scooter that marries sharp looks with the latest tech in town.
Unveiled at an action packed ceremony in Gurgaon yesterday, the Xoom 160 is Hero’s most aggressive pitch yet to catch the fancy of the young, tech-hungry riders who want the best of both worlds – style and substance.
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Hero Xoom 160 Dhakad Design Philosophy
Hero Xoom 160 Powerful presence One of the first things that hits you about the muscular looking Xoom 160 is its size and bearing; Hero’s designers like to refer to it as their “Dhakad” design language.
Most scooters in India adhere to flowing lines and a welcoming look, but Hero has gone for pure aggression.
“We wanted to produce something that actually makes a statement from a few blocks away,” says Sukumar Rao, Head of Design at Hero MotoCorp.
“The Xoom 160 is not intended to disappear – it’s made to be positioned in urban traffic and make an impression wherever it goes.
This philosophy is apparent in each and every body panel of the scooter. Up front, the style is characterized by the sharp, angular LED headlights, which recall predatory eyes, and by the deep character lines that flow down across the apron.
The muscular lines on its profile suggest inertia-in-motion, even when standing still, the rear being fitted with X-shaped LED taillights stand that the Xoom 160 will be distinctive from every angle.
With a choice of five dual tone colour options, namely Volcanic Red, Frost Blue, Stealth Black, Electric Yellow, and Titanium Grey, the Xoom 160 offers the riders either understated simplicity or let-it-stare flamboyance.
The matte finish colours especially look good with the scooter’s sharp lines.
Performance To Match The Look Hero Xoom 160
Beneath its aggressive facade the Xoom 160 has mechanical credentials that more than match its visual promises.
It is powered by an all-new 157cc, air-cooled, fuel-injected motor with output figures of 15.2hp and 14.8Nm of torque – figures that put it right at the heart of India’s performance scooter market.
All that force is harnessed by Hero’s ‘i3s’ (Idle Start-Stop System) which now offers three riding modes – Eco, City and Sport.) This adjustability gives riders the ability to change the ‘feel’ of the scooter and bring their character to life when experiencing different traffic environments.
It’s really the driving dynamics that sets the Xoom 160 apart from the competition. The front shock is telescopic rather than the normal link-type or gas-charged suspension, and the rear utilizes a pair of hydraulic shocks with adjustable preload.
This arrangement, along with 12-inch wheels front and rear, gives the Stella stability at speed without trading away nimbleness in city traffic.
Chassis Dynamics “We’ve spent endless hours tweaking chassis geometry,” comments Chief Engineer Pradeep Saxena.
“The idea was to design a scooter that felt like it had a good footprint on the highway, at high speed, but was still flickable through the city.” The reaction from our test riders makes us feel like we’ve nailed it.”
Stopping power comes from a 190mm disc at the front and 130mm drum at the rear, with a single-channel ABS offered as standard on all models.
Users can expect 45-55 km/l, which isn’t bad for the performance this bike offers, and varies by riding style and mode.
Tech-Forward Features
The technical package of the Xoom 160 is also extraordinarily impressive and is based around a 7-inch full colour TFT screen that proves to be combinable even when viewed at direct sunlight.
This interface is the scooter’s connectivity suite’s command center, as Hero calls it– “Xoom Connect”.
Bluetooth connectivity also allows to pair with smart phone for call management, turn-by-turn navigation, music playback and riding stats.
Building on this capability is the dedicated Hero Ride App which offers even more features such as remote diagnostics, service reminders and ride history, features typically only seen in premium motorcycles.
And security has not been neglected. The Xoom 160 features hands-free proximity operation, remote disable via smartphone, and an anti-theft alarm with motion sensors.
Top models even have a built-in dash cam that will automatically record and store footage in the event of accidents.
Storage capabilities haven’t been overlooked either, with a 25-litre LED-lit under-seat compartment large enough to hold a full-face helmet and more.
There is also a front glove box specifically designed for smaller items, and it even features a USB fast-charging port to power electronic devices when the engine isn’t running.
Practical Innovation
Hero hasn’t forgotten innovation that’s practical, though it is the focus of the performance of the new bike.
The Xoom 160 brings intelligence and innovation to the form factor with an eye on the user’s day-to-day experience.
Those features, according to Honda include an ‘auto-cancel indicator’ system – with parameters based on time and distance that deactivate the turn signals, an ’emergency stop signal’ indicating rapid braking by using the hazard lights and a ‘hill-hold control’ which stops rollback on inclines.
Best of all, the premium models gain a semi-automatic parking system that allows you walk the scooter forward and back at walking speed via the handlebars – good for squeezing into tiny spaces at the curb.
Hero Xoom 160 Market Positioning and Availability 3
Hero Xoom 160 The Xoom 160, priced at ₹1,15,000 and ₹1,35,000 (ex-showroom) for the various trims, is positioned as a premium end of the scooter market in India.
That puts the pricing of this bike above the run-of-the-mill 125ccs available in the market, but beneath the all-imported international ones – just the sweet spot that upgraders may be looking for to step up to something a wee-bit out of the ordinary.
Hero has also stated that the Xoom 160 will be sold via its vast dealer network across the country from next month onwards, although customers can book the bike already either through showrooms or the company’s website.
The company also debuts an all-inclusive ownership program, “Xoom Shield” which bundles extended warranty packages, service plans, and roadside assistance.
“The Xoom 160 is our take on the future of premium urban mobility,” said Pawan Munjal, Chairman of Hero MotoCorp, at the launch.
“Its distinctive design, performance engineering and advanced technology appeals to a new generation of young motorcyclists.
With increasingly sophisticated urban commuting demands and expectations among consumers, the Xoom 160 seems to be a scooter with a lot of potential to appeal to riders who desire something that doesn’t conform to traditional scooter norms and stands out besides from others on the road.
Whether its moxie will convert into sales success remains to be seen, but Hero has significantly dialled up the intimidation factor.
