The new Maestro Edge is Hero’s new flagship scooter and comes loaded with several convenience features while boasting of extremely fresh styling over the top selling scooters in the country.
Showcasing some freshness in the scooter space, Hero MotoCorp officially launched the Maestro Edge 110cc scooter earlier today. The auto giant has managed to pack in some essentials and several creature comforts on to the new scooter, not to forget the pleasing design language that already impressed us when first revealed as the Dash concept. Since Hero will be looking to dominate the segment with its new flagship scooter, we decided to do a quick comparison with segment leaders, the Honda Activa 3G and TVS Jupiter, to see if the rookie holds a candle against the established rivals.
Design – The design happens to be the strong suit of the new Maestro Edge that emerges as fresh, sporty and sharp, unlike the competition. The dual finished turn indicators, 12-inch black alloy wheels and the bike-like exhaust muffler further adds to the scooter’s sporty design. In comparison, the Honda Activa is the oldest scooter here and understandably so gets the most dated design language. The TVS Jupiter also gets neutral styling but the smaller bits like the alloy wheels, chrome garnish, 3D moniker and silver finished grab rails make it slightly better looking scooter over the Activa.
Dimensions – The Maestro Edge is the longest here measuring 1840 mm and will offer better high speed stability, followed by the Jupiter at 1834 mm while the Activa 3G is a distant third at 1761 mm. In terms of wheelbase too, the Activa comes in last measuring 1238 mm followed by the Maestro Edge at 1265 mm while the Jupiter’s wheelbase measures 1275 mm. All said, the Honda boasts off a better width at 710 mm, followed by the Maestro Edge and Jupiter. The ground clearance levels for all three models are quite similar, but the Hero gets it marginally better at 155 mm.
Features – TVS did a great job with the Jupiter loading it up with a host of equipment at a very competitive pricing. Using the same technique, Hero MotoCorp has kitted up the new Maestro Edge well, as the scooter boasts of several convenience features including the remote seat opening, remote fuel lid opening, mobile charging point, under-seat storage lamp, LED tail light, external fuel filler among others. The Hero also gets a digital display with the analog instrument cluster, while the others get only an analog unit.
The Jupiter matches the Maestro Edge closely but misses out on the features list by a few points. Coming in last, the Activa 3G is dated in every sense including the hardware. While Hero and TVS provide telescopic front forks, Honda continues to offer spring loaded hydraulic type outdated front suspension. The otherwise best selling scooter also rides on 10-inch steel wheels, even though the competition has moved on to larger 12-inch alloys.
Powertrain – The new Hero Maestro Edge gets a newly developed 110.9cc engine under its belly producing 8.31 HP of power that kicks in at 8000 RPM while maximum torque of 8.3 Nm is available at 6500 RPM. In both cases, power kicks in late compared to the competition. The Activa 3G and Jupiter get slightly smaller engines with the 109.2cc unit on the Honda producing 8 HP at 7500 RPM and a peak torque of 8.83 Nm at 5500 RPM. The TVS makes similar figures as the Activa 3G but with torque restricted to 8 Nm. Speaking of power-to-weight-ratio, the Maestro Edge is the heaviest here weighing 110 kgs followed by the Activa weighing 108 kgs while the Jupiter is a kilo lighter at 107 kgs.
Verdict – Hero has taken its time to develop the Maestro Edge keeping the competition and segment requirements in mind. The scooter’s sporty styling lends it a fresh appeal over rivals while the abundant features provide a significant edge. It also boasts of better performance and hardware over the Activa 3G and hence, its real competition will be the TVS Jupiter that matches up in power, performance and features. Also working in Hero’s favour is the aggressive price tag that has undercut the rivals by a healthy margin and the massive service network, making the Maestro Edge a value for money offering and also our choice in this comparison.
