Keeping up with its promise to launch a new product in every quarter, TVS has launched the Scooty Zest automatic scooter in India priced at Rs. 42,300/- (ex-showroom, Delhi). Showcased at the 2014 Auto Expo earlier this year, this scooter adds freshness to the Scooty brand for TVS in India with a whole new young and vibrant appeal that will particularly go down well with the masses. TVS has invested Rs. 70 crores in the development of this scooter. There have been extensive changes to the TVS Scooty Zest which features new body panels and parts as well as four interesting colour schemes for that youthful appearance, they are red, pearl white, turquoise blue and black.
On the outset, the TVS Scooty Zest has grown larger in size and sports a bigger and wider seat, better under seat storage space of 19-litres and bigger foot board area. The chassis has been revised while the body panels have been refurbished. You also get a redesigned headlight cluster, new turn indicators as well as the quirky looking tail lights that are equipped with LEDs. The instrument cluster is new and comes with a first-in-class backlit display. Adding a sporty touch are the wheel rims that are done up with black powder coating, while the exposed engine area is also finished in black.
Overall, the Scooty Zest looks well put-together and the plastic quality too seems to have improved over older models. In terms of powertrain, the new scooter is powered by the 109.7cc single-cylinder, 4-stroke, air-cooled engine, also found on the Wego and Jupiter but produces 8 PS of power at 7500 RPM and 8.7 Nm of torque at 5500 RPM, mated to a CVT-i transmission. Stopping power comes from drum brakes (110 mm at the front and 130 mm at the rear), with telescopic front forks and rear hydraulic monoshock being used for the suspension.
TVS claims an official fuel efficiency of 62 km/l on the new Scooty Zest scooter, with 0-60 km/hr taking 11.1 seconds. To keep costs low, TVS is sharing a number of components across its scooters with the seat and exhaust unit on the new Scooty coming from the Wego and Jupiter models. The TVS Scooty Zest comes with a range of features including long idling indicator, econometer, parking brake, EaZy centre stand, auto choke, kick start, stainless steel guard, under seat hooks, retractable bag hooks and open glove box. The Scooty Zest weighs just 97 kgs. The front tyre is 90/100/10 while the rear tyre is 90/90/10, tubeless rubber.
The Scooty Zest has been positioned lower than the Wego and Jupiter scooters in TVS’ portfolio and will be the Hosur based manufacturer’s top-end scooter for females. The Scooty Zest competes against the Honda Activa-i, Hero Pleasure and the upcoming Mahindra Zesto 110cc scooter in the segment and is the flagship model in brand Scooty’s lineup. TVS is positioning the Scooty Zest to gain traction among female riders. Popular with women and college students alike, the Scooty Zest should cater to a wider audience who will like the style and practicality quotient of this scooter.
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