Given the rising popularity of premium scooters in our market, Honda India may be considering introducing the Vario 160 maxi-style scooter here. The scooter is currently on sale in international markets like Indonesia, but Honda is yet to announce its intention to launch the Vario 160 in India. While we wait to see any official statement from Honda on the matter, here are some key things you should note about the Vario 160.
1. It has been patented in India
Honda has patented the Vario 160's design in India, indicating that the manufacturer could be considering launching the scooter in our market. The company filed for the patent on February 16, and it was then approved on April 29 this year.
However, Honda has a habit of filing patents in order to safeguard its products for the future, should they decide to launch it, and so it is possible that the patent was filed for this exact reason. Some of the patents filed by Honda that are yet to see the light of day include the Scoopy scooter, the Grom mini bike, the NT1100 touring motorcycle, and most recently, the U-go electric scooter.
2. It’s a sporty looking scooter
Honda’s Vario 160 is a sporty looking maxi-style scooter that is sure to draw plenty of attention on the road. It features an angular front apron full of sharp cuts and LED DRLs that extend all the way to the top. The apron houses a small cubby hole, while the floorboard is completely flat. The slim tail section also features some angular styling and the 10-spoke alloy wheels look rather cool.
The Vario 160 in Indonesia is available in four colours – Active Black, Grande Matte Black, Grande Matte White and Grande Matte Red.
3. It gets a liquid-cooled engine
The Vario 160 is powered by a 156.9cc, single-cylinder, liquid-cooled engine that produces 15.4hp at 8,500rpm and 13.8Nm of torque at 7,000rpm. It is claimed to have a mileage of 46.9kpl in Indonesia. The Honda’s figures are very comparable to the Yamaha Aerox 155’s 15hp and 13.9Nm output.
The maxi-style scooter measures 1,929mm in length, 679mm in width, 1,088mm in height, and has a 1,277mm-long wheelbase. Other important figures include a ground clearance of 140mm, 18 litres of under seat storage and a rather approachable seat height of 778mm.
4. It features LED lighting all round
In terms of features, the Vario 160 is equipped with an LED headlight, LED tail-light, LED DRLs and turn indicators, and has keyless operation, a USB port in the front apron and a fully digital instrument cluster that displays the speed, time, real-time fuel consumption, trip information and oil change indicator. However, it does miss out on Bluetooth smartphone connectivity and navigation.
Suspension duties on the Vario 160 are handled by a telescopic fork up front and a monoshock at the rear. The scooter gets disc brakes at both ends, with CBS on the entry-level variant and dual-channel ABS on the top-spec version. The Vario runs on 14-inch alloys with a 100/80-14 front tyre and 120/70-18 rear tyre.
5. It will rival other premium scooters
If Honda does decide to launch the Vario 160 here, its direct competitors would be premium scooters like the Yamaha Aerox 155 (Rs 1.39 lakh, ex-showroom, Delhi) and the Aprilia SXR 160 (Rs 1.38 lakh, ex-showroom, Delhi). However, if Honda wants to price the Vario 160 competitively here and take a slice from the other premium scooters’ sales, the company will have to assemble the scooter locally, like Yamaha does with the Aerox 155.
Meanwhile, prices for the Vario 160 in Indonesia start at IDR 26,339,000 (around Rs 1.41 lakh) for the CBS version and IDR 29,064,000 (around Rs 1.55 lakh) for the ABS version (prices are on-road, Jakarta).
Would you like to see Honda bring down the Vario 160 in India? Let us know in the comments section.