Dao Model 703 review, road test

Nice and unusual is possibly the best way to describe the design of the 703. There are no ungainly shapes or lines to create visual drama, and that’s something I appreciate. The front apron, for instance, houses the LED headlight and you’ll notice a set of DRLs on the handlebar shroud. The side panel is a flat surface that merges with the rectangular tail-light cluster. It’s boxy, but in a nice way. Sadly, this nice feeling about the design doesn’t carry forward to the build quality of the scooter.

Firstly, the plastic panels feel cheap and flimsy. And then the switchgear is basic and so old-school, I honestly don’t remember the last time I came across a two-wheeler without a push-to-cancel indicator. Lastly, rattles and thuds from the front end were prominent after two days of riding over Mumbai’s largely uneven and potholed roads. For perspective, scooters like the TVS iQube are far better at handling this sort of punishment.

Moving to the features, the all-LED lights, keyless ignition and tablet-like display are the noteworthy bits. As for the instrument cluster, the layout of all the information, like speed and battery percent, is easy to read when on the move. However, I cannot fathom why the company has wasted so much space and not included a distance-to-empty readout, something that’s crucial on an EV. It doesn’t even have a clock to display the time.