Mahindra Gusto 125 review, test ride

Mahindra Two Wheelers' first in-house developed scooter, the Gusto, has now been upgraded to a larger capacity, 124.6cc powerplant. This couldn't have come at a better time, as the scooter market is buzzing like an angry bee on steroids. Every two-wheeler maker in India worth their salt needs to hit the nail here for success.

So can the new Gusto blow enough wind up the Mahindra scooter sail?

Old school

As we get closer to the new scooter, we can’t help but feel the Mahindra Gusto 125 could be better styled. The Gusto 125 has a boxy form, that looks awkward from some angles, and lacks a contemporary edge. To spice things up, Mahindra is offering the new 125 in several exciting premium colours.

This is a fibre-body scooter with its straight lines cloaked in good paint quality. Switchgear on the Gusto 125 is nice to the touch. As nice and solid feeling are the buffed alloy levers that give the new Mahindra an edge. To its credit, the new 125 also includes a handy brake-lock clamp. However, we found the Gusto 125’s body-coloured mirrors cumbersome to adjust.

The instruments on the upgraded Gusto are legible, with speedometer, odometer and fuel gauge offered. Just behind is a dinky little spring-loaded storage cubby. We didn’t like the old-school rubber floorboard mat, especially at a time when new- age scooters use integrated mats that stay better in place.

Sharp features

A flip-to-access Gusto key gives this Mahindra an upmarket feel. There are buttons that remotely operate the indicators when locating your Gusto 125 in a crowded, dark parking lot. Another innovative feature offered on the scooter is a height-adjustable seat, that opens front-to-back. There’s a convenient scooter-typical underseat storage bay as well.

Overall quality, while moving in the right direction on the Gusto 125 can definitely be refined. For example, the pillion footrests fold in and out with much play.