Ather Rizta Road Test Review: The Best For The Family?

Does the Ather Rizta have what it takes to be the best family-oriented electric scooter?

The Ather Rizta stands out as the first family-oriented offering from Ather Energy. The Rizta stands out, with its design, styling and features when compared to the other offerings in Ather’s lineup. But is it enough to be the family-oriented scooter that can do it all? After riding the Rizta Z 2.9kWh variant with the pro pack for a while and testing out its real-world performance, we now have the answer. 

Design

The Ather Rizta features a simple boxy design and styling. This design and styling is one which we have come to associate with family-oriented scooters. The scooter has a minimalist touch, with single and dual-tone colour schemes offered. But overall, the colours offered are subtle shades which don’t make the scooter stand out. 

The design and styling is something which is a departure from the sharp and aggressive styling which Ather is known for. Compared to the Ather 450X and Ather 450S, the Rizta feels really different. The family-oriented scooter design and styling have been done quite well.

Motor, Powertrain And Performance

The Ather Rizta is powered by a 4.3kW motor, which is smaller than the Ather 450S’ 5.4kW and the 450X’s 6.4kW motor. The performance is also a bit more mellow and doesn’t feel as sporty as the other electric scooters in the Ather lineup. This is in line with the family-oriented nature of the scooter.

The Rizta offers two riding modes, Zip and SmartEco. In terms of real-world performance, the e-scooter has enough performance to offer be it in the city or the highway. The Rizta can easily handle city traffic and execute quick overtakes while riding in Zip mode. On the highway, it is easily able to hold highway speeds of 70-80kmph. Overall, the scooter feels like it is able to offer performance similar to a 110cc petrol-powered scooter.

The only instance where the scooter feels like it lacks power is in the SmartEco mode. In some instances, the scooter feels like it struggles to go up inclines. This makes it necessary to switch to the Zip mode to handle such obstacles. The overall performance is adequate for a family-oriented electric scooter and the Rizta gets the job done fairly well.

Coming to range, the Rizta Z 2.9kWh variant offers a claimed range of 123km. This translates to around 80km of range in Zip mode and 104km range in SmartEco mode. Overall, the range and performance is adequate for daily use.

Handling And Ride Quality

The handling of the Rizta is somewhat in line with what you would expect from a family-oriented scooter. The scooter feels quite agile in the city and can cut through traffic without much trouble.

The only thing I didn’t like about the scooter is its suspension, which is set slightly towards the stiffer side. The scooter doesn’t have that plushness you would expect from a family-oriented scooter. When riding through bad patches of road, you will feel the bumps and potholes. This isn’t a major deal breaker, but something riders will notice a lot during their rides.

Regarding braking performance, the Rizta features a 200mm front disc and a 130mm rear drum. The brakes offer good performance, with the front disc feeling really responsive. Another interesting feature the Rizta has to offer is the MagicTwist regen braking system. This allows the riders to slow down the scooter by twisting the throttle in the opposite direction. 

I found myself using the magic twist a lot. After riding the Rizta for a while the muscle memory just started to kick in when I went back to using my personal bike. Overall, the MagicTwist is a quirky little addition, which is really nice to use.

Comfort

The Ather Rizta boasts one of the largest seats in the segment. The seat is well-cushioned and spacious. It can easily accommodate both a rider and a pillion, with enough space to move around.

The scooter also offers a relaxed and upright riding posture that feels really comfortable when riding. This is something most riders who are looking to buy a family-oriented scooter would want. Compared to other scooters in the Ather lineup, this one is definitely the most comfortable to ride. Overall, the Rizta doesn’t disappoint in terms of comfort and Ather has done a pretty good job here.

Features

The Ather Rizta Z variant offers a 7-inch TFT display. The console offers smartphone connectivity and related features such as call/SMS alerts and full-fledged navigation via Google Maps. The console has a really clean layout and the large font used makes it easy to read. The brightness is adequate and manages to offer decent visibility in most lighting conditions. 

That said, features like MagicTwist, Auto Hill Hold Assist, Traction control (Ather SkidControl), the SmartEco mode are not offered as standard. To unlock these features, customers will have to pay Rs 15,000 extra and get the pro pack.

Out of all the features on offer, the one which I found the most useful was the large bootspace. The Ather Rizta has a massive 34-litre bootspace which can easily accommodate a lot of luggage.

During the testing of the Rizta, I had to shift a few items from my old apartment to my new one. It included a lot of items and surprisingly the Rizta was able to carry all of them.

The boot space was adequate to store half, and the floorboard had enough space for the rest. What greatly enhances the convenience overall is the boot organizer. This made it easier for me to just pick up my stuff directly from the boot, and not have to unload it first onto a separate bag.

For a family-oriented scooter being able to hold enough groceries and other items is important. In this regard, the Rizta does shine.

Should You The Ather Rizta?

The Ather Rizta overall is a really good family-oriented electric scooter. It manages to combine good performance, decently handling and an excellent set of features into one package. What really sealed the deal for me was the excellent storage space and the boot organizer that really made things easier. If you are looking for a family-oriented electric scooter, then the Rizta is worth considering.

The e-scooter is offered in 3 variants and here’s a brief breakdown of the prices.

The Ather Rizta Z 2.9kWh variant, which is the one we rode for this review comes at a price of Rs 1,26,499 (ex-showroom, Bengaluru) including subsidies. For additional features like the MagicTwist regen braking system, hill hold assist and others, you will have to get the pro pack which costs an additional Rs 15,000. This brings the final ex-showroom price to Rs 1,41,499.

With the pro pack and the features it offers, the Rizta is priced more affordably than its main rival the TVS iQube S. Which, for perspective comes at an ex-showroom Bengaluru price of Rs 1,46,420.