Explained In Pics: The Top-end variants Of The Bajaj Chetak And Ather Rizta

Here's how the Rizta, Ather's first family scooter, stacks up against the electric avatar of the OG family scooter, the Bajaj Chetak

The Bajaj Chetak takes on the Ather Rizta in the family-oriented electric scooter segment. We find out how the top variants of these electric family scooters fare against each other in this image comparison.

Design

While the Bajaj Chetak  takes on a retro-modern design rendition of the iconic petrol-powered Chetak, the Ather Rizta looks ‘properly’ modern with its boxy body. However, it's the Chetak that looks more flashy while the Rizta manages to look quite understated. The Rizta comes in seven colour options (three monotone, four dualtone) while the Chetak just has four options to look glamorous in. 

Unlike the Rizta, the Chetak has a metal body work which makes its colours pop out even more. It also works in favour of the general perception of Indian customers that metal equals longevity. In terms of styling, the choice is clearly divided: while the Chetak caters to familiar retro-styling fans, the Rizta appeals to those who prefer clean, modern lines.

Powertrain

The Rizta Z has a 4.3kW/22Nm motor with a 80kmph claimed top speed while the Chetak Premium has a 4.2kW/20Nm motor with a 73kmph claimed top speed. The Rizta Z has a 4.3kWh battery that offers a claimed IDC (Indian driving conditions) range of 160km while the Chetak Premium has a 3.2kWh with a claimed IDC range of 127km. 

The Rizta has a 700W charger while the Chetak comes with a more powerful 800W charger. However, both take 4 hours 30 minutes to charge from 0 to 100 percent. Both the scooters are also closely matched in terms of on-paper performance and charging times, though the Rizta offers better range.

Underpinnings

Both the electric scooters have similar underpinnings with 12-inch wheels, a disc brake at the front and a drum at the rear. The Chetak has a trailing link front suspension and offset monoshock, while the Rizta has a telescopic fork and a monoshock. Both the scooters have a 90-section front tyre but the Rizta has a 100-section rear tyre (compared to Chetak’s 90-section), which should make it more stable. However, we’ll be able to judge only once we test them in a comparison review.

Features

The Rizta Z has a bigger, 7-inch touchscreen TFT display while the Chetak Premium has a 5-inch TFT display (without a touchscreen). Both the scooters get smartphone connectivity with call and message alerts, and navigation (turn-by-turn on Chetak, full Google maps on Rizta). Both scooters also have reverse assist, which should help when backing the scooters out from tight parking spaces. The Chetak has Eco and Sports riding modes while the Rizta has Smart Eco and Zip riding modes. These riding modes affect the performance and range of the scooters. 

The Rizta has a massive 34-litre underseat storage which should allow you to carry more groceries on your way home while the Chetak has to do with a 21-litre storage. Overall, the Rizta trumps the Chetak with a rich features list that also includes a tyre pressure monitoring system, traction control, and crash alerts.

Verdict

The Ather Rizta Z is priced at Rs 1,44,900 while the Bajaj Chetak Premium TecPac costs Rs 1,47,243 (both ex-showroom Bengaluru, including Electric Mobility Promotion Scheme subsidy). 

The Rizta Z seems to make a lot of sense, at least on paper, considering its lower price, better features, and superior range.  And yet, we will have to do a comparison review to see which one actually fares better in the real world.