Most Anticipated Scooters Of 2019: Yamaha NMax 155, Hero Maestro Edge 125, New Aprilia Scooter & More

The scooter market has seen an exponential rise, especially in the past couple of years. So much so, that one of the highest selling two-wheeler in India right now is the Honda Activa. It is no surprise then, we expect the market to only grow bigger this year. With some interesting scooters headed our way in 2019, we list down the most anticipated ones.

Yamaha NMax 155 - Mid-2019

Yamaha will be stepping up its scooter game this year by introducing the NMax 155 scooter. To go with its imposing design, the Maxi-styled scooter will house the YZF-R15 V3-derived 155cc liquid-cooled engine with Variable Valve Actuation (VVA). However, while the R15 V3.0 makes 19PS of power and 15Nm of torque, the NMax churns out a respectable 15PS and a similar amount of torque. In its international avatar, the scooter comes packed with a digital instrument cluster, LED lighting and disc brakes on both ends with ABS. That said, we believe Yamaha might shed some of these features to keep costs in check. Speaking of which, we expect it to be priced around Rs 1 lakh (ex-showroom).

Aprilia family scooter - Mid-2019

Both the Aprilia scooters, the SR 125 and the SR 150 are among the sportiest scooters in India. However, they cater to a niche set of audience, who don’t mind losing out on practicality and comfort for outright performance. Now, however, in order to cater to a larger audience, Aprilia's parent company, Piaggio group is reportedly working on a family-oriented scooter. While not many details are out yet, reports suggest that it will focus on practical features like bigger underseat storage, more floorboard space, softer suspension and more. We also expect it to feature a similar engine as the SR 125. Pair that with a less aggressive design than the SR 150 and you have a worthy Access 125 and Honda Activa 125 rival. In terms of pricing, expect it to cost around Rs 60,000 (ex-showroom).

Hero Maestro Edge 125 - Early 2019

It'll be almost a year since Hero unveiled the Maestro Edge 125 and the Duet 125 (now named Destini 125) at the 2018 Auto Expo. While the latter was launched late last year, we expect the Maestro Edge 125 to follow early this year. From what we've seen at the Auto Expo 2018, the Maestro Edge 125 sports a similar design as its 110cc counterpart, with subtle differences like front disc brake, blacked-out grab rail, chrome elements and black alloys. It'll pack the same 124.6cc single-cylinder engine with i3S, which is now seen on the Destini 125 (8.83PS/10.2Nm). Expect it to be priced around Rs 60,000 (ex-showroom) and go up against the Suzuki Burgman Street and the Honda Grazia.

UM Chill 150 - Mid-2019

Known for their retro-styled motorcycles, Lohia group-owned UM motorcycle seems to be gearing up to enter the scooter market too. It plans to do so with a new premium retro-styled scooter called the UM Chill. It bears a striking resemblance with the Vespa Primavera thanks to a hexagonal headlamp with chrome shrouds, curvy bodywork and fat chrome strips on the body. It'll also feature disc brakes on both ends, along with single-channel ABS. While we don't know the exact figures, expect it to produce somewhere around 11PS of power. In terms of pricing, a price tag of Rs 80,000 is expected (ex-showroom).

Aprilia Storm 125 - Early 2019

Aprilia seems to be in for a busy year. Yet another scooter to come out of the company's production floor in early 2019 will be the more off-road oriented Aprilia Storm 125. Showcased initially at Auto Expo 2018, the Aprilia Storm 125 is based on the standard SR 125, but gets different bits like 12-inch knobby tyres (120/80 while the rear is a 130/80), funky colours and more. Underneath all this, it packs the same 124.49cc single-cylinder air-cooled engine which makes 9.6PS of power and 9.8Nm of torque. Considering, the Storm 125 makes do with smaller wheels, expect it to be priced lower than the SR 125, at around Rs 60,000 (ex-showroom).

What we'd like to see in 2019:

Honda Dio 125:

The Honda Dio has always been the Activa’s sportier sibling, with its funky graphics, aggressive bodywork and a slimmer overall design. And considering the market’s gradual shift from 110cc to 125cc scooters, we can’t help but wonder what a 125cc Dio might look like. If Honda does decide to go with the plan, not only will we get a sportier alternative to the Grazia, but also a worthy competitor to the NTorq.

Hero Zir:

Hero showcased a pretty wild concept back at the 2014 Auto Expo, called the Hero Zir. But back then, it was quite ahead of its time, thanks to its maxi-scooter styling, projector headlamps, LED tail lights, large windscreen, nicely sculpted European-style seat and petal disc brakes on both ends. Now, however, we think it is the right time to bring the concept to the production floor. When the scooter was showcased, it was powered by a 157.1cc liquid-cooled single-cylinder engine good for 14.1PS of power and 12.7Nm of torque. If Hero does bring the concept to life, expect it to go up against the Yamaha NMax 155.

TVS Jupiter 125:

The Jupiter has proved quite a success for TVS, ranking only behind the Honda Activa in terms of scooter sales. While it does do a lot of things right, we do wish it offered some more power on tap. And that makes us wonder what if it had the NTorq’s peppy 125cc engine. This move won’t be unusual considering other manufacturers like Suzuki and Honda already offer alternatives in the same engine segment in the form of the Suzuki Access 125, Burgman Street 125 and Honda Activa 125, Honda Grazia.

Suzuki 110cc scooter:

Suzuki hasn’t had any luck in 110cc scooter segment. It’s only offering the Let’s hasn’t been exactly setting the sales charts on fire. The only way to counter this is by launching a new family-oriented scooter, with a different design, but the same engine. We also hope the company carries over some features from its 125cc offerings to this new scooter. This can include metal bodywork, external fuel filler cap, underseat storage and a USB charging port. While it’s too soon to tell if it’ll help in catching up with the Honda Activa 5G and the TVS Jupiter, it’ll certainly help Suzuki in being a serious contender in the segment.