Honda Grazia First Ride Review – A New Arrow in the Quiver

Like a swift arrow, the Honda Grazia aims to tear through the practicality of smaller scooters and the performance of bigger ones. We find out if it’s a hit or a miss

Story: Sarmad Kadiri
Photograph: Sanjay Raikar

If you’re looking for a scooter, it’s hard to ignore the Honda range which is the most exhaustive line-up in the Indian market. From the unique and affordable Cliq to the blockbuster Activa, they have a scooter for every need. In spite of dominating the scooter segment for years now, Honda were yet to experiment with a new sub-segment — that of the fast-growing, larger capacity trendy scooters. Of course, there was always the no-nonsense Activa 125 and the stylish Dio 110, but there was a void between these two segments.

As expected, Honda have launched the Grazia 125 with enough swag to take on competition. As the name suggests, it is aimed at the style-conscious ― its swooping lines and sharp cuts point to a contemporary touch. The design is a gradual evolution of its popular sibling, the Dio, but shares the underbone chassis with the Activa 125 and, more importantly, gets the much-needed telescopic front fork. The lower half of the front apron is covered with glass, dominated by an oversized LED headlight which, by the way, is a first in the scooter segment. It’s neither too boring nor too flashy. The fit and finish is just like any other Honda scooter you see on the road, so no complaints there.

Maintaining a fine balance of style and substance, the Grazia comes with a fairly long list of features. It sports a fancy digital instrument cluster which offers a range of information like speedometer, fuel gauge, trip meter, clock, and even a tachometer. There’s a three-step eco riding indicator that guides the rider to get the best fuel efficiency. While the base variant Grazia comes with 10-inch wheels, alloys in higher variants ride on 12-inchers.

The top variant of this scooter gets a 190-mm front disc which, along with Honda’s Combi-Brake System (CBS), brings it to standstill from 60 km in 2.46 seconds, travelling 18.46 metres. The brake feels progressive and the scooter remains surefooted even under hard braking.

The Grazia comes with a covered storage compartment, but the lid could have been more robust. For an extra Rs 500, one can get the optional 12-volt charging slot installed within to charge your mobile phone on the go. It gets a dedicated seat-release button which is located next to the four-in-one key fob. Honda’s old-school rear brake-lock lever looks rather utilitarian on an otherwise modern and well-finished scooter.

We rode the Grazia outside the city, on highways and over broken roads of a hill to reach the scenic location which gave us ample opportunity to put the powertrain to test. As you already know, the Grazia, like the Activa 125, is powered by a 124.9-cc engine that makes a respectable 8.63 PS and 8.94 Nm that maxed out at 92.1 km/h and dismissed 0-60 km/h in 7.5 seconds.

The Grazia weighs 107 kg and feels more agile and peppy than the Activa 125. Twist the throttle and it’ll surprise you with immediate response. This Honda is quick to gather momentum and briskly crosses the 80-km/h mark. The engine is refined and there’s hardly any NVH even at high speed. The highlight is its wide powerband between 40-80 km/h which is all you need for daily urban riding. The ride, thanks to the telescopic fork, is considerably forgiving. Due to a seat height of 766 mm most Indians will find the Honda comfortable in terms of ergonomics. It also has a soft seat and feels more comfortable during longer rides. On the fuel-efficiency front, this Honda returns 63 km to the litre.

The Honda Grazia has carved out a comfortable space for itself. Priced at Rs 63,182 (ex-showroom, Pune) it offers an appealing design, Honda’s reliability and widespread service network.

Location: Marvel Sangria, NIBM Road