So far as features go, the Gusto gets the same flip key as the Centuro with ‘find me’ and ‘follow me home’ lamps. The headlight gets LED pilot lamps and a quick storage compartment next to the instrument console. Another feature is what Mahindra call a ‘front kick start’, which basically means that should at any time you have a battery that’s low on charge, you can even kick-start the scooter without having to get off it. You see, the Gusto’s kick-starter lever has been flipped so that it can be used from the front, which allows the rider to stretch out his/her leg and kick-start without having to dismount.
Seat height adjusted, you can thumb the starter and get the Gusto’s engine started. Mahindra have given the scooter a 110-cc all-aluminium engine producing 8.1 PS and 8.5 Nm, mated to a CVT. The engine sounds a bit rough but delivers good performance. A twist of the throttle delivers power in a linear fashion right from the get go. As you accelerate, you feel the power building up gradually but you don’t feel any vibrations. The Gusto tops out at 76.4 km/h and returns a decent fuel efficiency of 45 km/l.
