Hero Xoom First Ride Review

We got a short spin astride the Hero Xoom which is the latest sporty 110-cc scooter to enter the Indian market.

The Hero Xoom is a scooter that the manufacturers have launched to appeal to the youth. The Xoom gets sharp styling and the first element you notice is the good-looking X-shaped LED DRL at the front. The rear of the scooter has been neatly designed with the grab rails integrated into the rear panels keeping the design as neat as possible. The rear LED light is also X-shaped. This scooter is quite compact and the flat seat is comfortable. It is easily accessible for short riders, although some of the taller riders did find their knees too close to the front end, and the floorboard was a little too small for their liking. This is an easily maneuverable scooter with a kerb weight of 109 kg.

The Xoom makes use of the 110.9-cc, single-cylinder, air-cooled motor that puts out 8.04 hp at 7,250 rpm and a peak torque of 8.70 Nm at 5,750 rpm. The acceleration is peppy and it quickly gets up to speed. It feels really smooth while cruising around at around 45 km/h and can hold a speed of around 80 km/h without any harsh vibrations. Hero claims that a 0-60 km/h run can be achieved in 9.35 seconds. I was able to get to a top speed of around 92 km/h and that is when the engine starts to feel a little stressed. The i3s start-stop technology works well to get moving from a standstill and will also help in delivering increased fuel efficiency.

Suspension duties are handled by a telescopic fork at the front and a single-sided shock absorber at the rear. This setup is on the slightly stiffer side to keep in tune with the sporty theme. We had the scooter for a short duration where we mostly got to ride over well-paved roads, although it handled the few undulations we came across quite comfortably. It is nimble when it comes to cornering capabilities but I did feel like the front end was a little too light. A little more weight at the front end would have provided a rider with much more confidence. Braking is handled by a 190-mm disc brake at the front and a 130-mm drum brake at the rear. The brakes do a decent job of getting the scooter to a halt but I personally would have liked them to be slightly sharper. The scooter rides on 12-inch diamond-cut alloy wheels where the lowest LX variant gets 90/90 section tyres at both ends, and the mid and top variants get a wider 100/80 section tyre at the rear.

A segment-first feature on the top-end variant of this scooter is a set of cornering lights. As the scooter is tipped into a corner, a sensor switches on the lights on the side it is being leaned over. While these LED lights are bright, the throw is really close to the scooter and a rider is usually looking much further ahead while they are midway through a corner. Apart from that, the bike gets a fully-digital screen that has a simple layout and supports Bluetooth connectivity, a light in the boot storage for added convenience, a charging port, as well as a side-stand cut-off feature.

The Hero Xoom is priced at Rs 68,599 for the LX variant, Rs 71,799 for the mid VX variant and the top-end ZX variant can be had for Rs 76,699 (all ex-showroom prices). This is good pricing for a sporty scooter in this segment. With a refined motor, easy-to-ride nature, and packed with all the necessary features for city commuting, this proves to be a good scooter on a budget for new riders. We shall soon test it in the city to bring you more details as we spent a very short amount of time with it in Delhi.