Spec Comparo: Yamaha Aerox 155 vs Hero Xoom 160 vs Aprilia SR 160

The Yamaha Aerox, when it was launched back in 2021, was in a class of its own, as there wasn’t anything that could really compare with it in terms of performance. However, that’s about to change, as despite not being the largest scooter manufacturer in India (that place goes to Honda, followed by TVS and Suzuki), they are the ones to challenge Yamaha for the liquid-cooled premium scooter market. However, the Hero Xoom 160, apart from the Yamaha Aerox 155, has one more, well-established rival—the Aprilia SR 160, Granted, it makes less power, but then, it also is significantly lighter. Let’s take a quick look at the spec sheets.

Powertrain	Yamaha Aerox 155	Hero Xoom 160	Aprilia SR 160
Type	Liquid-cooled, SOHC, single-cylinder	Liquid-cooled, SOHC, single-cylinder	Air-cooled, SOHC, single-cylinder
Capacity	155 cc	156 cc	160.03 cc
Power	14.95 hp @ 8000 rpm	14.82 hp @ 8000 rpm	11.27 PS @ 7100 rpm
Torque	13.9 Nm @ 6500 rpm	14.0 Nm @ 6500 rpm	13.44 Nm @ 5300 rpm
Transmission	CVT	CVT	CVT

The engine specs are nearly identical between the liquid-cooled scooters, with there being only one cc difference between them. The air-cooled one is lower on power, but as we can see in the next table, it is also the lightest among the three. The power and torque figures between the Hero Xoom 160 and the Yamaha Aerox 155 are also supremely close, with just 0.1 hp and 0.1 Nm separating them. The Aprilia SR 160 also manages to keep up in torque numbers with the other two.

Dimensions	Yamaha Aerox 155	Hero Xoom 160	Aprilia SR 160
Kerb weight	126 kg	142 kg	118 kg
Seat height	790 mm	787 mm	780 mm
Wheelbase	1350 mm	1348 mm	1365 mm
Ground clearance	145 mm	155 mm	169 mm
Fuel capacity	5.5 litre	7 litre	6 litre

The Aprilia SR 160 is the lightest of the bunch—at 118 kg, it is barely heavier than most 125-cc air-cooled scooters on the market; however, the Yamaha Aerox 155 is just about heavier by full bag of groceries as compared to the Aprilia, which is saying something. The Hero Xoom 160 is the heaviest of the lost, with a kerb weight of 142 kg, rivalling that of most sub-200-cc motorcycles. Dimensionally, the Aerox 155 has a marginally taller seat height and longer wheelbase than the Xoom 160, almost negligible at 2-3 mm differences. The SR 160 has a shorter seat height but the longest wheelbase, which should aid in accessibility and stability. Surprisingly, despite its sporty intentions, it has a much better ground clearance than the other two. The Hero Xoom 160 does have great fuel tank capacity, certainly one of the larger ones in the Indian market.

Brakes and tyres	Yamaha Aerox 155	Hero Xoom 160	Aprilia SR 160
Front Brake	230 mm disc, ABS	240 mm disc, ABS	220 mm disc, ABS
Rear Brake	130 mm drum	130 mm drum	140 mm drum
Front Tyre	110/80-14	120/70-14	120/70-14
Rear Tyre	140/70-14	140/60-14	120/70-14

The three scooters here, the Yamaha Aerox 155, Hero Xoom 160 and Aprilia SR 160 have similar breaking setups and 14-inch wheels at both ends, but the tyres are quite different, as the Yamaha and the Aprilia wear sports shoes as opposed to the trail shoes on the Hero. Surprisingly, despite the off-road ambitions of the Hero, the tyres are lower profile than the Yamaha. As for the Aprilia SR 160, it was one of the first scooters in our market to come with 14-inch wheels. All three come with single-channel ABS, but the Aprilia has an unconventional-for-our-market 140-mm drum at the rear, as opposed to the 130-mm units on the Yamaha and the Hero.

Price	Yamaha Aerox 155	Hero Xoom 160	Aprilia SR 160
Ex- showroom	Rs 1.49 lakh	Rs 1.48 lakh	Rs 1.33 lakh

Amazingly, the Hero Xoom 160 is more affordable than the Yamaha Aerox 155, though the difference is quite marginal, though the Aprilia is significantly more affordable than both of the other two, owing to a simpler engine. As of now, these are the only two reasonably-priced premium scooters with liquid-cooled engines, though they are targeted at different segments of the market, which is why the probable launch of the Honda ADV 160 seems more and more likely, as a proper rival to the Hero Xoom 160.