TVS Jupiter 125 Road Test Review – Zyada ka Waada?
They say where there is a will, there is always a way. And TVS motor company is yet again ready to prove this statement right with the launch of their New Jupiter 125. The Jupiter brand that took off in 2013 has been their best selling scooter and has been the bread and butter for TVS. So upgrading the ‘bada hai to behtar hai’ scooter, which was perfect, to make it a bit more perfect was a difficult job, but not an impossible one. Its an all new product made from scratch, and shall be sold besides the 110cc siblings. Exited? Not yet !
Well, does a 33 litre boot space excite you where 2 medium size helmets can sit in, or are you thinking where did the fuel tank go? Well the 5 litre fuel tank now sits underneath the rider foot board. Not still exciting? How about a better center of gravity with an agile and balanced chassis for proper riding feel and less of fish tails make you feel safe? Still no? Well, this definitely would, how about a fuel tank lid right is the front panel on the opposite side of the multifunction key switch to open the fuel tap, seat and start the ignition. So there’s more boot space, more performance, more space to sit, more features with LED display and Bluetooth connectivity soon and a newly designed engine and chassis making the riding experience closer to what a motorcycle should really do. I am pleased with what TVS has managed to do.
And then there are OEMs bringing in New Generations year after year but handful of upgrades, and some OEMs even stick to just getting in new paint schemes without any updates. The Indian motorcycle industry has been a seller’s market, jo bechenge, kharidnapadega. Finally, the day has come, luckily that things are changing for good, and TVS is leading it. TVS has worked hard to think differently and out of the box to make the customer experience a better riding experience. The level of thoughts put into the Jupiter makes me wonder why cant other OEMs think like this, when a Hosur based India born brand can do, but not the right time to think that now. Lets dive into the Jupiter125s’ design and styling first, shall we.
The Jupiter has always been a matured product, for a matured personality without flashy colours & aggressive styling but simple yet sober looks with long term reliability and low cost maintenance. Fixing something not broken is a difficult job, but you can always improvise. The Front apron is completely new with chrome extension neatly accommodating the DRLs and the indicators. The Mudguard styling is new along with a new headlight cover. The design lines Somewhat resemble the Maestro from Hero, but with LED headlights and DRL lamps. The magwheels get a diamond cut finish, adding to the overall premium looks. The rider foot board is wide and spacious, there was enough space to move my feet around. The front inside panels house the 5 litre fuel tank lid on the left, the right side houses the multi-function key switch, an USB port and a pocket to keep your phone on charge, so you never run out of juice. Well though TVS. The footboard too gets a nice texture to itself adding to the premium feels. The rear side panels too are all new and get the Jupiter 3D monogram logo now, adding to the overall premium theme. Its gets this sleek pillion grab handle easy enough to hold and sit comfortably. The rear end gets this integrated unit with Halogen type taillight and halogen indicators fused together.
A few body panels are made in a special steel alloy, a few in fibre, to keep the body reliable yet light weight. So the mudguard is metal, the side skirts and the side rear panels are metal, elsewhere all is thermoplastic alloys. So its strong where scooters are fragile to damage on impact. This Jupiter125 shall be available in 4 colour options namely the Dawn Orange, Titanium grey, Pristine white and Indiblue. Overall, the Jupiter looks much more sober & premium now.
In terms of features, TVS has set new benchmarks. You get a 33 litre boot space, never ever seen on a scooter, you get the front fueling facility, USB charger as stock, 170mm disk brake option for excellent braking and maxis 90/90-12 inch tyres of great traction and control together deliver a confidence inspiring ride, enough for you to corner it at 80kmph. The all-new chassis is made of newer lightweight materials with better rigidity and better weight distribution.
The under-footboard fuel tank can make the Jupiter the segment killer. For the modern yet matured commuter, you get an all new digital cum analogue instrument cluster. It gets a analogue speedometer, while a LED display unit displays Distance to empty, 2 trip meters, Malfunction Indicator, digital clock, fuel gauge, average fuel consumption indicator, helmet indicator and of course the Odometer. As I said, others just that to think, TVS did, and they shall definitely get the first mover advantage.
So the All new Jupiter 125 is bada & behatar too. Not yet satisfied? Well, The engine too is all new, it’s a 125cc motor that generates 8.3PS of power and 10.5Nm of Torque. Definitely not the most powerful, but definitely butter smooth refinement is what this 2 valved engine is all about. This too is made with all new light weight components. The bike can do 80kmph all day with ease, and easily delivers 40kmpl with full throttle, in commute, shall easily deliver 50-55kmpl. It also gets a electric start, and the Start-Stop-Go technology we had seen on the Raider a couple of weeks back.
So how light is the New Jupiter? The Jupiter125 just weights 109kgs, at par with competition yet with metal body panels. The exhaust too, has been newly developed and comes with weight reduction technology applied here too. The exhaust note too is gets a deep and bassy, closer to what to the NTorq sounds like. In terms of looks though, it now gets a chrome cover over it, adding the premium feel and commuter nature of it.
Speaking about how it rides, well its one of the most comfortable scooters I have ridden. On the front it gets 30mm telescopic forks, and the rear comes equipped with adjustable Gas charged suspension. The tuning of both the suspensions isnot to stiff as expected from a commuter, but throttle hard and you find it to behave progressively and stiff enough to maintain good composure and stability. On 85-90kmph too, the bike does not move around or sway, like the other rear loaded engine powered scooters do. The tyres and brakes give excellent bite and add to the overall ride experience. The upgrades are groundbreaking, cant think of anything better really right now, other than the body styling, but then again, beauty lies the eyes of the beholder. Maybe I am not just that old yet to have a taste of matured commuters.
Overall, TVS has brought yet again a blockbuster product to offer this festive season. The 125cc commuter scooter Competitors are in for a tough time ahead. They really need to buck up and update their offerings, before Jupiter kills the complete 125cc commuter segment and rules it, which has been growing at 39% CAGR since last 5 years. I love the Jupiter for its features and attention to detail. Such good observation they had, that they gave indicator bussers factory fitted, which usually people have to add it as accessories.
Only thing left now to know is the pricing. We know that it will be aggressive, following the lines of Raider and rr310 which were recently launched making the intentions of TVS motor company clear. We expect the Jupiter125 to cost 10-15% more than the Jupiter110, which isn’t much for the upgrades on offer. Time will only tell, whether these winds of change are here to last, and whether the Jupiter125 helps TVS in reaching new mountains and help the Pro-consumer though process to continue.
TVS have already set new benchmarks, lets see how soon others follow the bandwagon and update their models. I am sold, Arent you yet? The TVS Jupiter 125 is priced at Rs. 73,000.
Words – Suraj Sawant
Photography & Video – Govind Gadekar
Video Edits – Bhushan Joshi
