NTORQ 125: India's most feature-loaded scooter is here

The NTORQ is a well-finished, sleek and powerful scooter for city usage and daily commute, and comes with an LCD screen that drivers will love.

Be it performance, styling, features, refinement and price, the NTORQ ticks all the boxes, says Rajesh Alva.

Photographs: Rajesh Karkera/Rediff.com

TVS, which has had a great run so far in the two-wheeler segment, is hoping to consolidate its market share with its new 125cc scooter, the TVS NTORQ, which was first unveiled at the Auto Expo 2014 as a concept called Graphite.

Come 2018 and the most feature-loaded scooter in the segment is finally here.

The TVS NTORQ 125 will have to compete against the Honda Grazia, the newly-launched Aprilia SR125, market leaders Suzuki 125 Access and Honda Activa 125.

So does it measure up?

The NTORQ's design reminds me of the Yamaha Ray ZR and Honda Grazia.

Photographs: Rajesh Karkera/Rediff.com

As I said, the scooter is loaded with features, but if I were to pick its top feature, it is the navigation assistance. This is the first time an Indian scooter has offered LED display navigation with smart connect.

To enable this feature, though, you have to download the TVS NTORQ app from Android Play Store and connect your phone over Bluetooth. And when you enter your destination in the app the navigation kicks in and displays the route, direction, distance and time taken to reach your destination.

Photographs: Kind courtesy TVS Motor Company

Among its other display features are incoming calls and messages, LastPark location, lap timer, top speed indicator, average speed indicator, engine temperature indicator, battery indicator, auto sync clock, service light reminder, phone signal, battery indicator, power and eco mode indicator, and more.

In fact, this full digital console has 55 features in all -- easily making it the most advanced instrumental panel in this segment.

TVS says the design of NTORQ has been inspired by stealth aircraft.

The design element looks quite sporty.

The turn indicators are incorporated in the edge of the front cowl, while the headlamp and the side indicators are sharply designed and look good. It has an LED headlamp and a DRL (Day time running light).

Photographs: Kind courtesy TVS Motor Company

TVS did tease us with the scooter's tail light design ahead of the launch and now that it is here, we can tell you that it's beautifully designed with two faux vents on either side. The rear side indicators are placed below the faux vents in such a way that it looks integrated into the body panel.

The futuristic split hand rail bar is also matched with the seat and rear end design. The seat height is settled at 760mm and is also wide as well as soft, making it ideal for everyday use. The scooter also has an engine kill switch -- which, again, is a first in the segment.

There is also an external fuel filler and pass-by switch.

Photographs: Kind courtesy TVS Motor Company

The under-seat storage is also quite ample, with 22-litre capacity. Interestingly, it has a lamp under the seat storage as well as a USB charging point!

Another user-friendly feature is the little hook upfront, below the handlebar, and one below the seat for carrying shopping bags, etc.

The foot board is not as roomy as in other conventional scooters and the maximum you can stove there is a laptop bag or a small grocery bag.

Overall the scooter has a sporty appeal, and a powerful engine to match its looks. Power is generated by a three-valve, four-stroke, single cylinder, 124.79cc petrol engine which produces 9.4hp of power @7,500rpm and 10.5Nm of torque @5500rpm. The engine has a red air cool vent which looks very appealing.

The company-claimed top speed is 95km/h, and 0-60km/h speed is achieved in nine seconds. 

Photographs: Kind courtesy TVS Motor Company

The NTORQ has telescopic suspension at front and gas charge monoshock at the rear.

It comes equipped with 12-inch diamond cut alloy wheels with 100/80 section tyre at front and 110/80 tyre at the rear.

The braking department is handled by 220 mm petal disc at front and 130mm drum brakes at the rear, which does quite a decent job. TVS isn't offering combine-braking system on this scooter, though.

At 155mm the ground clearance of the TVS NTORQ is good enough to get through most of the speed bumps and large potholes. Fuel tank capacity is just five litres but the vehicle's kerb weight is 116.1 kg, which is 10-14 kg heavier than the market leaders.

Having said that, the TVS NTORQ 125 is not an all-out sporty scooter like the Aprilia SR 150, but offers a more responsive engine and more features than a regular scooter.

The NTORQ is a well-finished, sleek and powerful scooter for city usage and daily commute, topped with an LCD screen which drivers will love. Be it performance, styling, features, refinement and price, the NTORQ ticks all the right boxes.

At Rs 58,750 (ex-showroom, Delhi), it's total value for money. If you are in the market to buy a scooter, this could be the best option for you.