The new Heroes in town are out to prove a point in the scooter segment ruled by Honda Activa. One of the new Hero scooters, Maestro Edge, has already won the prestigious Scooter of the Year at the 2016 NDTV’s Car and Bike awards. The other more practical Duet isn’t too far behind its sibling in terms of capability. But it’s the Maestro Edge that packs in all the goods to take on the mighty Activa. Completely developed in-house, Hero has looked to offer appeal, features and a peppy engine in both scooters.
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The Maestro Edge looks to be bolder in character from the regular Maestro that’s currently on sale. The sharper lines, attractive front aero-ducts, and stylish silencer give the Maestro an edge..quite literally. The Duet has a more no-nonsense look to it but at the same time is pleasing to the eye particularly in red. From the rear, both scooters are fitted with LED tail lights which are quite striking.
But where the new Heros really score is the functionality of elements on board. I like the rear fuel-filler pods on both scooters that are well-integrated with the design, especially in the Maestro Edge. Under the seats, there’s enough space for a full-face helmet along with a USB charging point and a mini lamp which comes handy at night. The seats on the Maestro Edge and Duet are wide and comfortable but a bit too firm for my liking. Hero has clearly looked to improve the overall fit and finish of the new scooters. The Maestro Edge gets a bit more premium appeal than the Duet, but the overall quality levels on both are fairly good.
On the road, there’s little to separate the two scooters in terms of performance as they share the same engine, although the Duet is a tad heavier with its metal body. The new, four-stroke, air-cooled 110cc engine puts out 8.31bhp and is mated to a CVT gearbox. The engine feel smooth and refined, perfect to zip around in city-riding conditions but does feel strained as you push it beyond 80km/h. The telescopic front suspension aids handling and the Maestro Edge with its 12 inch front alloys feels more solid and confident, even while braking.
The Hero Maestro Edge is offered in two variants, the LX without alloys is priced at Rs 49,500 and the top-end VX is priced at Rs 50,700 (ex-showroom, Delhi). The Duet is also available in two variants with ex-showroom prices starting at Rs 48,400. At these prices, Hero has launched a two-pronged scooter attack at the Activa and the strategy will be complete with a 125cc offering from Hero which is expected to come soon.
[“Source-ndtv”]