The Honda Activa, when launched in 2001 completely changed the way people looked at scooters, and it single-handedly brought scooters to the forefront of the motor industry scene in India. And 12 years later, look where the scooter segment is. The scooter segment is one in which every two wheeler manufacturer wants to have at least one product on sale, because it is a volume driven segment, and contributes a lot to the growth of a manufacturer. Having multiple products on sale in this segment is considered to be even better. And TVS Motors is one of the few manufacturers to have multiple products on sale in the scooter segment.
TVS already had the Scooty from ages past and has been keeping its sales going by launching multiple updates and facelifts for the Scooty, TVS also had the brilliant Wego, which was a pretty good all-rounder, and now they have added another scooter to their portfolio, it is called the TVS Jupiter. Even though the name is a bit weird, the vehicle is not.
The TVS Jupiter is clearly a looker. In the cosmetics department, the Jupiter has everything that one would want from a scooter. It has neat suave lines all over the vehicle and looks properly pretty; it also has the swag that one would want on a peppy little scooter. Up front, the scooter gets clear lens headlamps and turn indicators and a faux air vent in between the indicators. When viewed from the side, one simply cannot ignore those wheels, the Jupiter gets 12 inch, five spoke alloy wheels, with a matt-black finish and also the chrome exhaust cap looks striking. The rear gets curvy, suave tail-lamps with the fuel filler cap right above it. This is one scooter which won’t look out of place in Venice with this design.
The Jupiter is powered by an air-cooled, carburettored, 109.7cc, single cylinder engine taken from its sibling, the TVS wego, but this time around it gets a re-mapped ignition circuit which means that combustion is better and more efficient, and also the compression ratio has been increased a little. Power output stands at 8PS @7500rpm and torque figures too stand at 8NM @5500rpm. Drive is provided to the rear wheel through a CVT (continuously variable transmission) gearbox. The TVS Jupiter returned 43.5kms to the liter during bumper to bumper traffic and 46kmpl while stretching its legs on the highway.
The ergonomics on the TVS Jupiter is very well thought out, and the rider’s position is a very upright one and is just perfect for commuting within city limits, but out on the highway, it does not feel at home. The Jupiter weighs only 108kgs and due to the light weight, it provides a crisp riding experience. It has everything going for it from the handling point of view, like the gas charged rear shock absorbers and telescopic front suspension.
TVS has ticked all the right boxes with the Jupiter, but at last, everything said and done, it’s all down to the customer. So I guess we will just have to wait and watch how the Jupiter performs in the market.
(Special thanks to Mahindra, Triton TVS authorised dealer for TVS Motor Company, Hebbal road Bangalore.)
Also see – Comparo – Honda Activa VS TVS Jupiter
TVS Jupiter 110cc automatic scooter launched at Rs. 44,200
See more pictures of TVS Jupiter 110cc automatic scooter –
