Ather 450X Gen 3 Review

The Ather 450X has always looked stunning with its sharp angular cuts and sporty design. It wowed everyone when the scooter was first announced and it still leaves a smile on the face. There’s a problem though. The new Gen 3 looks exactly like its predecessor and comes with the same paint schemes! 

There’s nothing that has changed in the visual aspect except for the larger mirrors. When we asked Ather about this decision, the team seemed to be divided in opinion internally as well. We feel a host of new colours would have been a welcome change, especially now that the competitors seem to be offering the entire rainbow to their customers. Build quality remains top-notch, and we didn’t find any cheap plasticky bits slapped on to the 450X.

Greeting you up front is the familiar 7in TFT LED-backlit touchscreen that looks absolutely gorgeous and crisp. It now runs on a 1.3GHz Snapdragon 212 quad core chipset, but Ather has increased the RAM capacity to 2GB, which translates to a smoother and less buggy experience. There’s also a 16GB storage update, but Ather claims that this has been introduced for future features such as off-line maps and others and has no current functionality yet. 

Setup remains a simple process of downloading the app and logging into the Ather account. Once connected you can send in your routes to the scooter or opt for on-board navigation which allows you to directly type in your location on the dash and find a route without even touching your phone. A new Tyre PRessure Monitoring feature has also been added that allows you to monitor your tyre pressure and keep them aptly inflated in order for maximum range effectiveness. 

From the dash, you can also control your music as well as call functionality, and there are other features that come bundled as well such as Tow/Theft Alerts, Locate my scooter, Document Storage and rider stats. The only thing missing seems to be Netflix.

The Gen 3 now comes with a ‘Smart Eco Mode’ that works on complex algorithms and learns and adapts according to your riding style. It also tells you how to ride via a small bar indicator at the side of the dashboard. It’s a bit of a learning curve as it allows you a bit of a boost that can let you ride at 60kmph for a certain time without compromising range, but once you push too hard, it automatically reduces the power output. It can be slightly frustrating if you’re an excited auto journo who wants to zip through without a care about charge times or range. In the real world (stop-start traffic) it could be quite useful since Ather claims a true range of 105Km in this mode. 

The normal Ride mode churns out about an 85Km true range which is a healthy stepup. The battery capacity is now up at 3.7kWh, which is the major improvement here. However we don’t know the launch price at the time of writing, but we do expect at least a ₹5,000 bump up in price from the previous models (approx ₹1,50,000). 

There’s hardly any noticeable difference between Sport and Warp modes, but both are quite fun and have no hesitations reaching the claimed top speed of 80 kph, and going beyond that thanks to the 6kW peak power and 24nm torque. 0-40 kph comes up in a cool 3.3s and the motor doesn’t struggle to climb uphill either. The new MRF tyres offer better grip too, especially in the rains and the move to a 100/80 configuration inspires more confidence and stability.

We did find the seat a tad bit uncomfortable and narrow, a wider seat would have been more supportive and comfier. The front suspension feels quite stiff too, adding slightly to the discomfort. While lowering the tyre pressure at the front may ease things, it’s not ideal as it may affect the range. But it’s not very noticeable if you’re riding at slower speeds in the city.

The big change here seems to be the upgrade from the previous 2.9kWh battery to the 3.7kWh battery that increases the range from 85km (Eco Mode) to 105km (Eco Mode). Apart from this Ather also claims a longer battery life range of upto 25% thanks to a larger battery which results in lesser load on individual cells and longer range translating to lesser charges. 

The larger battery also means better thermal performance too, adding to the overall value. Add to that the bigger mirrors and a few additions like the side step foot rest and Ather seems to have addressed most of the previous complaints people have had with it. If the added range and spit-shining are enough for you, the new Ather might just be your daily ride.