tl;dr Ather 450S is a brand new electric scooter which performs very much the same like its big brother 450X even without a touchscreen and a smaller battery. 450S gets a dedicated reverse mode button, joystick controls to toggle around many new functions but misses out on WARP mode. Carries the same experience and ride quality as that of 450X/450S – nicely flickable, offers great ride quality, feels sturdy and reliable but will haunt your head continuously – to get it charged every single time, every single day because of its low range (<70-60 Kms) – Go for it only if your daily commute distance is less than 30-40kms and you are ready to charge every single day like you do for your smartphones.
Introduction
We are in an interesting times trying to validate the viability of Electric scooters and are mostly ready to transition to E2Ws, if and only if it exceeds. the petrol 2Ws in terms of performance, reliability and cost. 450S is not a product with a major differentiating attributes in Ather’s portfolio, it is rather a cut-down version of 450X aimed to attract consumers who wants to own their first ever EV with a not-so-large budget. In fact, Ather 450S is the most affordable EV currently in Ather Energy’s portfolio right now. The full fledged review of Ather 450X found here gives you all the details of the scooter in depth. In this review, we mostly highlight major differences found on 450S from Ather 450X and on overall experience riding it.
How 450S looks – Colors on offer
Sporty and fresh – The scooter retains its agile nature and looks exactly the same as that of 450X except that it retains the body color on its front apron panel (which is black in 450X), there is a minor change in graphics, stickering and tyre profile. Looks wise, it is same as that of 450X except for the front console area- where the touchscreen is replaced by non-touch screen with joystick controls mounted towards the left side of your handle bar. In 450S, you will find a dedicated button for reverse mode in the right and there is switchable button for riding modes (to toggle between Eco, Ride and Sports). The display quality on non-touch screen is good, even the digital graphics which follows the seven-segment font theme is pretty crisp , sharp and easy to read in both day and night conditions. For the most part, you may not need the joystick to toggle around, except for adjusting few settings/turning on/off features like AutoHold, Smart-ECO mode, Guide Me Home, Auto-indicators, Coasting Regen, FallSafe etc
Talking about the colors, the all new Ather 450S scooter is launched in 4 attractive colors namely Cosmic Black, Salt Green, Space Grey and Still White color options. The one which we tested here is Salt Green Color option.
Battery, Charging time and other specs
The all new Ather 450S electric scooter is powered by a 2.9kWh Battery which powers the PMSM motor that can produce a peak power output of 5.4kW and can deliver a peak torque of 22Nm. It is still a pretty quick scooter even with a smaller battery configuration.
Using the provided portable charger, Ather 450S can be charged from 0 to 80% at a flat time of 6 hours and 36 mins. For a full charge to 100%, it will take upto 8 hours (a full night sleep time). If you have bought the additional PRO pack (which currently costs Rs 15,000 extra), you will get access to all DC Fast charging stations in Ather Grid in. your city where you can charge your scooter from 0-80% in mere 1 or 1.5 hours only. However, at the time of writing this, the usage of Ather Grid is priced at Rs 1 per 1 minute and you can recharge the wallet provided in your Ather app to make use of this.
Talking about the dimensions, the all new Ather 450S scooter has a kerb weight of 112 Kgs and has a ground clearance of 153mm. The length of the electric scooter is 1837mm, the width measures 734 mm and the seat height is 780mm which means it is well-accessible to short riders. The wheelbase of the scooter is 1295 mm. The scooter doesn’t acquire lot of your parking space lengthwise, it is shorter than any other scooters in the market. Ather claims it offers a vehicle warranty for 3 years or upto 30,000 kms and an extended battery warranty upto 5 years/ 60,000 kms.
Ride, Handling, Performance and Comfort
We have talked enough in depth on ride and handling in our previous review of Ather 450X under different modes like ECO, Ride, Sports and WARP. The 450S only offers ECO, Ride and Sports mode with ECO mode offering the highest range (claimed upto 90Kms), but in real life got a reading of only 60-70 kms – When you switch to Ride or Sports mode, the range shall further reduce.
The Ather 450S electric scooter is a very fun to ride vehicle, it makes “weeee” sound and feels better than fully equipped Orxa Mantis electric motorcycle. It is a really enjoyable scooter and you will appreciate it from heart when you switch the riding mode to Ride or Sports – it adds upto your adrenaline rush. The top speed which we were able to get was around 82 Kmph on steep roads and 90 Kmph in flat road when Sports riding mode was engaged.
The pillion comfort was great as well and there is ample amount of bootspace (22 litres) to keep your things and portable charger – so its a practical scooter.
It brakes well and suspension is good and responsive too. in the front wheel you get a 20cm disc brake and at the rear you get a 19cm disc brakes – one can confidently use brakes – riding is pure joy.
Verdict
Our verdict remains the same as that of 450X, If you are looking for a no-nonsense, reliable, good looking, sporty, capable electric scooter which is high on control and performance in mind, 450S is a great choice. At the time of writing this article, the Ather 450S is priced at Rs 1,29,999/-. With a reduced price (compared to 450X), you will have to settle for less, it means reduced range, no touch screen or seamless experience of navigation apps like google maps and you will have to shell extra money for PRO pack if you need access to Ather Grid fast charging network.
Have your say – Let us know what do you think of this review of Ather 450S by commenting below.
