BS6 Honda Activa 125 launched in India

Honda Motorcycles and Scooters India (HMSI) has just launched its first BS6 emission norms compliant two wheeler in the form of the Activa 125 automatic scooter. The Honda Activa 125 BS6 is priced at Rs. 67,490 and bookings start from today. The scooter will be able to function seamlessly on BS4 fuel as well. So, people buying the BS6 variant need not worry about the non-availability of BS6 fuel. Making the Activa 125 BS6 compliant has resulted in a price increase of about Rs. 2,500, which is less than a 5 % hike. This hike is largely due to the addition of fuel injection, which replaces the carburetor. Going forward, all BS6 two wheelers from Honda sold in India will be fuel injected. Nitin Gadkari, the Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways, launched the scooter along with the CEO of HMSI. In the coming months, expect the entire line up of Honda two wheelers sold in India to become BS6 compliant, well ahead of the April 2020 deadline.

The BS6 Honda Activa 125 has been launched in three variants: Standard, Alloy and Deluxe. While the Standard is priced at Rs. 67,490, ex-showroom Delhi, the Alloy and Deluxe variants are priced at Rs. 70,990 and Rs. 74,490, respectively. The 125cc single cylinder four stroke engine of the Activa 125 gets fuel injection, and now makes 8.1 Bhp, which is a marginal reduction in peak power from 8.52 Bhp that the same engine with carburation makes on the Activa 125 BS4. Higher fuel efficiency is likely although Honda is yet to reveal actual ARAI certified fuel efficiency of the BS6 variant. The gearbox is a CVT automatic unit that has been carried over from the BS4 model.  The automatic scooter gets a bunch of feature additions. The starter system is now said to be ‘noiseless’ while there’s a new idle-stop system that has been added to further maximise fuel efficiency and cut down on tail pipe emissions.

The instrument cluster sees a big revision, and is now a digi-analog unit that displays real-time fuel efficiency and range information. There is a side-stand-down indicator, a front glove box and an external fuel-filler cap. In terms of cosmetic changes, the BS6 Honda Activa 125 gets a minor makeover with a revised LED headlamp, chrome trim on the front end and sides, and also a new apron up front. The scooter rides on tubeless tyres, and uses telescopic front forks and a monoshock rear suspension. It’s aimed at both men and women who seek a comfortable, reliable and fuel efficient automatic scooter for use mainly on city streets. Other major selling points of the Honda Activa line-up as a whole are great resale value and low maintenance costs. The Activa is India’s best selling automatic scooter.