Xip, Xap, Xoom

With the Xoom 125, Hero MotoCorp is setting both its sights and aspirations extremely high in the sporty scooter segment; in fact, no less than dethroning the leader itself, the scooter that started it all, the TVS Ntorq

- Story: Salman Bargir Photography: Kalidas M

BORN AFTER WITNESSING THE DEMAND FOR sporty scooters in the hot 125-cc segment, the Xoom 125 wants to be Hero's disruptor. The 125-cc segment has become a sweet spot for riders who understand the use-case of 125-cc variomatics, the sporty subcategory now forming a significant chunk of it. The Xoom 125 with its design, performance, and segment-first features looks like the real deal, but can it take the fight to the leader? Let's find out.

This ZX variant in matte yellow (Hero refers to it as some sort of lime or neon colour in its marketing lingo) colour feels like a refreshingly warm and bright ray of sunshine in the dull monsoon. At the same time it looks aggressive, thanks to its "falcon-inspired" headlight and sculpted and bold body-panels. The sporty design is busy and the paint quality is good, but the bright yellow matte finish attracts stains that are difficult to remove visa-vis glossier surfaces. The monochrome instrumentation's white-backlit display is legible in both day and night. Except for the two buttons on it that are rubber-hard to press, all the other switchgear is tactile and works well. Some of the panels around the handlebar area have gaps in between and are misaligned, but they are put together firmly and, therefore, have no issues of rattling.

To enhance its modernity, the Xoom gets LED lighting all around. The split headlight unit, with projector lights for the low beam, are bright and illuminate the road sufficiently. Easy to spot and bright when lit, the segment-first sequential turn lights have been nicely integrated into the handlebar covers near the front visor. The rear ones, too, are in accord with the scooter's proportions and are placed separately from and below the split taillights.