Ather Rizta

Think Ather and a narrow yet sporty electric scooter comes to mind. One that is reliable but not the most comfortable or practical. The latter is the TVS iQube’s territory. But now Ather doesn't want to appeal just to the individual with its slightly narrowed, focused 450X; it wants the sister, mother, father and grandparents to join in as well. And it intends to do it with the new Rizta.

The Rizta in its three versions is Ather’s answer to the ever-growing popularity of the Ola S1s and the iQubes among families. To address this larger ‘family’ audience, the electric scooter maker has gone in for an aggressive price tag and mellowed-down design. But above all, it is ditching the sporty tag that came bundled with the 450X for a more practical solution. Has it worked?

Time to find out.

Visually, it is clear that function has defined the Rizta’s form. Nothing is exciting about its design. The characterless front apron and the bulky side panels make it look more utilitarian than aspirational. The oversized front wheel fender doesn’t help either. And neither does the fact that there’s so much of the scooter behind the rear wheel it makes the Rizta look under-tyred and odd. I do like the design for the integrated head and tail lamps, nonetheless. Plus, the two-tone colour scheme - which extends to the seat as well - offers some visual relief.

Quality-wise, Ather needs to work on both the quality of plastic and the fit and finish. It’s not terrible, but it is inconsistent. The matte black plastic surrounding the instrumentation - which is always in the rider’s view - could have had a more premium or textured look. Right now it is flat, scratchy, and dowdy.

The Ather Rizta is not an all-new scooter. It is essentially the 450 under the new bodywork. It has the same chassis, suspension, and battery and motor combos. It also has the same basic features including auto hold, reverse mode, fall safe, emergency stop signal, and auto indicator cut-off. But it does additionally get the Twist or active regeneration function. It has skid control to make it easier to get moving over slippery surfaces. And of course, it has a bigger seat, a bigger boot, and more space on the floorboard to carry things; including maybe even your dog as Ather’s website suggests.

Specification-wise, the Rizta’s motor delivers lesser power and torque compared to the 450; it also has a lower top speed at 80kmph; and it only comes with two riding modes - Smart Eco and Zip. There’s no Warp mode here to cause ‘wheeeees’ as the Rizta goes from 0-40kmph in 4.7 seconds against the 3.3 seconds taken by the 450. Both are Ather's claimed figures. The two do share the instrumentation, nonetheless. The 7-inch TFT non-touchscreen comes with various functions including Google Maps and Bluetooth connectivity. The latter allows the rider to see who is calling while also alerting him or her about incoming WhatsApp texts. There’s added Alexa connectivity as well to check charging status and the scooter’s last parked location. The system is an intuitive one, even though it is a tad laggy.

Other specs of the Rizta include a weight of 119kg, seat height of 780mm, ground clearance of 165mm, and it runs 12-inch alloy wheels front and back. The front tyre is a 90/90 section unit while the rear is slightly wider at 100/80. Also, unlike the 450, which gets discs at both ends, the Rizta only gets a disc brake at the front and a drum brake setup at the rear.

Now, when it comes to the powertrain options, there are three configurations to choose from. All three get the same motor. So, the power, torque, top speed and acceleration figures are identical for the three. The max power is rated at 4.3kW or around 6bhp. The rated torque is 22Nm. And the claimed top speed is 80kmph. Ather also says all three versions weigh nearly the same and have an identical 0-40kmph time of 4.7 seconds.

These do however get different-sized battery packs. The base S version gets a 2.9kwh battery but it doesn't get the fancier instrumentation. The Z version gets the fancier console and can be had with either the 2.9kWh pack or the 3.7kWh battery. We have the smaller 2.9kWh version here with a claimed range of 123km. In the real world, we expect this range to drop to around 90km on a full charge.

Now, when it comes to riding, two things become abundantly clear. One, skip the Smart Eco mode because it is a test of one’s patience, and it ruins the riding experience of the Rizta. Two, Ather hasn't been able to shed the sporty feel of the 450 for this family scooter. This is not a problem if you are one of the younger ones in the family. But, if you are older and are dealing with a bad back, you won't welcome its stiff ride quality.

Move past the ride quality, stick with the Zip mode, and the Rizta is quite likeable. It is peppy all the way to its 80kmph top speed. The power and torque delivery is linear and accessible. It feels intuitive and it doesn’t throw up any ugly surprises. You don't need to relearn anything to ride it and enjoy it. Even the brakes have good bite, feel and progression. Furthermore, the Twist regeneration function isn’t abrupt or erratic. It feels quite natural and easy to use after just minutes of riding.

Handling is well sorted. The Rizta feels nimble to ride through traffic and planted and confident on the highways even when sitting at its limited 80kmph top speed.

Let's start with the good things.

Our Z version here retails for Rs 1,24,000, which makes it one of the more affordable options in its class. But, you don't really lose out on performance, range or features compared to the competition, which makes it good value in our books.

The challenge for the Rizta however will be its unappealing styling. And a stiff ride that not everyone in the family will appreciate. Will these be big rejection factors? Sales figures will soon tell us. But to us, no, these don’t seem to be telling enough to reject what is otherwise a good all-round electric scooter.

And we say this because the Rizta does check two of the three must-haves for a family scooter: It is practical, and it is effortless enough for everyone in the family to have a go on it.

Photography by Kastubh Gandhi