Vespa SXL 150 vs Suzuki Access 125

To scrutinise the revisions and how they fare in the real world, we spent some time with the new Vespa VXL 150 BS6. What made things more interesting here was the presence of the new Racing Sixties limited edition SXL 150, which brings an additional aesthetic oomph and exoticism to the mix.

The Vespa VXL 150 and the SXL 150 are the 150cc avatars of the 125cc Vespa siblings. The space for 150cc mass market scooters, in India, was once empty and Piaggio with its latest offerings is the first to take up that spot.  

Piaggio introduced India to the world of retro looking premium scooter market when it launched the Vespa LX 125 couple of years ago. And once again, the company has launched a new scooter – the Vespa SXL150, which is a 150cc variant.

Since, its inception in 2007, it has managed to strike a sweet balance between performance, styling and comfort. Over the years, Suzuki has improved this scooter thus making it a better product with every iteration.

The Access 125 has been the most successful product for Suzuki in the Indian market. Since its introduction in 2007, it has been a money-spinner for the company. The reason being, it offered the right amount of value for the money and in fact, it was priced on par with certain 110cc scooters. However, after the launch of the Honda Activa 125 in 2014, the sales of Access 125 started to drop, calling for a much needed upgrade and now we’ve one in 2016 and it’s more than just a cosmetic update. So does the new Access 125 have what it takes to command the numero uno position in the 125cc segment once again? Here’s what a spin on the scooter told us.

Given the way the premium 125cc scooter market is catching pace, it is not a shocker then that Suzuki decided to try and carve out a share of this segment. The Japanese manufacturer unveiled an upgraded version of the Suzuki Access at the 2016 Auto Expo, last week, called the Access 125. This scooter has been given a new lease of life thanks to a new 125cc heart and a slew of cosmetic updates aimed at giving it a retro flavour.