Hero Xoom 160 first ride review: Big scooter, big ambitions
Hero MotoCorp’s first premium scooter, Xoom 160 blends bold design, rugged stance and value pricing. But a firm suspension, vibrations and patchy grip raise questions. A maxi scooter with promise, quirks, and plenty of style.
Hero MotoCorp, India’s biggest two-wheeler maker, has never really been the name you associate with premium scooters. Commuter bikes? Yes. Mass-market scooters? Certainly. But a maxi-scooter adventure tourer, now that’s new territory. Enter the Hero Xoom 160, unveiled at EICMA 2023, now finally here at ₹1.49 lakh (ex-showroom).
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Grab Offer Now This is Hero’s first proper attempt at tapping into the growing 125cc plus scooter market, a segment that now accounts for more than 50 per cent of India’s scooter sales. The Xoom 160 is pitched as a machine for urban riders who want presence, long-haul comfort and a whiff of adventure. Hero says it has built the scooter around five S’s: Shell (design), Spine (chassis), Sense (tech), Soul (engine), and Stance (tyres and suspension).
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450 cc
40 kmpl
Also Read : Hero Xoom 160 maxi-scooter launched in India at ₹1.48 lakh. All key facts you should know
But buzzwords aside, what’s the real story when you actually swing a leg over? We took the Xoom 160 from Pune city up to the rocky trails near Munshi Falls to find out.
Design: Big, bold, and unapologetically flashy
The Xoom 160 doesn’t shy away from making a statement. It’s tall, it’s wide, it’s got 14-inch alloy wheels with block-pattern tyres, and a design that screams, “I am not your everyday scooter." The front apron is sharp and muscular, dominated by a split LED headlamp cluster with DRLs, while the beak-style front lends it that adventure scooter vibe, halfway between Yamaha Aerox 155 and Aprilia SXR 160 but with Hero’s own flair.
From the side, the profile is chunky, with broad panels, a high-set windscreen, and sporty grab rails. The tail section gets sleek LED lamps, and the fit-and-finish, while not flawless, is noticeably more premium than anything Hero has done in scooters so far.
Do I like it? Yes, because in traffic, it stands out. The Xoom 160 looks more expensive than it is, and in this price-conscious segment, that’s half the battle won. The proportions are beefy enough to make you feel you’re not riding a toy scooter, and the stance is commanding. But not everything clicks. Some panels still feel plasticky, and while the sharp lines are bold, they might be polarising. Still, if presence is what you’re after, Hero has nailed that.
Features and comfort: Flexible but flawed
Step onto the seat, and the first impression is encouraging. The one-piece seat is wide, well-cushioned and long enough for rider and pillion comfort. What works particularly well here is the flexibility of the riding posture. You can ride upright for your daily city commutes, lean slightly forward when you want to get a bit spirited, or kick your feet out into the forward rest position when the highway stretches ahead. That adaptability makes the Xoom 160 feel more versatile than your average scooter.
The digital display comes with a laundry list of features: Bluetooth connectivity, turn-by-turn navigation, call and message alerts, and even a smart key system that allows remote start, seat opening, and idle stop-start. On paper, it sounds futuristic. In practice, though, it’s hampered by size. The screen is so small that you’d need eyes like a hawk to read it while bouncing over a pothole. It feels like Hero was desperate to prove it can do smart tech, but usability got lost somewhere between the PowerPoint presentation and the production line.
Then there are the irritations. At idle, the Xoom 160 vibrates enough to make you wonder if it’s attempting a workout of its own. And the throttle play is excessive, you twist, wait, then twist again before it wakes up. Small things, yes, but over time they gnaw at you. Still, ergonomics are spot-on, visibility is decent, and for long-distance comfort, the seat and riding triangle actually do their job. It’s a cabin that looks and feels better than Hero’s usual, but the cracks do show.
Engine and specs: Hero’s boldest yet
At the heart of the Xoom 160 is Hero’s first 156cc liquid-cooled, 4-valve, fuel-injected engine, making 14.6 bhp at 8,000 rpm and 14 Nm at 6,500 rpm. On the spec sheet, it positions itself as one of the stronger contenders in the category, paired with a CVT gearbox and tipping the scales at 142 kg. Add a 7-litre fuel tank and a claimed efficiency figure hovering around 40 kmpl, and it looks like Hero has finally given itself a proper fighting chance in this space.
On the road, the story is more nuanced. At mid-range speeds, between 45 km/h and 70 kmph, the Xoom 160 comes alive. It’s perky, responsive, and feels as though it was built precisely for this zone. Cruising at these speeds is a pleasure, overtaking is brisk, and the scooter feels like it has found its rhythm. Below that, however, the initial pickup is lethargic, as if the engine needs an extra second to remind itself what it’s supposed to do. Above 70 kmph, it runs out of puff quickly, and the performance doesn’t feel as convincing.
Refinement is where it falters the most. This one growls, rattles, and occasionally grates. Vibrations creep up through the floorboard. Hero wanted to deliver soul, but at times the Xoom feels like it’s got restless legs.
Ride and handling: Adventure dreams, bumpy reality
Hero sells the Xoom 160 as a scooter that can handle both city commutes and long-distance adventures, and the hardware is clearly chosen to support that promise. With telescopic forks up front, twin shocks at the rear, single-channel ABS, high ground clearance, and those chunky 14-inch wheels, the scooter looks ready to play both roles.
And on smooth tarmac, it does. In the city, the weight feels balanced, the stance is confident, and the steering carries just the right heft to feel secure at speed without becoming twitchy in traffic. Through fast corners, the scooter holds its line with admirable poise. It feels bigger and more planted than anything Hero has done on two wheels in the scooter segment before.
But venture out onto India’s real-world roads and the illusion cracks. The suspension is stiff, punishingly so. Every pothole makes itself known, every patch of broken tarmac travels up your spine and over longer stretches it gets properly tiring. Adventure scooter? Yes, as long as your adventure doesn’t involve Indian roads.
The tyres don’t help matters either. Despite the block-pattern look, grip levels are far from confidence-inspiring. On damp patches, loose gravel, or even minor potholes, the Xoom 160 skitters, threatening to lose traction when you least expect it. Combine that with the excessive throttle play, and manoeuvring at low speeds becomes more work than it should be. Hero wanted this scooter to feel versatile; instead, it feels compromised when the going gets tough.
It’s worth noting that these observations are based on our first ride, covering about 100 km. A longer, full-blown review will give us a better idea of whether the suspension truly remains this stiff over extended use or if it settles into a more comfortable rhythm.
The five Ss tested
Hero calls the Xoom 160 the embodiment of its “5S" philosophy, but in reality, it’s more of a mixed scorecard. The design, or Shell, is bold, flashy, and does the job of grabbing eyeballs in traffic. The Spine, or chassis, deserves credit too, because the scooter feels stable at speed and inspires confidence in its balance. The story begins to waver with Sense, the technology suite. It looks great on paper in a brochure but falls short in implementation, with that teensy display sacrificing all the flashy bells and whistles.
The Soul, represented by the engine, delivers in the mid-range but lets you down at both ends of the spectrum, while refinement remains patchy. And finally, the Stance, the tyres and suspension, turn out to be the weakest link. The ride is stiff to the point of discomfort, and the tyres don’t back up the adventurous image the scooter tries so hard to project.
Verdict: Hero’s brave step, but a work in progress
The Hero Xoom 160 is a scooter with ambition and character. It looks striking, rides confidently in its mid-speed sweet spot, and comes loaded with features that set it apart in the 125cc plus segment. At ₹1.49 lakh, it undercuts its competition, giving buyers a stylish, value-packed option.
Yes, it has its quirks: the suspension is firm, tyres could inspire more confidence on rough roads, and the tiny display doesn’t do justice to its smart tech. But the Xoom 160 also has plenty to impress, the seating position is comfortable and adaptable, the engine lively in its best range, and the design bold enough to turn heads wherever it goes.
In short: the Xoom 160 isn't flawless, but it offers style, usability, and actual fun in equal doses. For commuters who desire a scooter that's a cut above, navigates daily trips with confidence, and adds a dash of adventure to the daily grind, the Xoom 160 is an attractive option.
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