2012 Honda Dio is still the funkiest scooter but lacks crucial technical upgrades
by Tushar Kelshikar on January 10, 2012 22 Comments
I think I’ve mentioned this on IndianCarsBikes.in before that I own a Honda Dio since 2002. Like any other satisfied Honda owner, I love my bike and have been to places even though the seating position isn’t quite best suited for long distance rides. Despite its short falls I love my scooter more than any other.
Other than regular service, the scooter and the usual battery swaps, the Dio has been an example of reliability. Of course, being a Honda, high levels of reliability and low running and maintenance costs is what you’d expect.
New Honda Dio Moto Scooter front angle
Now after a long time, Honda has decided to launch an all new Honda Dio into the Indian market. The scooter segment has seen tremendous growth in the last couple of years and now the Activa, Dio and Pleasure are joined by other products like the Suzuki Access, Mahindra Duro125 DX, TVS Wego and the likes. So, to compete with their rivals, Honda has had to come up with a brand new Dio that looks extremely hot and is economical and efficient at the same time.
Looks were the Dio’s USP which made it a hit among the youth of this nation.
Same is the case with the new model. The new Honda Dio looks striking, ushering to be the best looking scooter in he segment. The Honda designers have done a great job when it comes to aesthetics and the new Dio does look a grown up variant of the old hector. That said, we like the new head lamp cluster and the chiseled surfaces however, the tail lamp isn’t what we’d have liked on the new model. The tail lamp cluster is a bit too large and fiddly.
Having said that, in profile the Dio still has the dynamic look.
New Honda Dio Moto Scooter rear angle
The biggest disappointment though, isn’t the odd tail lamp design. In fact, under the skin, the Honda Dio still uses a bottom link with spring loaded hydraulic damper up front unlike other scooters in the segment which already offer a telescopic setup. Now what this means, is Honda has the option to offer the new Dio at a much lower price tag than its competition.
However, for fans of the Honda Dio it is bad news. A telescopic setup is what we’ve been waiting for so long but that is not what we’ll get on the new version.
Apart from this, the new Honda Dio gets the new Combi Brake like that on the new Activa scooter. No disc brake option on this one either. The engine though, is the larger 110 cc unit from the Activa which replaces the old 102 cc four-stroke single-cylinder unit. Honda claims a 15 percent improvement in fuel economy than the old model.
Also, tubeless tyres, a better handling package and enhanced performance are also among the traits promised by the company. 18 litres of underseat storage helps stow away your helmet.
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