Honda Cliq scooter First Ride

Design & style

The Honda Cliq is as distinctive in appearance as the Honda Navi. You can actually see a lot of design cues being carried from the Navi to the Cliq in things like the paint job, the handlebar, rear view mirror design and even the distinctive circular extrusion on the body. The tall stance upfront with the headlamp integrated into the front fascia kind of reminds me of the fancy looking scooters you see in foreign countries and to some extent the legendary top tier Africa Twin from Honda. All in all, the looks are surely contemporary and will appeal to teens and their parents alike. The instrument cluster is simple and shows you your speed, distance covered and also the amount of fuel left. The fuel gauge was missing in Honda’s previous budget offering, the Navi. A closer look at the scooter and you will notice that there are these fin-like indentions that can be seen on either sides of the meter console, front and rear as well. Cliq will be available in four different colour schemes all of which are full of life and one can opt for the Designer version which comes with body graphics that surely enhance the looks of the scooter and would likely appeal to teenagers.

Engine & Performance

One look at the spec sheet and you will realise that the Cliq is quite similar to the Activa, Dio and Navi. This is because it also comes with Honda's HET 110cc, air cooled, 4 stroke BS IV complaint engine. But due to its lighter kerb weight of 102kgs it is able to squeeze in a little more from the engine giving a power output of 7.9hp @ 7000rpm and a maximum torque of 8.94Nm @ 5500rpm. While the scooter performs well and can get you to speeds above 60kmph easily, the acceleration did not feel as punchy as the Navi. In my short ride, I was able to take it up to 82kmph which is just one unit shy of the claimed 83kmph top speed. So for a light weight person with no baggage the claimed 83kmph is easy to reach. However, if you add in more weight,  expect the top speed figure to dip down as well. The light weight allows the scooter to be extremely nimble and change lanes at the slightest of inputs. That combined with the compact proportions will make it a great choice for city usage. While the scooter felt at ease even at high speeds, it did give a rumble at speeds below 25kmph. The 3.5 litre fuel tank could also pose to be an inconvenience for some despite a mileage of about 60kmpl.

There are plenty of things in the Cliq that led to Honda calling it a 'bade kaam ki cheez', the first one being the 10inch tubeless tyres with a block pattern. This means that you do not have to look for a puncture guy every now and then and with the immense grip from the tyres, you can tread paths that other scooters might have some problem with. I got to ride it over some sandy patches of land and I definitely felt that these tyres do a great job of sticking to the ground. Another feature that I really appreciated was the Combi Brake System with Equaliser. While the brakes you get on both the tyres are your normal 130mm drum brakes, the addition of CBS really makes a world of difference. With CBS you can engage both the front and rear brakes by depressing the left brake and with the Equaliser feature, an equal amount of braking force is sent to both the wheels allowing you to come to a halt within a very short distance and without losing control of the scooter or skidding. Even in panic braking the scooter felt very much in control.

There are some features in the Honda Cliq that would translate into ease of use for owners who are not technically sound when it comes to maintenance. Like the maintenance free battery and the viscous filter that needs no cleaning. You only need to change it post 16,000 kms. The scooter also comes with an auto headlamp unit which has now become mandatory in all two wheelers. Just like the Navi, this scooter also gets options for a whole lot of accessories including a front wind shield, rear load carrier, floor mounted storage box, mobile charger under the seat and more.

Verdict

This scooter for the masses is only available in Rajasthan as of now but Honda will be bringing the scooter to various states in a phase-wise manner with a nationwide availability expected before the festive season. So whether you are in need of a budget friendly scooter for your daily business commutes or if you are a parent looking forward to giving your kid his/her first two-wheeler ride, this new scooter just might Cliq with you!