I came across an intriguing email from Ather as I was going through my inbox, telling me to book an Ather 450 right away and receive it by Diwali. After having a brief talk with the family, we made a reservation for 450 and paid 2500 rupees online to confirm it. According to the Ather portal, we will receive a call from the Ather showroom, and they will set up a time for us to choose the bike, the colour, and the total amount owing. We decided to call the showroom to get information about our booking since we had been waiting for a week and had not received a call.

The salesperson from the showroom informed us that we needed to go there to book the bike for a faster delivery. Much to our surprise, the Ather 450 Gen 3 was in stock when we visited the showroom the following day, as the moped’s production had significantly increased. The 450 Gen 2 has completely stopped in terms of production and sales. 

The salesperson provided a quote for both the 450 + Gen 3 and the 450 X Gen 3. The final on-road price of the 450 + is 1,34,084 rupees, while the on-road price for the 450 X is 1,62,230 rupees in Pune. We decided to go with the 450X because it had more power, range, and additional features. As it was around the time of Diwali, the salesman gave us 20 days to wait before getting the scooter delivered to us after our transaction was complete. 

We received the Ather 450 X Gen 3 in roughly two weeks from the date of our transaction, as predicted by the salesperson.

The difference between the 450 + and the 450 X is that the 450 X gets a performance kit, which has a bigger battery pack, a higher range, and updated features. 

Both the scooters get a 3.7 kWh battery pack, but the usable capacity for the 450 + is only 2.6 kWh and the usable capacity for the 450 X is 3.24 kWh. 

The peak power of the 450 X is 6.2 kW, while the peak power of the 450 + is 5.4 kW.
The claimed range of the 450 X is 146 km, but the true range in Eco Mode is 105 km. The true range of the 450 + is 105 km but the true range in Eco Mode is 85 km.

The 450 X gets an additional riding mode called “Warp Mode” compared to the 450 +, but they share the other modes, which are Eco, Ride, and Sport. The 450 X gets the new tyre pressure monitoring system.

Apart from a few differences, both scooters are identical. If range is not your issue, you could go with the 450 +.

The previous moped that I had driven was the Honda Activa 5G. The first thing that I noticed was the instantaneous torque of the electric motor. When you open the accelerator, the scooter’s high torque makes you smile widely. The acceleration, in contrast to some other EVs, is smooth and not jerky. Apart from the torque, the suspension is very impressive. The monoshock in the back works flawlessly, keeping you firmly planted while absorbing all road imperfections. Due to the scooter’s front and rear disc brakes, braking is exceptionally good. The MRF tires have good road grip as well; even under hard braking, the tires performed admirably. If one compares the Ather 450 X with the Honda Activa, you would feel like you were riding a bike in terms of power, suspension, and braking.

The boot space is 22 liters, which can hold a full-face helmet easily. 

The scooter’s charging time is quite long, at 4 hours and 30 minutes for 0-80% and 5 hours and 40 minutes for 0-100%.

The display of the scooter is really responsive, as it now comes with 2 GB of RAM. The built-in SIM and map functionality is impressive. Unfortunately, the SIM and mapping services will be charged beginning in 2023.

You can get yourself an Ather 450 Gen 3 easily and quickly by walking to the nearby showroom and booking it there. The scooter will be delivered to you in roughly 2 weeks after your final payment. Consult with the salesperson for an accurate delivery period. 

If you rely on online booking, then you might have to wait some time for the salesperson to contact you. Then complete the rest of the process.

If the Ather’s price had been a little lower compared to the Honda Activa, it might have been a great EV choice. The Ather, however, also comes with some excellent extra features that make the moped’s price justified.

What would you choose: an electric or a petrol moped? Let us know!