The Yamaha Fascino - A Comprehensive Review

Yamaha India recently unveiled an elegant and graceful looking scooter, the Fascino. This product will turn out to be the fourth such scooter from Yamaha. The modern-retro looking scooter should attract a lot of the youngsters, but how well would it fare against the top selling scooters in the 110cc range? Let's find out.

Styling

With the Fascino, Yamaha has tried to blend design elements of both the retro and modern eras. What they've achieved is a dynamic yet curvaceous looking scooter that reminisces the Piaggio Vespa, especially with the rounded headlamp and a broad front section with a uniquely designed grill in black and a chrome strip that also holds the Yamaha symbol. The entire front area has been given flowing design lines to add to the feel of being a smooth scooter. But it certainly has done the job of complementing the entire scooter's design; a profile view stands as proof. The handle bar and instrument cluster stand high and seem bigger when compared to other scooters. The mirrors too get special treatment in the form of chrome inputs on the outer side and certainly appeals. Come behind and the same smooth flowing treatment is evident, a long and comfortable seat and again, chrome inputs on either side. Plenty of underseat storage and also a large footboard to give the rider enough confidence while on the road. The only downside being the ineffective looking grab handle for the pillion, which is almost the case with the Honda Dio. The tail section doesn't seem appealing, although it is a matter of perspective and might turn out to be attractive to others unlike myself. Again, the blend of retro and modern being implemented here. What makes this scooter stand out though is the color options available. Out of the five colors available, the 'Sassy Cyan' turns out to be the most attractive of the lot, the chrome and the metallic paint job going hand-in-hand.

Power

Although Yamaha had introduced three other scooters in the past, they all shared the same engine, the 113cc Blue-Core engine. Well, the story hasn't really taken much of a change with the Fascino either, Yamaha deciding that it would use the same 113cc engine. It is quite surprising why Yamaha chose to try this strategy and personally, it feels as though the engine is already a bit dated. In its class, the Honda Activa 110, the TVS Scooty Zest and also the TVS Jupiter are worthy competitors. Yet, with the largest engine displacement of the lot, it churns out the lowest power and torque figures. Power is at a meager 7bhp and torque is 8.1Nm. Fuel tank capacity is at 5.2 litres and fuel economy stands at 66kmpl.

Brakes, Suspension and Structure

Drum brakes come standard on both front and rear wheels. The scooter also carries the usual telescopic front suspension at the front and a monoshock set up at the rear. Fascino would have the longest wheelbase if compared to the Activa and the Zest, measuring 1270mm. Overall weight is 103kg and it has a relatively lower ground clearance of 128mm. An underbone chassis takes up all the loads and difficult road sections thrown at it and offers a comfortable and confident ride.

Price

Yamaha has currently priced this elegantly designed, graceful looking scooter at Rs 52500. It is a bit on the pricier side but with all the stylish elements added to attract the young generation and this being a unisex scooter, should see a positive climb on the sales charts.