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It’s almost a decade ago that Honda DIO was launched putting Kinetic Honda to some amount of shame. DIO cant be said as a super hit scooter but it did give some amount of competition, at least it was picked by some college going boys and girls to whom it was targeted at. Now close to a decade after its initial launch, the lightweight scooter from Honda Motorcycle & Scooter India (HMSI) stable comes out with a facelift, the much needed one in fact. It was first showcased at the recently concluded New Delhi Auto Expo 2012 and its launch has come so soon.

Thank Jesus, the scooter has gotten so much revision (good or bad time will tell though). The DIO henceforth will run on more powerful mill a 109 cc engine that is lifted from Activa (the latest Activa indeed) producing enhanced power of 8.11PS @ 7500rpm and peak torque of 8.66Nm @ 5500rpm. According to the company this should work on improving scooter mileage; the fiber body scooter with low kerb weight is claimed to return 55 kmpl of fuel efficiency.

So what can you expect from the new DIO?
With re-styling the DIO 2012 looks sportier and chunkier. The redesign gives it more aerodynamic looks than its predecessor. In fact it looks sleek and appeals to even women. The new Dio also comes with tubeless tyres and it will be the first scooter to have this feature in India. Honda has also given ‘Combi Brake System’ to the Dio 2012, which promises improved stability as well as braking effect.

The new front and the tail looks much better than its predecessor, and the ‘no graphics’ body is a refreshing change if I didn’t sound mad. The single tone lines look much better and it’s a welcome change everyone would feel.

The maintenance-free battery and viscous air filter are retained from the old Dio but there is a 3D emblem that adorns the scooter to add to its appeal and the enhanced luggage space under the seat impresses.

The new Honda Dio comes with a new price tag of Rs. 42362 (ex-showroom New Delhi) and the company says that the new Dio would be selling at Honda dealerships from the last week of February.

The New Honda DIO comes in five new colours – Sports Red, Matte Axis Grey Metallic, Pearl Sunbeam White, Candy Palm Green and Leblon Violet Metallic. The company is targeting the upgraded Dio to style savvy urban males and females and from the first looks of it I can say that the Honda’s mission looks accomplished and scooter buyers wont mind coughing up extra price for improvements that can make ride better (be it in terms of 15% enhanced fuel efficiency or comfort from combi brake feature).

During the recently concluded New Delhi Auto Expo 2012, the Indian arm of Suzuki two wheelers, the Suzuki Motorcycles India Private Limited (SMPIL) has had some surprise for Indian auto enthusiasts. It has unveiled a couple of two wheelers, a scooter and a bike.

Suzuki Swish 125 is a refined Suzuki Access and Suzuki Hayate 110cc is a stylish entry segment bike and is likely to replace the ‘not so good’ doing Suzuki Heat and Suzuki Zeus.

Suzuki Swish 125 runs on the same Access’ 125cc motor, which produces 6.4 KW @7000 rpm and generates peak torque of 9.8 Nm. According to the company Swish will be selling along with the Access without any competition, although company will push Swish for better positioning than the Access. The company is pitting the Swish 125 against the likes of Honda Aviator and Hero Maestro.

The Suzuki Swish 125 will be targeted towards urbane youth who’d look at stylized scooter. The 125cc scooter uses a CVT transmission with telescopic front forks and swing arm rear suspension. Both front and rear come fitted with drum brakes. As regards styling it looks more aerodynamic than its predecessor Access. The Swish 125 comes with a price tag of Rs 45,431, (Ex-showroom, Delhi) and the company says that the scooter will be available at Suzuki dealerships from March 2012. The company is working to reduce customer waiting period by increasing its production capacity from 3.6 lakh units a year to 5.4 lakh units by next year.