New Mahindra Duro 125 DX

Frustration must be the buzzword in moto town for commuters and the most obvious reason is the ever-rising traffic that tests your patience to the maximum and the plight of 4-wheeler owners is hardly explainable; the traffic jams take a toll on them for sure. Not that the two-wheelers aren't taking any beating but the saving grace for them is easy manoeuvrability and is an inexpensive medium of transport. And the scooter market has tapped the right nerve of the consumers in this regard and Mahindra obviously was not far behind to catch up the race.

Mahindra quite finished the unfinished job of Kinetic Motors by collaborating with Sym and as a result of this merging Flyte and Rodeo hogged considerable limelight in the showrooms while their Nova came to be called as Duro, which only inherited the 125cc engine and nothing more. Mahindra was quite successful with Duro although the front suspension called for a little more refinement, and this need was taken pretty much seriously by Mahindra and it had effected in bringing about the launch of new Duro 125 DX. Read following paragraphs to know what this new Mahindra Duro 125 DX has in store for you folks.

Looks
Do not be under the impression that Duro DX is just an extension of the Duro standard variant. It is not, and the new Duro DX has been given quite a facelift and talking of the styling especially the headlamp, which occupies larger area in fact it looks very similar to what we see in Access and Rodeo. The bigger mirrors, classy clear lens covers for the indicators, wider seat with bigger grab rail for comfort of the pillion rider and the Duro DX decals look very sporty. The not so obvious changes of Duro DX are the raised handlebar that does not attract your attention immediately, you need to have an eye for detailing may be and the wheels are placed on a four-point mounting. The panel near the footboard is a little extended and this is a clever add-on, as it ensures less impact on the body of the scooter in case of an untoward incident. But clearly the headlight console is the show -stealer and is definitely better than Activa.



The other smart features of Duro are the extensive space offered under the seat and the elongated footboard, which can fit quite a lot of luggage and there is also front storage compartment and that is something all of us will love. The seat is little too curvaceous and that does not offer great support. The instrument cluster is decorated with new dials with new shades of color. Riders might complain severely for there is no fuel filler cap and the switchgear is just about average, so you might miss the Honda feel in this regard. Nevertheless, the Duro DX manages to impress largely despite a couple of short-comings.

Engine, performance and mileage
The Mahindra Duro DX is powered by a 124.6 cc, four stroke engine that generates power of 8 bhp @ 7000 rpm and torque of 9 Nm @ 5500 rpm. And the almost less-noise feature of the starter motor calls for a round of applause. The dual-curve ignition mapping gives a double treat - greater power and fuel efficiency.



The scooter reaches speed of 50 kmph mark quite swiftly but beyond this speed it struggles and feels exhausted, yet for the city riding the scooter just fits the bill. Do not expect great power delivery, as the scooter does not execute a hi-end grunt but the low-mid range punch is quite impressive, again perfect for city riding. The CVT gearbox is good and is not jittery and the not-so-good power deliverance quality has to be blamed on the dual-curve ignition that quickly feels hard acceleration.

The old Duro didn't go well with the customers for its pathetic mileage. There were indeed several complaints flooded to Mahindra engineers that the engine tuning doesn't work to better fuel efficiency. This seems to have been addressed by the company and the new Mahindra Duro DX gives a mileage of around 43-45 kmpl, if not the best in the segment the numbers are at least decent. Riders might badly miss the Nova 135 performance in the new Duro DX; nevertheless the Duro is not bad either but maybe just that it wont be up to the mark.

Colors and price
The new Mahindra Duro 125 DX comes available in four colors that are as follows: deep black, blue, purple and white color. And as a personal choice I would pick black or white that actually look the best on road. The scooter will command premium price but Mahindra placed it at par with 100cc Activas and Aviators. So you get more scooter power for same price or cheaper price if you compare to Aviator.

Final Verdict
The upgraded version of Duro is refreshing and appreciated by the consumers and is definitely a good substitute to the Activas or the Access'. Mahindra is said to have done some research on the riders' requirements based on test rides that they offered customers to get very valuable feedbacks and that seemed to have reflected vastly on the launched scooter, in fact an appreciative move. This also is an indication that the company has not only rolled out ANOTHER scooter but a fine product for Indian two wheeler enthusiasts. Overall we can give the new Mahindra Duro DX a good rating of 8/10 for what it is capable of delivering.