Suzuki e-Access review, first ride: Better than the Ather Rizta, TVS iQube and Bajaj Chetak?

India Today

5 days ago

There is little doubt that if you are looking for a 125cc family scooter, the Suzuki Access is by far one of the best ones out there. Sure, there are other options, including the Honda Activa 125 and even the TVS Jupiter 125, but there is something about the Access that makes it brilliant. That something is the ability to play a dual role of impressing the oldies as well as the youngsters in the family. So can the Suzuki e-Access do the same for Suzuki all over again?
The Access has a sleek front with a LED headlamps, LED DRL, winkers and a mudguard.
advertisementSuzuki e-Access: Designed for allThe Suzuki is designed to impress all. It is not as sporty as the Ather 450 series and neither is it too committed to the family like the TVS iQube. Suzuki has endowed the e-Access with a sleek front apron that houses the winkers. Down below sits a mudguard which does a good job in syncing the design together.
In profile the e-Access looks smooth as ever.
The all LED headlamp and DRL is also a sharp-looking unit. The handle bar houses the digital instrument panel and also the switchgear which are of good quality. In profile the scooter looks smooth as ever and the overall design is finished off at the back with LED tail lights.
The rear houses an LED tail lamp and winkers.
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The riding triangle is also rather comfortable and much like the Suzuki Burgman, it offers two foot positions making things comfortable on long rides. The seat height of the e-Access at 765mm is also comfortable for most users.
The 4.2-inch TFT display of the e-Access has features likespeedo, odo, trip ride mode display which it displays in a crisp manner even in bright sunlight.
Suzuki e-Access: Simple yet effective instrument panelThe e-Access comes with a 4.2in colour TFT display that offers a crisp visual even in bright sunlight. It packs in the usual list of features that include a speedo, odo, trip ride mode display, etc. Additionally Suzuki is offering a connectivity suite that allows turn-by-turn navigation and telephone alert. There are weather alerts available as well. On the downside, we would have preferred to see Google map integration as well.
Suzuki has strategically placed the battery of the e-Acess in the centre of the frame for optimum performance
Suzuki e-Access: Battery pack, motor, chassisThe e-Access is based on a tubular frame that deploys a telescopic suspension up front and a single side shock at the back. Suzuki tells us that it specifically chose to locate the battery in the centre of the frame for optimum performance. The battery in question is a 3.07kWh LFP battery. The motor on the other hand offers max power of 4.1kW and can proved a max torque of 15Nm.
The e-Access offers a 17-litre underseat boot.
Suzuki e-Access: Boot space, ground clearance, etcThanks to the fact that the battery sits in the middle, there is a significant compromise on the boot space front. The e-Access offers just 17 litres of cargo space under the seat. The seat though has a lock function where the unit keeps in the lift up position until the user unlocks the unit.
The front apron of the e-Access houses a small cubby hole and a USB charging port.
advertisementThere is a small cubby hole in the front apron as well and near it is the USB charging port. Ground clearance is respectable at 160mm.
The motor of the e-Access is capable of pushing the scooter to a top speed of 71kmph.
Suzuki e-Access: Charging, range and top speedSuzuki is offering the e-Access with a portable charger that takes 4 hours and 30 minutes to charge up the battery to 80 per cent. The company is also equipping dealerships with fast chargers that can do the same job in one hour and 12 minutes. Quite fast we must say. The e-Access offers a range of 95km and comes with a top speed of 71kmph.
The e-Access offers three ride modes: Eco, A and B.
advertisementSuzuki e-Access: Ride modes explainedSuzuki has loaded the e-Access with three riding modes. The first one of them is Eco and in this mode, the whole idea is to provide as much range as possible and at the same time recuperate as much too. So top speed is limited to 55kmph and the regeneration is pretty strong. In Mode A, top speed goes up to 71kmph but regen happens at the rate of 2kW. In Mode B, top speed continues to be 71kmph while regen setting are limited to 1kW.
Thee-Access is an smooth to ride with none of the modes being violent.
Suzuki e-Access: How is it to ride?The e-Access is an extremely smooth machine to ride. Acceleration across all three modes is nowhere close to being violent and it feels like riding a normal scooter. Where one feels the difference is in regen where in Eco and Mode A, the scooter drops speed rather rapidly and requires one to keep going on the accelerator to go fast. However things get a lot better in Mode B where regen levels drop and coasting is very much possible. It is in this mode that the scooter feels perfect to ride.
The e-Access managed to cross speeds of 65kmph even on a tight go cart track.
advertisementGetting to the top speed is no big deal at all and although we were on a tight go cart track, we saw speeds in excess of 65kmph which is rather close to the top speed of this scooter. We are pretty sure that the e-Access will be able to cruise comfortable at 65kmph. What we also liked is the fact that despite going really fast continuously, there was no signs of overheating. Suzuki tells us that in case the battery heats up, there will be a display that will pop up on the dash as well and performance will be limited till the time things cool down. Overall the scooter did feel very comfortable on the go.
The light weight and solid engineering allow the e-Access to be thoroughly pushed round the track.
Suzuki e-Access: HandlingThis is where the Suzuki excels. The light weight of 122kg coupled with solid engineering ensured that we enjoyed thoroughly pushing this scooter across the tight track. Every corner was enormous fun and most of the time we were scraping the main and the side stand.
The e-Access offers enormous fun when pushed on the corners.
The scooter feels so nimble that we can imagine how good this scooter will be in the tight city spaces. But for that, we will wait till we get it for the longer ride in real world conditions. We would also leave the judgement on ride quality till the time as well.
The e-Accesslooks smart, handles well, offers good technology and at the same time they are also ready with a comprehensive charging network
Suzuki e-Access: VerdictSuzuki has taken its time to enter the segment but we must say that they have come out with a rather good and sorted product. The scooter looks smart, handles well, offers good technology and at the same time they are also ready with a comprehensive charging network. At the same time, they have been conservative on the performance front limiting top speed and acceleration abilities. But all this in the name of making it a good all-rounder. From where we see it, the Suzuki e-Access is surely a winner as long as the company prices it right.Suzuki e-Access: Competition CheckThe Suzuki e-Access will take on the likes of other family scooters like the Ather Rizta, Bajaj Chetak, TVS iQube, Ola S1 and so on. Here is a quick recap of the competition and the price range.The Ather Rizta is priced at Rs 1.42 lakh and has an IDC range claim of 159km. The TVS iQube is priced between Rs 94,434 and Rs 1.58 lakh and is available with multiple battery options, and has a claimed range of up to 145km. The Chetak is also available in multiple variants and has a max range of 153km and is priced between Rs 1.09 lakh and Rs 1.42 lakh. The Honda Activa e: has a max range of 102km and is priced at Rs 1.52 lakh. The Vida V2 Pro, though, has a rather long range of 165km and is priced at Rs 1.15 lakh. (All prices ex-showroom).Subscribe to Auto Today Magazine