The newly-debuted Honda Vario 160 is a sporty maxi-style scooter, powered by a 15.3 PS 160cc liquid-cooled engine
Honda has launched the 2022 Vario 160 in Indonesia. The Vario scooter range was first introduced back in 2006, and it is now in its seventh generation. In terms of design, the 2022 Honda Vario 160 looks extremely sharp and sleek, with Maxi-scooter-inspired styling, which makes it look more premium than it actually is.
At the front, the scooter gets a bulky apron, with integrated twin-LED headlamps and LED DRLs. It also gets a pair of LED turn indicators. The side panels look sporty as well, and the tail section is quite sleek with LED taillight at the end. We also see a single-piece grab rail here, which looks chunky. The sleek-looking rear fender gets LED turn indicators.
Honda Vario 160 comes with a fully-digital instrument console, but no connectivity options are offered here. There’s a USB charging port available in the 18-litre underseat storage, which is fairly useful. Also, it gets disc brakes on both wheels, unlike Vario 150, which came with a drum brake at the rear. The tyres are also wider on Vario 160 – 100/80 R14 front and 120/70 R14 rear.
Honda Vario 160 draws power from a 160cc, liquid-cooled, single-cylinder, which belts out 15.3 PS of peak power and 13.8 Nm of maximum torque. This is a significant jump in output over Vario 150, which was rated at 13.1 PS and 13.4 Nm. Transmission duties are handled by a CVT.
There are two variants of Honda Vario 160 on sale in the Indonesian market – CBS and dual-channel ABS. The CBS variant is priced at IDR 25.8 million (around INR 1.34 lakh), while the dual-channel ABS version has a price tag of IDR 28.5 million (~ INR 1.48 lakh). This puts the scooter in direct rivalry with Yamaha Aerox 155.
Yamaha Aerox 155 was launched in India in September last year, and it is currently priced from INR 1.30 lakh to INR 1.31 lakh (ex-showroom, New Delhi). It would be great if Honda were to bring the Vario 160 to the Indian market, but we’re not sure if that will happen. Honda’s two-wheeler lineup in our country consists of multiple scooters, all of which are focused on comfort and fuel efficiency.
