Honda Activa v Mahindra Duro DZ

When you say reliability, sturdiness, power and handsome features at the mention of scooters the only name that you associate these adjectives is Honda Activa. And why not, the Honda Activa occupies the topmost pedestal in the scooter segment for the simple reason that it is an out and out family package; people of all age groups love this scooter for its simple and conventional looks braced with uncomplicated mechanicals that has been ruling the hearts of Indian riders from 2000. Many scooters since then have made futile attempts to overthrow the Activa's prime position and one of the latest rivals of Activa is from Mahindra, an upgraded version of Duro, renamed as Duro DZ is head-on in race with the family product, Activa. Let's see who will stay ahead in this competition.



Looks
Both Duro and Activa have passed out from the traditional school of designing and that works well in attracting all age-group riders. Let us take Duro DZ first, the scooter has not had a makeover as such, of course there are a few conspicuous modifications, else it is more or less the same as its predecessor Duro DX. One of the most significant changes made in Duro DZ is the headlamp with clear lens that does its job of illumination to perfection and the front mudguard has received a bit of modification to fit in the telescopic suspension. Apart, from a couple of these changes Duro DZ has nothing much to boast of.



Whereas, Honda Activa was tweaked way back in 2009 and the scooter has had a strong imprint in the minds and hearts of the consumers; the company has taken cues from European designers and the crisp lines all along the body of Activa testifies this fact. In the looks and design section I would any day prefer Activa.




Engine, performance and mileage
Honda Activa is braced with a 110 cc engine while Duro is adorned with a 125 cc and one would obviously think that Duro DZ would surpass Activa with regard to performance. But let me tell you that Duro DX was the quickest of scooters in the Indian market and the new version DZ does not possess that kind of grunt as the engine refinement helps better fuel efficiency. Even when you compare the power deliverance of the two scooters, wherein Duro DZ with 124.6cc engine churns out 8.1 PS of power and max torque of 9Nm while Activa delivers 8PS power and 8.82 Nm torque, which clearly indicates there is only a marginal difference between the two. And let us not forget that Activa is braced with only a 110 cc engine. One good point worth a mention is that Duro DZ delivers a commendable mid-range power in comparison to Activa. But Activa compensates this over Duro DZ with buttery smooth power deliverance and refinement.

Talking of handling part of the scooters Duro DZ as we know has been incorporated with a front telescopic front suspension, which helps in smooth and easy manoeuvring of the scooter and riding over bumps or even while speeding away you will not lose your balance. While Activa still has a bottom link suspension at the front, which is not as effective as what is seen in Duro DZ yet, Activa bears far more superior handling qualities than the Duro DZ.

Even with regard to fuel efficiency there is not much of difference between the two rivals; Duro consistently gave a mileage of 45 kmpl in the city while Activa gave about 40-43 kmpl and the only difference is that Duro DZ has larger fuel tank of 6-liter capacity. So despite some tweaking of the engine Duro DZ may not convince with its performance, keeping aside its mileage and telescopic suspension in the front. Well, now your decision might get a bit easier?

Colors
The Duro DZ is available in the following colors: cappuccino brown, mystique gray, pearl white, supreme silver, derby red, royal purple and fiery black.
Honda Activa comes in these colors: candy lucid red, geny gray metallic, armour gold metallic, orchid blue metallic, black and sunbeam pearl white.

Verdict
The comparative analysis clearly announces the winner and that is Honda Activa. Although there is not much of difference between the two scooters in almost every aspect, Activa still gets to win the race with a slight edge, however I would also mention that if you decide on Activa you will have to wait for nearly a couple of months or even longer and if you think it is too much of a waiting for you then Duro DZ should be your pick, which comes at Rs 2500 lesser than Activa and delivered almost immediately. Else, it is Activa all the way for its easy maintenance and spares that can be gotten everywhere. Earlier Duro DX suffered due to lack of supply in spares. Additionally Activa service centers are many and even otherwise any local mechanic can tweak it. Last not least the resale value of Activa is far more superior than what Duro can claim.