Here’s everything to know about gen 3 Ather scooters
Ather Energy has launched the gen-3 450X and 450 Plus in the country. The new scooters offer more performance, better range figures, and have also improved on overall ergonomics. We list out and explain the key changes…
Exterior And Design Changes
The overall design remains unchanged from that of the previous model. The silhouette, body panels, and most of the visual bulk remain the same as before. There are, however, a few minor tweaks that’ve brought about great improvements in user experience.
Ather 450X Gen 3 scooter gets a new set of tyres. The tyres (MRF Nylogrip Zapper-N) on the new scooter feature improved tread profiles and better compounds. These have been co-developed with MRF. Unlike the previous scooter, the generation 3 450X gets 100/80 section tyres at the rear, while the front wheel comes with the familiar 90/90 section rubber. Ather claims these to offer up to 22% more grip than before.
The new 450X continues to be offered in the 3 familiar shades as before- Black, White, and Mint Green. This is in a time when some competitors offer endless colorway choices. However, Ather confirms that more colours would be available on the 450X soon, but they would be limited in number and rather hand-picked.
Key Improvements To The Dashboard
The dashboard remains the heart and soul of the 450X scooter. It is the same 7.0 inch TFT touchscreen that does job on the new scooter as well. However, some major improvements have been made to this unit. The unit now gets a bigger 2GB RAM, unlike the previous one that used to come with 1 GB. Key improvements have been made to the Ather stack as well. The dash is powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 212 and now feels evidently faster and more intuitive than before.
Ather could roll out more up-to-date features like voice commands, multi-language support, better graphics, and deeper diagnostics on the 450X in the future.
Usability And Practicality Improvements
Ather has worked extensively on improving the vehicle’s practicality. It offers a good 22 liters of under-seat storage. However, the new scooter doesn’t have the tiny pockets integrated into its under-seat storage, which we had seen on its predecessor.
2022 Ather 450X comes with Tyre Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS) as an accessory, emphasizing the manufacturer’s focus on ensuring optimum tyre pressure at all times. The tiny TPMS unit can sit comfortably inside the vehicle’s wheel, monitor the tyre pressure physically, and update the same to the scooter’s app. Needless to say, physical TPMS units offer better accuracy than simulated ones.
The most important ergo improvement would, however, be the mirrors. The rearview mirrors on Gen 2 Athers looked cool, but offered limited visibility. The new electric scooters come with bigger rearview mirrors that offer significantly (up to 2x) better visibility to the rider. Also, the mirror handles are now lighter, resulting in slight weight advantages.
Ather now offers a side-step, as an accessory on the new scooter. With a good-looking design, the single-cast Aluminium side-step can be integrated neatly into the vehicle’s design. Unlike other accessories, the side-step can be installed on generation 3 vehicles alone.
| Battery | 3.7 kWh |
| Power | 8.3 hp |
| Torque | 26 Nm |
| 0-40 kph | 3.3 seconds |
| Tyres | 90/90-12 (Front) 100/80-12 (rear) |
Bigger Battery, More Performance
The most important performance upgrade on the Gen 3 Ather 450X is its battery pack, which is now bigger, at 3.7 kWh. (Gen 2 had a 2.9 kWh battery). We’re told that the cell typology has not changed, and its mostly the size that’s increased. The weight has thus gone up by a few kilos. There are no major changes to the motor though. Courtesy of a bigger battery and improved thermal and battery management, the new 450X offers more range and better performance. The scooter has a certified range of 146 kilometers per charge, under ideal conditions. In real-world scenarios, however, it would still deliver 105 km per charge.
To cope up with the added weight, the power has jumped to 6.2 kW (8.3 bhp) from the earlier 6 kW (8 bhp) mark. 0-40 kph is done in 3.3 seconds, faster than the predecessor. Ather claims that the new vehicle can deliver its peak performance for longer spans.
The generation 3 450X gets a total of five ride modes. While the previous vehicle offered just Warp, Eco, Ride, and Sport, the new scooter gets an additional ‘Smart Eco’ mode that gets activated only after the delivery of the vehicle, and which computes the rider behavior to adapt better and bring about maximum efficiency.
Ather 450 Plus Has Also Changed!
As both the Ather 450X and 450 Plus share the same hardware, the gen 3 update applies to the 450 Plus too. On the lower-spec Ather, however, the outputs are much lower. Ather 450 Plus gen 3 offers a real-world range of 85 km per charge (Gen 2 had just 70 km on offer) Also, the Gen 3 450 Plus continues to miss out on the Warp mode and has its performance toned down- delivering 5.4 kW (7.2hp) and 22 Nm.
Ather 450X Generation 3: Quick Ride Impressions
We just had one quick ride and hardly an hour with the gen 3 Ather 450X. Here are our first ride impressions:
- You get to feel the bump in performance the moment you accelerate. The scooter feels eager to get to speeds (in Warp), and with lesser drama than its predecessor.
- The suspension feels better sorted on the new scooter. You get to enjoy better handling and ride quality.
- The grip offered by the new tyres is excellent. Managed to take the new 450X to some wet roads and it felt much better than Gen 2.
- High-speed stability seems to have improved quite a bit with the larger rear tyre in place.
- Braking seems to have improved.
- The new mirrors offer good visibility.
ALSO READ: Ather 450X Gen 3 Electric Scooter Launched In Kerala | Price, Business Plans, And More
