Review TVS iQube – A Scooter As Cool As An Ice Cube!

Overview

With the fast pace with which the electric two wheeler industry is moving, the already established automakers too have started to sit up and take notice. TVS, one of the pioneers among home-grown automakers of India, has come up with the iQube to make the segment more competitive.

The TVS iQube is not the first electric scooter from the company – it was the Scooty Teenz. However, with an all new design and much evolved technologies backing it, the TVS iQube is all set to make the segment more interesting than ever before. 

Price

The TVS iQube commands a price tag of Rs. 1.38 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi), which is equivalent to much of the similarly-spec scooters in its segment. However, thanks to recent offers for electric vehicles like FAME subsidy by central government and additional subsidy by state government, one can claim heavy discounts on the TVS iQube.

Engine and Specifications

Powering the TVS iQube is a combination of a 4.4 kW electric motor and three lithium ion batteries which are stacked together to have a combined rating of 2.25 kWh. The electric motor generates a maximum torque output of 140 Nm, while enabling the iQube to have a top speed of 78 kmph. The scooter comes with forward and backward assist, with the latter acting as a reverse gear for the scooter and makes it go backwards when the throttle is opened up.

Mileage

One can go a distance of up to 75 km in a single charge with the TVS iQube. The battery takes 5 hours to charge up to 80 per cent from almost flat condition, and takes a total of 7 hours get 100 per cent charged.

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Handling and Braking

While the basic powertrain of the TVS iQube differs massively from the rest of the scooters from the lineup of TVS, the basic chassis components of it have a massive similarity with them. The scooter rides on 12-inch alloy wheels, which are shod with 90/90-12 tubeless tyres at both the ends. The conventional suspension setup of hydraulic telescopic forks at the front and hydraulic twin tube shock absorbers at the back are tuned on a softer edge for a supple low speed ride quality. The braking setup of a 220mm disc at the front and a 130mm drum too feels good with enough bite for a scooter of this cadre.

Dimensions

At 118 kg, the TVS iQube is quite on a heavier side as compared to a regular 110-125cc scooter of the same ize. However, on the go, it manages to be light on its feet. The long wheelbase and adequate ground clearance do give it a good planted feel for commutes.

Colors

The only color option in which the TVS iQube is being offered right now is pure white, which looks quite sophisticated with all the a couple of blue highlights and blacked out theme for the apron, wheels and powertrain.

Design and Features

While the basic silhouette of the TVS iQube looks conventional from a distance, inspect it closer and you will find a lot of design bits and features which are unique in their own way. All these highlights do give the TVS iQube a sense of sophistication and futuristic appeal at the same time.

The front profile of the TVS iQube looks striking with a sleek panel of lights at the bottom of the front apron. This array of lights consists of the main LED headlamp in the center, which is flanked with sequential LED turn indicators on its either side.

The handlebar cowl gets a nice premium looking piano black trapezoidal garnish, the lower edge of which gets a wide U-shaped daytime running LED. The silver finished handlebar levers look premium, but the rectangular looking rear view mirrors feel a bit out of place here.

The side profile of the TVS iQube looks quite conventional, but at the same time, it has a very nice visual appeal, thanks to rounded rear side body panels and a long seat. The side panels come with chrome finished 3-D logo of iQube, and they end up with a large single piece alloy grab rail behind the seat.

At the back too, the TVS iQube has a quirky looking design like that of the front, with a similar array of lights featuring a small LED tail lamp between the sequential type turn indicators.

The coolest bit of the TVS iQube has to be its full TFT colored instrument console. Apart from displaying the basic data of speedometer, battery level, range, odometer and trip meter, it also supports TVS’ own-developed ‘SmartXonnect’ smartphone connectivity and telematics solution.

In addition to the Bluetooth supported navigation system, the ‘SmartXonnect’ system also features remote charge status, geofencing, incoming call alerts and smart statistics in sync with your smartphone. Like all conventional scooters, the TVS iQube too has a decent under seat compartment with LED illumination and 12V charging socket for charging devices on the go.

Competition

The TVS iQube is present in a niche segment of premium electric scooters, which has seen a lot of action in last couple of years with equally new offerings like Bajaj Chetak and Ather 450X.

Verdict

The quirky design and the list of features do make the TVS iQube a very up-to-date scooter. And what makes it future-ready is its powertrain – the fully electric powertrain of the TVS iQube offers decent performance and juice for your short commutes, say 30-40 km a day.

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