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S. Muralidhar

AFTER attempting to rock the scooterette segment with its Zing and the Zing Rockin Series, Kinetic recently launched a slightly upgraded version of this two-stroke mini-scooter with a slightly larger engine and better visual appeal.

The Zing has been Kinetic's second line of attack against competition after its not-so-successful Style series scooterette.

The Style is also a 75cc scooterette with variomatic transmission, but not as powerful as the new, third avatar of the Zing.

So what was the competition that Style and the two earlier versions of the Zing took on? The LML Trendy, Bajaj Spice and Spirit and the TVS Scooty.

Now, after the upgrade, what the new Zing 80 will attempt to do is to take on the likes of the new TVS Scooty Pep, the Bajaj Spirit and try to wean away the penny-pinchers who would have otherwise considered the Honda Activa or even the Kinetic Nova more favourably.

The old and new

The new Zing 80 is essentially the same two-wheeler on the outside. What you get is an improved paint job, crisper panels, slightly better seating and better aesthetics for about Rs 3,000 more than the original 65cc version. However, the overall design continues to be the same.

There are other cosmetic add-ons, too, in addition to the bigger engine that the Zing 80 is being offered with.

Apart from the new dual-tone colour finish and the matching colour graphics on the rear-view mirror mounts, the Zing 80's looks does not have much else that is fresh.

The clear-lens type headlamp, tail lamp and winkers are new, but pretty much standard even among most other competing two-wheelers in the segment.

However, the Zing 80 is a let down with its finish quality. This scooterette looks good from a distance, but when you get close, the finish quality of the body panels and some of the switches come through as being a notch lower than some of the competition's two-wheelers. The engine-kill switch is an extra for a two-wheeler in this segment, though it may not be used as much. However, the absence of a fuel gauge may be an important feature that the Zing misses out on and may leave the rider guessing about the fuel available in the vehicle.

Some of the add-ons in the Zing 80 include a mobile charging point positioned alongside the large underseat storage space, puncture resistant tyres and a cola can holder just under the handle bar. But, surprisingly, a bag hook is not part of standard fitment in the Zing 80.

Broad aluminium alloy grab rail at the rear and the exhaust pipe heat shield add to the Zing 80's `scooterish' looks.

Engine and handling

Whatever the reason for the Zing 80's nomenclature, its engine will still be a comparison only with the 75cc engines of other similar scooterettes. The Zing 80 features a two-stroke, air-cooled, single-cylinder 71.5cc engine that generates 4.2bhp of peak power at 5,500 rpm. The engine is lively and manages to come with a clean, smooth performance.

The two-stroke engine, slightly higher 5.7 Nm of torque and lower weight of the scooterette, manage to give it a nip and a more nimble on-road performance.

For its quick acceleration and despite the available 110mm drums at the front and the rear wheels, the Zing 80's brakes did feel a bit inadequate.

Another feature that is not a strong point for the Zing 80 is its lighting. The 25W headlamp is clearly not powerful enough for Indian conditions. In comparison, the TVS Scooty Pep's 35W headlamp with a larger multi-focal reflector surface does the job better.

The Zing 80's chassis is also stiff and, as a result, gives the two-wheeler a bit of a rider-induced wiggle, especially on tight turns. The shakiness coming from the less-than-confident handling that the inflexible chassis lends to the scooterette. This light two-wheeler is also clearly not meant for regular use by tall or big-made people. The same rigidity in the Zing 80 also does not induce enough self-assurance in the rider to take on tight turns and corners. The handling department in the Zing could do with some improvement and its current tenuous performance is despite a slightly longer wheelbase of 1,235mm.

It is obvious that Kinetic is leveraging the Zing brand's established credentials in terms of initial quality and positive user response. But, apart from reliability, if the Zing's handling performance and build quality can be improved, the company could have a more powerful weapon in the Zing 80. In the long run, for users, the lower build quality could affect ride quality and pull down resale value.

For about Rs 26,000, ex-showroom, the Kinetic Zing 80 could be an option for the style conscious college-goer and the thrifty housewife. This Kinetic scooterette is priced Rs 2,000-4,000 lower than most competing products in this category. That is excluding, of course, any dealer and/or manufacturer discounts or freebies currently under offer for any of these two-wheelers.

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