Performance
The battle here is between the four-stroke motors from Honda and Bajaj and the two-stroke engines from Kinetic. Identical 110cc two-stroke motors, basically bored out versions of the 100cc unit that powered the Kinetic Honda, power the Marvel and Zoom ZX. The increased displacement has been effected to improve Fuel Efficiency and meet emission norms without compromising too much on Performance. The ratios of the variator have also been altered to result in more frugal fuel consumption and the engine has been tuned to run a very lean mixture. This poses headaches in the morning with both bikes refusing to idle unless warmed up thoroughly. The unit develops 7.2bhp@5500rpm and a max torque of 9.42Nm@4500rpm that puts both the Kinetic bikes at the top of the power sheets. The actual Performance of both the scoots though sees a huge difference.

Performance-wise, it is the Marvel that more or less has the legs of the opposition. From rest, she hit 60kmph in 14.1 seconds, 1.7 seconds quicker than second best, the Activa. The quarter mile came up in 27.3 seconds while she hit a top whack of 74.3kmph, marginally slower than the Activa. The Zoom ZX on the other hand rests at the bottom of the Performance charts, taking 17.1 seconds to hit 60kmph. This is three whole seconds slower than the identically powered Marvel and such a huge disparity points squarely towards variations in the manufacturing and assembly process in addition to quality levels of what is an identical engine and transmission package. The quarter mile came up in 28.3 seconds while she hit a top whack of 66.9kmph, much slower than the Marvel that is just 3kg lighter than the Zoom ZX!

Honda is known to make the best engines in the world and in the company of the scoots here, the Activa can rightfully boast of having the best engine. The 4-stroke unit displaces 102.1cc and develops max power of 7bhp@7000rpm and max shove of 7.85Nm@5500rpm. The variomatic transmission has been subjected to intense scrutiny to eliminate any potential bugbears and works like a dream. Performance of the Activa is very good, with 60kmph coming up in 15.8 seconds (1.7s slower than the Marvel) and the quarter mile taking 27.3 seconds (identical to the Marvel). Top whack of 76.5kmph is the best among the scoots at war here.

The Bajaj Saffire has a distinct capacity disadvantage in this company. The 4-stroke unit displaces just 92.2cc, developing 5.9bhp at a high-ish 7500rpm and max torque of 6.38Nm at again a high-ish 6000rpm. Transmission of power is via a 3-speed automatic, the gear ratios of which have been revised from the earlier Saffires to deliver better acceleration and improved driveability around town. The earlier gearbox had a tendency to keep hunting for the right gear whilst riding in congested traffic situations that has now been cured. Performance of the Saffire is nothing outstanding, as you might already have figured out from the spec sheet. From rest, 60kmph comes up in 16.8 seconds while the quarter mile was traversed in 29.2 seconds. Top whack registered was a creditable 71.2kmph, better than the Zoom ZX that has a nearly 20cc displacement advantage.

Fuel Efficiency
One of the hard facts that we all have to live with is the steadily increasing fuel prices. Forget all the bravado, when it's time to get to the pumps, it is the mileage of your scoot that dwells uppermost in your mind. With an overall mileage figure of 48kmpl, the Activa tops the mileage charts. The best the Activa delivered was 56kmpl while the worst was 40kmpl. The Kinetic Marvel and Zoom ZX come in next with identical best figures of 58kmpl and surprisingly poor worst figures of 35kmpl. An overall mileage of 46.5kmpl gives the Marvel a range of 279km while the larger tanked Zoom ZX has a range of 326km. For two-stroke scooters this is fantastic Fuel Efficiency. The Saffire figures very poorly in the mileage stakes. A best figure of 53kmpl and a worst figure of 38kmpl give her an overall mileage of just 45.5kmpl placing her last in the group.