Ather Rizta

The Ather Rizta is the EV maker’s first attempt at something that is not a sporty scooter. Its scooters have always been known to offer great performance and handling capabilities. But with the Rizta being a family-oriented scooter, has Ather Energy managed to develop a scooter that does justice to the family scooter tag? Let’s find it out:  

Design

Compared to the Ather 450X, the Ather Rizta’s design is boxy and the rectangular LED headlight on the front apron with the integrated indicators is very well designed. But it also looks very similar to the TVS iQube. The electric scooter gets a variety of bright pastel as well as dual-tone paint schemes that add a layer of freshness to the scooter’s overall appearance. 

Having said that, it is a big departure from the Ather 450X’s sporty and sharp design language, which is a head turner everywhere it goes. You might be a bit disappointed by the Rizta’s boxy design at first glance if you are looking for a sporty scooter design. But if you want a family-oriented scooter with the looks to match that approach, the Rizta’s styling might appeal to you. 

Motor, Performance & Range

The Rizta’s mid-mounted motor produces a peak power output of 4.3kW and the scooter accelerates from 0-40kmph in 4.7 seconds. It is not very quick compared to the Ather 450X but as a family scooter, it gets the job done. It gets two riding modes: Smart Eco and Zip. 

If you are riding in Zip mode, the performance is quite good for regular commutes in the city and for overtaking other vehicles quite easily. Top speed is limited to 50kmph in Smart Eco mode and we found the acceleration to be a bit too slow, so much so that even climbing inclined roads can be challenging.

From our observations while riding the Rizta Z’s 2.9kWh variant, we think the Rizta could deliver a range of 70-80km in Zip mode and 90-100km when using a mix of both modes during your regular commutes. On paper, the Rizta Z’s 2.9kWh and 3.7kWh variants get claimed IDC (Indian Driving Condition) ranges of 123km and 159km respectively. 

Handling & Ride Quality

The Ather Rizta’s telescopic fork and monoshock suspension setup is on the softer side compared to the 450X’s stiffer setup. As such, it handles potholes and speed bumps much better, which suits the scooter’s family-oriented approach quite well. But there is room for improvement with this suspension setup, because in terms of comfort, if you go over some sharp bumps and potholes with speed, you can feel a bit of firmness and you feel that at the handlebar and the seat. 

Even though the scooter doesn’t get the sharp handling characteristics of the sportier 450X, you can still quite easily change directions which is a boon when handling tight traffic scenarios in the city. And the MRF Zapper-N tyres offer decent grip and stability. The bite from the front disc brake is pretty good but when the lever is pressed hard, the front tyre does tend to skid a bit. The same goes for the 130mm rear drum brake as well. But, with the combined braking system (CBS), the Rizta manages to deliver very decent braking performance in general. 

Comfort

One of the major highlights of the Ather Rizta is its massive seat, which Ather claims is the largest in the segment. It is big enough for two adults to sit comfortably, even when the rider is wearing a full-sized backpack, which is a major issue in almost all two-wheelers. The pillion backrest (available in the Rizta Z’s 2.9kWh and 3.7kWh variants only) provides good back support. 

The seat is well-padded and you won’t feel much pain even after riding for a couple of hours. Speaking about the seat, because it is fairly wide, shorter riders might have to sit towards the front of the seat to make sure their legs are able to touch the ground comfortably. One of other major highlights of the scooter is the 34-litre underseat storage space. It can comfortably fit a large backpack or even a full-face helmet. Even the floorboard area is spacious enough to fit large shopping bags or a laptop bag without causing much discomfort to the rider. 

Features

The Ather Rizta Z comes with a 7-inch colour TFT instrument console and a 5-way joystick to navigate through the console’s menus. It gets Bluetooth connectivity for call and SMS alerts, music alerts and even Google Maps navigation, the destination for which can be controlled through the Ather app. The console also gets WhatsApp integration that displays your last 5 messages as well as Alexa integration, which provides information about the amount of charge left in the scooter and the status of the scooter. 

The Ather electric scooter gets regenerative braking and the Magic Twist feature. This is essentially a negative throttle which slows down the scooter when the throttle is moved in the opposite direction. 

This feature was first introduced in the Ather 450 Apex and you can actually slow down the scooter using just this feature and won’t feel the need to get on the brakes, at least in the city. That said, that’ll be once you get used to it. It also gets traction control (the EV maker calls it Skid Control), making it the first Ather scooter to get this feature. The traction control cuts the power to the rear wheel when the scooter starts slipping and it works very smoothly most of the time. 

Features same as the Ather 450X include Auto Hold, Emergency Stop Signal and FallSafe. All the features mentioned here are only available with the Pro Pack, which costs between Rs 13,000 - Rs 20,000 on top of the regular price tag of the scooter, depending on the variant you choose. 

Should You Buy The Ather Rizta?

Ather Energy’s first family-oriented scooter, the Ather Rizta, is practical and has an extensive list of features. With the ample storage and seating space on offer, the EV maker has done a good job of creating an apt electric family scooter. But it is a bit on the premium side, though. 

For example, if you are interested on the Rizta Z’s 2.9kWh variant, it has a price tag of Rs 1,24,999 and when you add the Pro Pack (for an additional Rs 20,000) to unlock all the fancy features, the price tag goes up to Rs 1,44,999 (all prices ex-showroom Bengaluru including EMPS 2024 which stands for Electric Mobility Promotion Scheme 2024). But if you don’t mind the quite expensive sticker price tag and are just interested in a family oriented scooter that ticks all the boxes for what it is intended for, then the Ather Rizta is a good option to consider.