I get this question in my DMs at least three times a week. “Bhai, I want a scooter, but not a boring family commuter. What do I buy?” For the longest time, my default answer was the TVS Ntorq. It was a no-brainer. But things just got complicated. Hero finally stopped playing safe and dropped the Xoom 125.
So, if you’re stuck in the classic Xoom 125 vs Ntorq 125 dilemma, grab a chai. I’ve ridden both through the worst of city traffic, open highways, and monsoon-ruined roads to tell you what the spec sheets won’t.
Street Presence and the “Look at Me” Factor
Let’s talk about how they actually look waiting at a signal.
The Ntorq still turns heads. It’s got that forward-heavy, stealth-fighter stance and that T-shaped taillight everyone recognizes from a mile away. But here’s the thing—you see ten of them in every college parking lot.
When you pull up next to it on the Hero Xoom 125, the TVS suddenly looks a bit squat. The Xoom rides on these massive 14-inch alloy wheels. It stands tall, looks aggressively sharp, and has a stance that almost feels like a maxi-scooter. Plus, Hero threw in sequential LED blinkers. Total show-off feature. Not exactly a necessity, but your friends will definitely notice it.
The Engine: Spec Sheets vs. Bumper-to-Bumper Traffic
Brochures will tell you both engines make around 7.3 to 7.5 kW of power. Ignore that. How do they feel when you’re trying to gap an auto-rickshaw?
The Ntorq’s 3-valve engine is a bit of a hooligan. It’s slightly grumpy at crawling speeds, vibrating a little through the floorboard. But cross 40 kmph, and it just wakes up. The pull is aggressive, and that raspy exhaust note honestly makes you want to ride it hard.
The Xoom 125? Totally different vibe. It lacks the loud top-end drama of the TVS, but it is noticeably quicker off the line. Hero tuned this for the chaos of Indian city commutes. It darts into traffic gaps effortlessly. What surprised me was the i3S start-stop tech. Sitting at a 120-second signal baking in the heat, the engine quietly shuts off. Twist the throttle, and it silently comes back to life. Big difference when you’re mentally calculating fuel costs at ₹100-plus a litre.
Potholes, Speed Breakers, and Spine Comfort
This is where the Xoom 125 vs Ntorq 125 battle takes a sharp turn.
The Ntorq runs on 12-inch wheels. It handles like a dream—incredibly flickable if you want to weave through tight spaces. But hit a crater, and it sends a violent thud right up your spine. The suspension is stiff. Your pillion rider will complain on bad roads.
The Xoom uses 14-inch wheels at both ends. And that changes everything. It actually rolls over broken tarmac instead of crashing into it. Combined with 164mm of ground clearance, I didn’t scrape its belly on a single unscientific, mountain-sized speed breaker. It feels planted. The trade-off is that it’s 10 kgs heavier (121 kg), and you definitely feel that extra bulk when trying to squeeze through dead-stopped traffic.
Living With Them Everyday
TVS still rules the tech game. Their SmartXonnect console is packed with ride modes, lap timers, and turn-by-turn navigation. Lots of gimmicks that are fun for the first month.
Hero kept it practical. You get a boot lamp—an absolute lifesaver when you’re fishing for house keys at night. The digital display is basic but easy to read under the harsh midday sun, and the front storage is deep enough to actually hold a water bottle securely.
So, who wins this Xoom 125 vs Ntorq 125 matchup?
If you are buying a scooter purely for the thrill, college flaunt value, and you love an aggressive exhaust note—go buy the Ntorq. It’s still the enthusiast’s choice.
But… if you want a daily workhorse that looks sporty but won’t break your back on bad roads, saves a bit more fuel in heavy traffic, and easily clears massive speed bumps, the Xoom 125 is the smarter pick. Truth is, Hero cooked up a seriously good, real-world machine here.
