Konarc Is The Rizta That Works For Everyone -- Including Ather Energy | FIRST RIDE REVIEW

PHOTOGRAPHY: PAWAN DAGIA

“…but why is it not as cheap as I'd thought it'd be? Is it really all that different to ride compared to the Rizta? Why is it slower despite costing roughly the same? Why can't I see who's directly behind my right shoulder?”

A flurry of questions whizzed through my head as I gently rolled back the accelerator cruising through Whitefield, cresting 50 kmph on the brand-new Ather Konarc on an unusually warm Sunday morning. This was, after all, supposed to be the most affordable Ather yet – and yet, it isn't. We knew the overlap between the Konarc and the Rizta would be inevitable, didn't we? Also, why can't I see who's honking right behind me?

It'll take you a while to get the point of Ather's third scooter line, especially if you (like me) expected the startup to break new ground. The Konarc isn't built to blow you away with an enviable spec sheet and a too-good-to-be-true price – it's built to win trust and seamlessly blend into the crowd, an art Japanese gearless scooters have mastered over decades.

There will, at some point in the future, come a time when Ather Energy's journey as a two-wheeler manufacturer will be looked back upon as a story of two halves – the before-Rizta and the after-Rizta. The Konarc is the after-Rizta, and it has a crucial job to do.

Also Read: Ather Konarc vs Bajaj Chetak: Specifications Compared

Ather Konarc S: Design and dimensions

The job would be over before it even started if the Konarc looked anything like the Rizta. Ather, which takes immense pride in the avantgarde, timeless appearance of the 450 series, has had to step away from its design ethos and shape the Konarc to fit the palate of the mainstream scooter buyer of India. It had to conform to the most specific market preferences to stand a chance against established petrol models.

Ather quickly learned how scooter buyers in north and northwest India do not like headlights placed on the apron (a la Rizta), but instead preferred it on the handlebar cowl, like on the Honda Activa and Suzuki Access. How buyers would rather not buy a scooter purely because the tail section does not look masculine (a lesson Yamaha learned and rectified recently with the Fascino). How buyers would tap on fibre body panels and deem the product inferior because “metal is better”.

So the Konarc ticks all those focused boxes. Its apron only carries a ‘smiling’ daytime running light and an illuminated Ather wordmark. It has a smart-looking tail section that closely resembles that of the hugely popular TVS Jupiter. Its rear body panels are made of metal (the rest of the bodywork is still fibre).

The Konarc has a 14-inch front wheel, something the hot-selling Bajaj Chetak and TVS iQube lack. Its 1352 mm wheelbase is substantially longer than that of the Rizta, giving it a composed, planted stance. What's immediately clear is the Konarc – which is understated yet classy – wasn't shaped to stun, but to put the buyer at ease with an overwhelming sense of familiarity.

Also Read: Ather Konarc: Firsts and Standout Features On The New Electric Scooter

Ather Konarc S: Practicality and quality

Unlike the compact 450 series, the Konarc is tailored to accommodate Indians of every size. The floorboard is long and wide, and the seat is broad and welcoming – even if it isn't as long as the Rizta's. A cushioned pillion grab handle is welcome, but the cushion itself is too low to work as a useful backrest – Ather will kindly sell you an adjustable backrest named ‘Loungeback’ for a little under Rs 10,000 if you so please.

Even underseat storage hasn't been trimmed down all that much in comparison to the Rizta – 31 litres on the Konarc, which is only 3 litres lower. The compartment is long and reasonably deep, but I just couldn't fit my full-size, full-face LS2 helmet in it, no matter how many combinations I tried. Oh, and the Konarc will not have the clever storage accessories like the underseat storage organiser and ‘frunk’ available with the Rizta.

Still, Ather hasn't compromised on overall quality. All the controls have a solid feel to them, and bar the occasional uneven panel gap spotted on some of the test units, it doesn't feel like a scooter built by a company that began mass production less than a decade ago.

Ather Konarc S: Performance, battery and range

Setting off on the Konarc is once again, a familiar feeling. The S variant tested comes with a good old key, which you insert into the key slot, turn to the right, pull in the brake lever, hit the motor start button and off you go. Just like you did for years on the family Activa.

If you opt for the Atherstack Pro software pack (like 9 in every 10 Ather buyers do), your Konarc will have three ride modes – SmartEco, Eco and Power, with the first of those offering maximum range, and the last of those being the only mode available on the standard Konarc.

I started off in SmartEco, which frankly feels like it is meant for those who are always ahead of schedule. There is no urgency to the Konarc's movement in this mode, and while it should suffice in heavy city traffic and narrow bylanes, the only mode that it feels natural to ride in is Power, where it is closer to a regular 110cc petrol scooter, pulling cleanly and smoothly all the way to its indicated 70 kmph top speed.

The swingarm-mounted direct drive motor, which is closer in configuration to the Chetak's motor setup, is nearly completely silent, offering up all 4.7 kW (6.3 bhp) without any drama when called upon. It lacks torque compared to the Rizta (16 Nm vs 22 Nm), but doesn't have the whine of the Rizta's belt-driven wheel, and offers a riding experience closer to that of the TVS iQube.

The Konarc S will be available with three battery options – 2.1 kWh (coming in 2027), 2.7 kWh and 3.5 kWh, with the last of those being the one I tested. The delta between the three ride modes is approximately 20 kilometres, and in SmartEco, Ather claims the Konarc S will cover up to 130 kilometres. This, being a brief first ride, meant there was no possibility of conducting a real range test, but Power mode should offer a range of 90 to 100 kilometres, which will suffice for intracity riding.

On the move, it feels easy to thread through gaps, and doesn't necessarily feel any heavier than the Rizta, even if it is heavier on paper. There's good grip from the MRF Zapper-ES tyres, the Showa fork coupled with the 14-inch front wheel offers added stability over sharp joints and crater-like potholes, and the combined braking setup is powerful enough for most situations.

It's not all roses and sunshine, though. The minimal, inset turn indicator switch is hard to reach and activate while wearing gloves, and the movement plane of the ride mode switch should have been lateral instead of longitudinal to make it more intuitive to use.

There's prominent glare off the 7.0-inch LCD (4.2-inch on the S 2.1 kWh) under direct sunlight, and the reason I can't see anyone over my shoulder is because the insides of the mirrors are pinched – a styling touch that is simply unnecessary on a practicality-oriented product like this. The long-travel rear suspension has a tendency to bounce over bumpy patches, but the ride quality settles with a pillion rider on board, so it's clear the suspension is configured for two-up riding.

Ather Konarc: Charging

One of the highlights of the Konarc is its 450-watt onboard charger, which means you do not have to lug around a heavy charger brick with you. That frees up underseat space and leaves you with a smaller, lighter cable that you can simply plug into a wall socket and connect to the scooter.

Charge time is rated at 5 hours, 40 minutes (0 to 80 per cent), and a full charge should take anywhere between 8 to 9 hours. If you want quicker charging, you can pay for an additional 450-watt offboard charger, which also activates the onboard charger, so you get a combined 900 watts of charging, effectively halving your charging time. However, I couldn't help but note the standard charging cable isn't that long, so you won't be able to use it if you park your scooter at a distance from the charging point.

The Konarc S will also be able to fast-charge at Ather Grid points nationwide – but it is privilege not afforded to the entry-level 2.1 kWh variant. Instead, it is available as an optional upgrade, for a sum of Rs 2,999. It's not a move I'm in favour of, because I believe the widespread Ather public charging network shouldn't be treated as a privilege, but as a guarantee to all Ather owners.

Ather Konarc: Prices and conclusion

When it comes to the price, only buyers of the Rizta will find the Konarc familiar, because there's virtually no difference. The S variants of both scooters, with a sub-3 kWh battery, cost Rs 1.21 lakh, while the S 3.5 kWh variants cost the same Rs 1.45 lakh (all prices, ex-showroom, excluding state subsidy).

And it would be all the more perplexing for some when you add in the cost of the Atherstack software package, which increases the price by another Rs 15,000-16,000, taking the Konarc S 3.5 kWh's price to Rs 1.61 lakh. On road, this scooter, as tested, will cost in excess of Rs 1.70 lakh, so it isn't exactly any more affordable than the Rizta. And you can still have the Chetak and iQube with similarly-sized batteries.

But Ather does not qualify for the automotive production-linked incentive (PLI) that Bajaj and TVS do. And the fact of the matter is, the Konarc is simply more affordable for Ather to build. The Rizta, which is based on the 450 architecture, continues to use a number of high-end parts, including aluminium in its frame, and is more expensive to produce. The Konarc uses steel in its construction, and is built on a simpler, modular platform that has been conceived to power Ather's volumes in the time to come. At a time when market pressures dictate the need to turn profitable in the shortest timeframe possible, building and selling more of the Konarc, and not the Rizta, is what the accountant ordered for Ather Energy.

When you understand the Konarc builds on the Rizta's strengths, incorporating the missing ingredients that continued to keep Ather out of contention in certain pockets of the country, it starts to make sense. It doesn't necessarily have to do things differently than the Rizta, which has anyway found popularity in several Indian states. The Konarc is not meant to be a cheap scooter aimed at those who cannot afford a Rizta, but a way to prevent customers from walking out of Ather showrooms and buying another Activa/Jupiter because they didn't like how the Rizta looked.

The Rizta helped Ather get a foot in the door. The Konarc will help kick it down, so Ather can make its way to the top.

ATHER KONARC IN NUMBERS:

Price as tested: Rs 1.45 lakh (ex-showroom)

Peak power: 4.7 kW (6.30 bhp)

Peak torque: 16 Nm

Kerb weight: 129 kg

Battery capacity: 3.5 kWh kWh

Range: 130 km claimed true range

Charging time (Onboard): 5-6 hours (0-80%)

Underseat storage: 31 litres