After winning the hearts of enthusiasts with its 450 lineup of electric scooters, Ather Energy is now aiming at families with its new offering called the Rizta. It was recently launched at Ather’s Community Day 2024 with a bunch of other announcements too, including the launch of AtherStack 6.0 and Halo helmets. The Halo helmets range is the smart helmet range of India but more of that in a separate story because the Rizta, deserves all the attention.
The all-new Rizta will have 2 models and three variants – Rizta S and Rizta Z with a 2.9 kWh battery and a top-end model Rizta Z with a 3.7 kWh. The 2.9 kWh variants will deliver a predicted IDC range of 123 kms and the 3.7 kWh variant will deliver 160 kms. While Ather offers the Rizta S in 3 monotone colours, the Rizta Z will be available in 7 colours which include 3 monotone and 4 dual tone colours. The base-spec S variant can be had at an introductory price of INR 1.10 Lakhs while the top-spec Z variant will set you back by INR 1.45 Lakhs.
In terms of looks, the Rizta might remind you of another electric scooter with a name that rhymes with lube. Get it? However, once you scan your eyes away from the similarities, the Rizta has its own identity. A bulky one at that because even in person, it does look bulbous. But proportionate, mind you! I especially like the connected tail lamp which is reminiscent of a slew of modern cars featuring the same. Rizta’s big form has big functions too. For instance, the revised frame of the Rizta has freed up more space, making it longer, broader as well as lower than the 450 line up of scooters. Take the seat for instance, which is claimed to be the widest and the most accommodating seats you will find on a gearless scooter, despite the nation you’re in. Open the boot and take a nap inside it because it is that big! The numbers? 34 litres of underseat storage. The storage prowess of the Rizta can be increased by a fair margin by opting for the optional frunk which can hold additional 22 litres of luggage. An SUV on two-wheels? You can call it that.
All three variants come with a top speed of 80 kmph and two riding modes – Zip and SmartEco. Moreover, ride assist features such as MagicTwist, AutoHold and Reverse Mode, which were integrated in the 450 series are also present in the Rizta. The Z variants distinguish themselves with the presence of a 7-inch colour TFT display with Bluetooth connectivity and navigation. On the other hand, the more affordable S variant makes do with a simpler LCD display that we have also seen on the 450S.
Since the Rizta is being dubbed as an all-new offering, Ather didn’t want to leave any stones unturned. Ather wanted to throw them at its rivals. This philosophy egged them to include a few more safety features with the Rizta, making it a foolproof offering for someone who wants to reach home safely to his / her family. The Rizta gets Skid control, Ather’s fancy lingo for traction control. The Rizta also gets ESS system which flashes the tail lamp in an alarming manner when it detects sudden and hard braking. It warns the vehicles behind the Rizta that it is coming to a screeching halt.
Seeing it in person established the fact that the Ather Rizta will not just appeal to strictly EV buyers but your everyday family man too, who previously looked at just the ICE offerings like the Honda Activa and TVS Jupiter. That’s a tall mountain to climb but we cannot wait to ride the Ather Rizta to see whether it has what it takes to cause a ruckus in the highly competitive gearless scooter market, both ICE and electric.
