Hero Motocorp introduced a new variant to its bread and butter model, Splendor earlier this year. Called iSmart, the bike is primarily made of the same components that have been used on Splendor for years. However one crucial addition is the i3S technology which stands for ‘Idle Start Stop System’. The objective of i3S is to help you save fuel when your bike stands idling at traffic signals. Typically, i3S enables the bike or car to shut off the fuel supply system when you press in the clutch at a signal. And when you want to start moving again, release the clutch to restart the supply – it’s a huge fuel saver. But on iSmart, things are a little more clumsy – you will need to bring down the gear to neutral in order to effect a fuel supply stop. When you are in slow moving traffic, it’s not always possible to bring the gear down to neutral, and so this diminishes the effect of the i3S technology. But if you obsess over fuel economy, this is one bike you should consider.
So, let’s get started on the specifications first. Like every other variant in the Splendor line, the Splendor iSmart is powered by a 97.2 cc engine that can power a maximum power of 5.74 kw (that’s 7.8 PS) at 7500 RPM. In terms of torque, this engine can provide up to 8.04 Nm at 4500 RPM. If you hadn’t guessed it already, it’s the same old 4 stroke single cylinder engine at play here. The bike measures 1965 mm x 770 mm x 1095 mm in dimensions, has a wheelbase of around 1235 mm and a ground clearance of 160 mm. The kerb weighs around 110 Kg with the fuel tank capable of holding 8.7 liters with 1.8 liter reserve. The starting price of the Hero Splendor iSmart (ex-showroom, Delhi) is at Rs. 47,550 for the Self Spoke model, with Self Cast costing a thousand rupees extra. Do note that the on-road price will be much higher and will include local levies, octroi, and other taxes.
Manufacturer Mileage Claim
Given that the Splendor iSmart is primarily no different from any other Splendor in the market; but with the i3S technology, one should expect the mileage to be typically higher than what other Splendor bikes offer. Although there is no claim about the mileage from Hero on their official website or in the press release, from what I have gathered from other websites, Hero is claiming a a standard mileage of between 85-90 kmpl on the iSmart. Note that this is not very different from the other Splendors. That’s because mileage studies are not performed under traffic conditions – the i3S kicks in only when there is heavy traffic (when you have to stop-start a lot). So there is nothing out of the ordinary here.
Reviews from Customers & Test Rides
OverDrive in their review call the iSmart “the best looking Splendor ever”, although the i3S decal in the middle of the tank may seem like an eyesore. In terms of fuel efficiency, the i3S appears to save under 5% of fuel over a 50 km test run. With i3S disabled, the reviewer clocked 46.25 kmpl in peak hour Mumbai traffic on the iSmart. When it was enabled, the mileage increased to 48.46 – it might not seem like a lot, but if you are someone who has to endure long traffic signals every day of the week, you can realize that the benefits can easily add up.
In the review on TopGear, reviewer Christopher Chaves commends the “funkier-looking” headlight cowl on the new iSmart, the comfortable seating and the close handlebars that allow for upright riding. In terms of mileage, the reviewer was able to extract 64 kmpl from the bike, although this appears to be at a speed of around 50 kph on the highways. The review from MotorBeam, on the other hand, is much more positive about the mileage. The writer says that this bike is “99% sure” to deliver a 70 kmpl mileage – sounds like a lot and I presume they are talking about the bike’s performance on the highway.
Motoroids is equally excited about the bike. They point out that they tried their best to emulate a typical highway riding scenario without focussing on extracting maximum mileage. Even with that, they noticed a mileage of 67-69 kmpl, which is commendable and on par with what has been said in the earlier reviews.
Finally, let us see what the regular customers have got to say. Sadly, MouthShut doesn’t even have a category for iSmart yet. However, there are a couple of reviews from real customers on BikeWale – the reported mileage from these people is between 70-72 kmpl which is quite impressive. However, one customer points out that the i3S technology sometimes causes the engine to stop when riding at the 40-50 kmph mark. I could not find similar comments elsewhere, but if this were true, Hero seriously have an important task at hand to fix the problem.
So there you go. As usual, here is a summed up version of mileages as reported by different reviewers. Do let me know what you think in the comments below.
| Source | City (kmpl) | Highways (kmpl) |
|---|---|---|
| Manufacturer | – | 85-90 |
| OverDrive | 48.46 | — |
| TopGear | – | 64 |
| MotorBeam | – | 70 |
| Motoroids | – | 67-69 |
| Bikewale | – | 70-72 |
