Auto Premier League: Round One Winners Announced!

Here are the results after the first round of the knockout league based on your votes

It’s been a little over a week since we announced the Auto Premier League, India’s only auto awards where you, the reader, gets to vote for your favourite two-wheeler in each segment. The first round of this knockout league has drawn to a close thanks to all the votes pouring in from you enthusiasts. But this isn’t the end of it. Round two is all set to begin tomorrow 10 June, 2020, so don’t forget to check back and vote by clicking on this link and stand a chance to win some exciting prizes. 

You can also check out the segments, leaderboard and league status here: https://bit.ly/3f2erP5

Here are the two-wheelers in each category which made it through Round 1 of voting:

Scooter of the year: 

Honda Activa 6G:

Four out of the eight scooters that competed have made it to the second round, starting off with the Honda Activa 6G which managed to beat the TVS Jupiter. The Jupiter is a great scooter, but it really can’t beat the Activa’s popularity it seems.  

Honda Dio:

The Yamaha Fascino is the more powerful scooter of the two, but the 2020 Dio has ruled the roost when it comes to youth appeal, and it continues to do so.  

Honda Activa 125:

We were honestly vouching for the Suzuki Access 125 to win this round, but from the looks of it, you guys preferred the Activa 125. 

TVS NTorq 125:

You can’t go wrong with the NTorq 125. It’s a scooter that’s proven itself on all fronts - be it looks, rideability, build quality, features or performance.

Commuter of the Year (up to 110cc):

Hero Splendor Plus:

Indian’s best selling motorcycle, the Hero Splendor, continues to decimate its rivals. In this case, it beat the TVS Sport by a fair margin. 

Bajaj CT 100:

The CT 100 and the TVS XL 100 have proven to be proper workhorses over the years. But it’s the CT 100 that takes the cake this time around.

Hero Splendor iSmart:

The TVS Radeon is one heck of a commuter and still stands tall in our eyes. Unfortunately, it lost to the more tech-laden Hero Splendor iSmart.

Hero Passion Pro:

The Passion Pro managed to trump the Bajaj Platina H-Gear. It would have been nice to see the Platina H-Gear progress to the next round since Bajaj really upped the ante with this one last year. 

Commuter of the Year (up to 160cc):

Bajaj Pulsar 150: 

The Pulsar 150 has stood the test of time and managed to edge past the Honda Unicorn. We’d say that’s a fair pick.

TVS Apache RTR 160 2V:

The Apache RTR 160 2V that laid the foundation for TVS’ race-driven commuter segment makes it to the next round after beating the Avenger 160. 

Honda Shine:

The Honda Shine had cemented its position in the next round and rightly so. It’s well built, reliable and looks quite sporty too for a commuter. No wonder it’s India’s favourite 125cc bike.  

Bajaj Pulsar 125:

The Pulsar 125 changed the dynamics of the 125cc segment when it was launched. Not surprising then that it beat the Hero Glamour.

Executive Bike of the Year (up to 200cc)

TVS Apache RTR 160 4V:

The BS6 update gave the NS160 a performance boost over the RTR 160 4V. However, the latter seems offer a better value for money proposition and incredible refinement. Good pick!

Yamaha MT-15:

We’d pick the MT-15 too as opposed to the Hero Xtreme 200S. It’s simply the better bike, be it in terms of performance looks or features. If you look past the much higher price, that is.  

TVS Apache RTR 180:

The Apache series seems to be a favourite amongst enthusiasts and we can see why after the RTR 180’s most recent update. 

Yamaha FZ V3.0:

We loved the Gixxer’s motor and its riding dynamics which led us to believe that it would beat the Yamaha FZ V3. But our predictions turned out to be wrong, unfortunately.

Performance bike of the year:

Royal Enfield Classic 350:

There’s no shortage of Royal Enfield fans in India and you proved it right by voting for the Classic 350. The Classic 350 garnered more votes than the Jawa.

KTM 200 Duke:

The 200 Duke’s styling and BS6 update has managed to earn itself a position in the next round. 

Bajaj Dominar 250:

The cheaper Dominar 250 joins the KTM 200 Duke in the next round of Performance bike of the year.

Kawasaki Ninja 300:

The CB300R may be a pretty good option in the performance segment, but it’s still no comparison to the smoothness and the sweet sound of Kawasaki’s parallel-twin motor. No wonder the Ninja 300 won.

Premium Bike of the Year:

RE Interceptor 650:

Royal Enfield surprised everyone by coming through with the Interceptor 650. It’s one of the best bikes we’ve ridden in its segment. While it can’t exactly match up to the Z650 in terms of performance, you can’t really argue with its staggering price tag. 

Kawasaki Ninja 650:

We would have loved to see the Honda CBR650R make it to the next round. It’s a looker, packs two more cylinders compared to the Ninja 650 and is lower on maintenance too. But we guess the Kwacker’s value proposition did the trick. 

Ducati Panigale V4:

The devilish Panigale V4 has earned a name for itself in the premium two-wheeler segment as the most advanced sportbike in the world and deserves its rightful spot in the second round.

Triumph Tiger 900:

The Tiger 900 too ascends to the second round. It’s all-new for 2020 and fixes a tonne of things that held the earlier Tiger back from being one of the best ADVs out there.