BS6 Suzuki Access 125 vs Suzuki Saluto 125: Differences Explained

Here’s how the new generation of Suzuki’s most popular scooter in India fares against its newest sibling just unveiled in Taiwan

Recently, Suzuki unveiled the BS6-compliant Access 125 in the country. Interestingly, the Japanese brand has also just taken the wraps off the Saluto 125 retro scooter for the Taiwanese market at the 2020 Taipei Motor Show. If you’re wondering how these two scooters are different from each other, you’ve come to the right place.

Gets different engine output figures:

The Suzuki Access 125 is powered by a BS6-compliant 124cc single-cylinder, air-cooled, fuel-injected engine which churns out 8.7PS at 6750rpm and 10Nm at 5500rpm. On the other hand, the Saluto 125 is said to carry forward the same engine as the Swish 125 sold in Taiwan. In the Swish 125, the 124cc single-cylinder engine produces 9.4PS at 7000rpm and 10Nm at 6000rpm.

Interestingly, the Swish 125’s motor has the same bore and stroke as the India-spec Access 125, so it is possible that Suzuki might have tuned this motor differently for the Taiwanese market. Both engines are paired with a CVT gearbox.

Saluto 125 looks a lot more neo-retro, gets better features too:

The Saluto 125’s design language looks pretty neo-retro, which is all the more apparent when you compare it against the conservatively styled Access 125. The panels and the switchgear on the Saluto 125 also appear to be a lot more premium than the Access 125. Also, while the Access 125 gets LEDs only for the headlamp, the Saluto 125 features an all-LED lighting system. Both scooters get a semi-digital instrument cluster but the digital inset in the Saluto 125 is larger and might be more information-packed than the Access 125. The geeks would be happy to know that the Saluto even gets keyless ignition, a notable brownie point over the Access 125's humble conventional key. 

Also, for better convenience, the fuel filler lid is on the apron in the Saluto 125, and there’s additional storage space on the front apron to keep small knick-knacks. On the other hand, the BS6 Access 125 gets the fuel filler cap behind the seat, so you’ll have to get down from the scooter and open the lid with the key to fill it up. Like the Saluto, the Access gets an apron-mounted storage compartment too, but it is smaller than the one on the Taiwanese scooter. The underseat storage in the Saluto is also  shaped differently, and we don’t know its capacity yet. The one in the Access 125 looks pretty conventional and can accomodate 21.8 litres.

Slightly different underpinnings:

The Saluto 125 rolls on 10-inch alloy wheels on both ends as standard whereas the Access 125 BS6 scooter rides on a 12-inch setup up front and a 10-incher at the rear. The Suzuki Access 125 BS6 is also available with steel wheels, and there’s a variant with a front drum brake as well. Being a more premium scooter, the Saluto gets a disc brake up front as standard and a drum at the rear. Both scooters employ telescopic fork up front and a single shock absorber at the rear.

While Suzuki hasn’t revealed the pricing for both the scooters, expect the BS6 Access 125 to be dearer than its predecessor by 10-15 per cent. For reference, the BS4 Access 125 starts from Rs 59,999 (ex-showroom Delhi). Being a premium scooter, the Saluto 125 is unlikely to be launched in India. But should it ever be launched here by any chance, the scooter is likely to be much more expensive than the BS6 Access 125 considering its premium features.