Hero Splendor Plus Xtec vs TVS Radeon: Detailed Comparison

The TVS Radeon has long been one of our favourite bikes in the 100cc space and that is for a couple of reasons. But now we put the TVS bike against the king of the segment, the Hero Splendor Plus Xtec, to see how that goes and if the Radeon can hold its own. Here’s how that went: 

Price & Variants

• The TVS Radeon wins this segment by quite a margin. With its prices starting from just Rs 58,450, the Radeon is one of the most affordable bikes on sale in India. 

• In fact, funnily, the Radeon’s top variant still costs less than the Splendor Plus Xtec’s base variant. So you get a disc brake as well as a digital console, for less money than the Splendor’s drum brake variant. 

• That’s a clean reminder of the fact that the Splendor has gotten quite expensive over the years. So if we’re talking about the better value for your hard earned money, it has to be the TVS Radeon. 

Dimensions & Design 

• There isn’t a massive difference between the two bikes’ dimensions and both of them are basically small and easy to ride motorcycles. The biggest differences would be the wheelbase and the height, but even they’re quite manageable numbers and you won’t really feel the difference. 

• What we also love about the Radeon is the massive 180mm ground clearance. While the Splendor’s 165mm figure isn’t low, in any way, a bit more ground clearance is always appreciated on roads like ours. 

• In terms of designs, both bikes look quite simple and bare bones. They’re skinny bikes with skinny tyres and simple designs that we have come to associate with 100cc commuters. So if you like companies that keep it safe, both designs will be something you’d like. But then if you want something more contemporary, something more modern, both bikes might seem a bit too simple. 

Features & Safety

• Given that this Splendor Plus has an Xtec badge on it, it’s obviously loaded to the T with features. The fully digital console comes as standard and has Bluetooth connectivity as well. Through the application, you can unlock a whole bunch of extra features, a lot of which you might never have thought of, on a 100cc commuter. 

• The TVS Radeon, meanwhile, has an LCD console on the higher variants but the features list is quite a simple one, nothing as fancy as the Splendor Plus Xtec. 

• But then we’re not mad about it. These bikes are meant to be simple and easy to ride, something that everyone in the family can get on with, and that is something the Radeon does quite well. 

Engines

• The Radeon has more power and torque than the Splendor Plus but what they both are, are extremely efficient engines which will return fantastic fuel economy. The TVS bike will also feel like the more smoother engine of the two and that’s another thing we quite like about the Radeon. 

• The Splendor Plus Xtec isn’t really as smooth but the engine will still return great mileage numbers. In fact, ride it very nicely and you could even get a mileage of more than 100kmpl. 

• Highway performance is just what you would’ve expected from 2 bikes in this segment: reasonably fine till about 50-60kmph. Anything after it and the bikes get quite buzzy and loud, ensuring you know that they both feel a bit out of place out there. 

Verdict 

The TVS Radeon’s much lower price tag is something we keep going back to, for that sort of a price gap in this segment is often what makes or breaks the deal. So most people here would prefer going for the TVS bike, for it comes in at a great price tag. And that is exactly why we can recommend the TVS a lot more easily. 

But then some people in this segment are looking for a specific bike and that’s often the Hero Splendor Plus. It's obviously a legendary nameplate, one that was quite common in a lot of our houses as we grew up and it’s understandable if you insist on going for a Splendor Plus Xtec. If you do too, we understand why that is, as long as you don’t mind paying a bit more for it up front. 

Comparisons with Other Rivals: 

Hero Splendor Plus Xtec vs Hero Splendor Plus Flex Fuel: Detailed Comparison: If you like your bike to be feature-loaded and feel more modern, get the Splendor Plus Xtec

Hero Splendor Plus Xtec vs Bajaj Platina 110: Detailed Comparison: The Bajaj Platina 110 will feel quite dated, for the Xtec feels like the more contemporary bike. 

Hero Splendor Plus Xtec vs TVS Star City Plus: Detailed Comparison: The Start City Plus makes the Splendor look like quite a simple, bare bones looking bike.