New Hero Duet Challenges Activa 3G and TVS Jupiter

Hero MotoCorp has recently launched a new unisex/family scooter- Duet to compete against the segment leader Honda Activa 3G and the much popular TVS Jupiter. The new Duet costs much lesser than both the popular models, still has many innovative features. So, let’s check out the potential of all the three players.



Design and Styling: Built on the underbone type frames, all the three scooters have been designed for the family purpose. Hence, all of them have a unisex styling, that can be used by both male and female riders easily.



Hero Duet is the newest in the market, so you will find it quite refreshing. The styling of the scooter has been designed for youth and it looks very impressive with vibrant  metallic paint options and chrome badges. Other interesting style elements of the scooter are dual tone rear view mirrors, sharp headlight and flamboyant tail lamp.

Coming to the segment leader, Honda Activa 3G looks almost similar to its predecessor, except some minor tweaks. It has a very basic styling which suits all age groups, however, it can make it a little monotonous for the young generation.



With a very elegant styling, TVS Jupiter comes in two variants to attract all the age groups. The scooter has features like apron mounted indicators at the front, 12” alloy wheels, LED tail lamp and more, that makes it very impressive. The scooter is available in both matte as well as metallic colour options, and the ZX trim also offers Beige inner panels and brown colour seat with contrast stitching.

Engine and Performance Figures: All the three scooters are powered by 4-stroke, single-cylinder, air-cooled engines, displacing around 110cc and using a carburetor type fuel system. However, all of them have different performance figures.



Having the best-in-class power output, the new OHC mill of the Hero Duet makes up to 8.3bhp at 8,000rpm. The torque output of the motor goes up to 8.3Nm at 6,500rpm and it claims to return a fuel efficiency up to 63.8kmpl.

HET (Honda Eco Technology) Motor powering the Activa 3G has a decent performance with 8bhp of maximum power at 7,500rpm and a peak torque of 8.83Nm at 5,500rpm. The scooter claims to deliver a healthy mileage of up to 60kmpl.



The peppy CVT-i engine of TVS Jupiter has a nice acceleration with 8bhp of maximum power at 7,500rpm and a peak torque output of 8Nm at 5,500rpm. The company claims that the scooter returns up to 62kmpl of mileage.

All the three scooters feature a CVT type gearbox for automatic transmission and they have almost similar performances.

Chassis and Equipment: Chassis and equipment of the Hero Duet LX are almost similar to those of the Honda Activa, while the Duet VX and TVS Jupiter feature some superior equipment.



Hero Duet LX comes with bottom link type front suspension and unit hydraulic damper at the rear, while its LX trim features telescopic front forks. The scooter runs on 10” metal sheet wheels with tubeless tyres and drum type braking system. The scooter also features Integrated Braking System (IBS), external fuel filling, remote fuel lid and boot opening. The Duet VX variant also gets some premium features like digital odo/trip meter, service indicator, boot light and mobile charging port.



Honda Activa has similar suspension system, wheels, tyres and brakes to the Duet LX and also gets Combi Brake System (CBS), similar to the IBS. Other features of the scooter include a shutter key lock, which is the solo special feature of the scooter.



Coming to the TVS Jupiter, it has telescopic front forks and a gas-charged damper at the rear for better comfort. The scooter comes with 12” alloy wheels, tubeless tyres and drum type brakes. Along with these standard features, it also gets external fuel filling, under-seat mobile charger (optional), pilot lamps, LED tail lamp and much more. The scooter is also available in a ZX trim, which offers you two new colour options along with beige inner panels and dura-cool seat.

Prices and Verdict: The new Hero Duet is the most affordable and advanced scooter among the three options, while Honda Activa is the most expensive and least advance. Hero MotoCorp is also the largest two-wheeler brand in India, However, Honda has a better brand value in the scooter segment.



If we talk about the overall performance, TVS Jupiter looks the best deal if you are looking the best scooter for your family. It has a better unisex design, nice performance, good comfort, average pricing and what not. So, the Jupiter seems a clear winner here, while the Hero duet looks like a runner-up.