Suzuki e Access

In an age of sporty and high-tech e-scooters, the Suzuki e-Access is trying to be an answer to those who just want a basic reliable scooter which is electric. Electric scooters have flooded the market of late and they can be categorized into two categories - low cost low range scooters and premium scooters with long range and high cost. While this is good for buyers as you now have more options - it also becomes confusing for them to pick one out of the hurdle. What Suzuki aims to do with the e-Access, its first ever electric offering, is to offer you a balance. A scooter with practical range and performance, but in a premium package. Have they found the right balance with the e-Access? Let's find out. 

• The Suzuki e-Access is an elegant looking scooter. While it may not be as masculine as Access 125, it surely looks quite sober as well.

• The elements which catch your eye first are the apron beak, design of the indicators both front and back and the dual-tone paint scheme. The overall stance of this scooter is low and long which looks elegant. Adding to the charm is the LED light bar on the front apron, and the LED head and tail light.

• The one thing I like a lot are the alloy wheels. The 12-inch alloys have a very good design and also have a diamond-cut finish on one side which helps the stand out.

• However, the thing that I didn't like was the paint finish. Its dual-tone color options are good but the paint finish on the front apron feels a little grainy. If it was of a higher quality, if it had a good gloss, then it would have been more attractive.

• The Suzuki e-Access easily stands out from all the other electric scooters. And to do so Suzuki has not made the design loud, but rather sedated.

• The Suzuki e-Access’ list of features is quite sensible. You get all the things that are necessary for your ride but none that you’d want to show off.

• You get a keyless start which means you can keep the key in your pocket and when you approach the scooter, it will automatically detect and will be ready to unlock. Turn on the ignition and it will start working. When you switch off the scooter and leave, it will once again automatically detect the key signal loss and lock. And as a safety feature, you can use the buttons on the key as well to lock and unlock. This is definitely a very convenient feature.

• The second important feature is the 4.2-inch TFT display. This is a good colour display but it is a bit small when compared to others like the iQube, Ola and Ather scooters. What Suzuki has done well is to organise the display. All the details you need here like your charge status, your speed, your mode, your odometer reading, trip reading, are clearly visible in front of you. This screen is also very bright so you won't have any trouble even in sunlight plus it also has a night mode.

• Other features include a USB charger, hazard lights and a kill switch which also doubles up a reverse mode switch. To activate the reverse mode, you need to press the brake and press the kill switch once again. Once activated, the scooter beeps and the R symbol is clearly visible on the display. To go in reverse, you will have to rotate the throttle backwards.

• There is one very strange issue with the e-Access and it is with the brake lock. In all other scooters, there is a small switch over the left brake lever which lets you lock the brake so the scooter does not roll down on an incline. In the e-Access, the mechanism is strangely problematic and very difficult to engage with one hand.

• The e-Access is quite average in terms of storage and practicality. The underseat storage, which is a strong point for electric scooters over ICE scooters, is just 17L which is even less than the petrol Access 125.

• You can keep an average size helmet in there or some groceries but a large bag or anything longer will not fit. The storage is deep but simply not long and wide enough. Nor does it have a boot light.

• However a very good feature is that you can lock the seat when you raise it to access the storage. It becomes very convenient and easy to manage the items in the storage. And even the mechanism is quite simple - lift the seat to lock and lift it further to unlock. It is a beautifully simple solution to a problem no one bothered to solve until now.

• There is also not much space on the floor board to carry a large bag. You do get hooks to hang bags but that is not the most convenient of practices. There is one hook below the seat and one on the apron. Additionally there are two hooks under the seat.

• The small cubby hole in the apron is also not large enough to accommodate anything significant other than a cleaning cloth or a pair of gloves. 

• The e-Access is a fairly low scooter. The seat height is just 765mm which means even people with low heights will feel comfortable on it. It should remain accessible for all the family members. My height is 5 feet 7 inches and I can easily flat foot it in my riding pants.

• The extended footrest on the floorboard is a page from Burgman's books and feels comfortable to use. Especially while riding alone, you can kick back and have a comfortable riding posture.

• Even the seat is well cushioned. It feels a little firm which is good and the seat is very long so the pillion will also have a lot of space.

• The definition of performance is a bit different for the e-Access. It is not a sporty or energetic scooter but is meant to be an effective commuter. So the meaning of performance is that it needs to give you an effortless commuting experience. And that it does - for the most part

• I felt that the throttle response was very smooth. Doesn't matter if you are picking up from 20kmph or 40kmph, the power comes in smoothly and it gives you constant acceleration. Even if someone new to riding is riding the e-Access, they will find this power delivery safe and predictable.

• But if you want to overtake a car or bike running at 50-60 kmph, then you are in trouble. With the speed capped at 71kmph, it will take time to make that move and will make you think twice. This is where I feel it should have had a higher - about 80kmph of top speed.

• There are 3 riding modes - Eco, Mode A and Mode B. The Eco mode is the range extender one. It has lower performance and even the top speed is capped at 55kmph. You will only use this mode if you need to save some electric juice. It also has high regen to get back some of the charge in stop-go traffic.

• Mode A and B have the same performance with the only difference being the regen - Mode A has high regen and B has low regen. Both in Eco and Mode A, the regen feels strong and it comes in gradually - feels natural. The problem is that you can go from Eco to Mode A or from Eco to Mode B while riding but cannot change from A to B. Being able to change the regen while riding would have been more useful.

• What I also liked a lot are the brakes. The front brake feels progressive and sharp under emergency braking. The rear brakes lock up easily so have to be used carefully because there is no ABS.

• Comfort is a very important factor for a family scooter. And in this regard I found the e-Access a bit lacking. The suspension feels a little stiff which means when you go over a sharp speedbreaker or a bump on the road, you will feel the impact. It could get better with a pillion but the setup should have been more comfortable.

• One thing you will definitely enjoy is its handling. The Suzuki e-Access is very well balanced which will help you make way through traffic. It feels very light and agile and should be easy to use for all members of the family.

• In my experience, the Suzuki e-Access is a good family scooter. It is ideal for someone who is is looking for a basic electric scooter to reduce the daily running cost. But, if your expectations go beyond that - if you are looking for a sporty, high-tech or a very practical scooter, the e-Access  starts to fall short.

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• What you get with the e-Access is basic performance, basic practicality and basic features that do not leave you wanting more. Plus, the added surety of Suzuki’s reliability and after sales only makes the package sweater. But all this needs to show in the price as well.

• At its launch price of Rs 1,88,490 (ex-showroom, Delhi), the e-Access becomes impossible to justify against its expected price of up to a lakh rupees. With a claimed range of just 95km from its 3.07kWh battery and fairly basic hardware, the scooter ends up costing significantly more than several better-equipped rivals, making it not...'access'ible.

• The e-Access’ claimed range is 95km. In the real world, you will get approximately 70-75 km of total range on a full charge.

• If you ride it fast and in a sporty way like we did on the go-kart track, then the range will be reduced to around 50-55km.

• The e-Access supports both - DC fast charging and home charging. It does not get removable or swappable batteries.

• If you are going to take it on a DC fast charger, then it will charge up to 100% in around 2-2.5 hours. But if you are going to charge it at home with your regular 3-point socket, then it will take around 6.5 hours to charge which is more than enough time to get to 100 percent overnight.