2023 Honda Vario 160: First Impression

First introduced in 2006, the Honda Vario is one of the brand’s hot-selling models, which comes in different displacements, including the Vario 125, Vario 150, and Vario 160. The latter joined the scooter’s lineup offered in Indonesia back in February and has now made its way to the local market. Yes, that’s right Boon Siew Honda Malaysia, the official distributor of Honda motorcycles in Malaysia, has just launched the all-new Vario in four exciting shades. Let's check out the first impression of this new boy in town -

Honda Vario 160 price 

The new Japanese maxi-scooter is priced at RM 9,998 (excluding road tax, insurance, and registration) for three base colour tones - Vivacity Red, Pearl Nightfall Blue, and Sword Silver Metallic, which will be available from next month. However, the fourth exterior shade, the Matte Charcoal Grey Metallic, will join the lineup from February 2023 and will be priced a little higher at RM 10,298. Included in the price is a two-year/20,000 km (whichever comes earlier) manufacturer’s warranty.

Honda Vario 160 design

The new Honda scooter looks sporty and sharp with edgy body panels and an aggressive front fascia. The latter is dominated by a stunning LED headlight setup featuring daytime running light, which extends all the way to the top of the angular front apron. 

The side profile also looks neat and clean with a completely flat floorboard and a new cast wheel design. The latter measures 14-inch in size and comes shod with 100/80-14 front and 120/70-14 rear tubeless tyres. Rounding the scooter’s premium styling is a lean tail section housing an LED tail light and LED turn indicators. 

The Honda Vario 160 also features a new and enhanced Smart Architecture Frame (eSAF), which is lightweight, strong, and durable offering an improved and agile riding experience.

Honda Vario 160 features

Honda’s new maxi-style scooter is kitted with the following features -

• Instrument cluster: It comes with a fully digital instrument panel offering the rider all the required information. It includes indicators for speed, mileage, fuel, clock, digital, fuel consumption, battery voltage, trip metre, ISS indicator, and more.

• Smart Key System: Adding to the comfort and safety is the Honda Smart Key System. With this advanced tech, you no longer need the ignition key to start the engine as it uses a remote. It is also integrated with an anti-theft alarm and answer-back system.
• Underseat storage: Under the seat lies a large compartment measuring 18 litres. It can accommodate the rider’s daily stuff (including helmet) with ease thanks to its flat deck.
• USB-A charging port: Further adding to the convenience is a USB charger in the console box. It is a type A charger that allows you to charge your smartphone without using an additional adapter and ensures your connectivity to the world when going for long travels.

Honda Vario 160 dimensions

Length	1,929 mm
Width	679 mm
Height	1,088 mm
Wheelbase	1,277 mm
Ground clearance	140 mm
Seat height	778 mm
Fuel tank	5.5 litres
Weight	117 kg

Honda Vario 160 engine specifications

At the core of the new Vario 160 lies a new 157-cc Enhanced Smart Plus (eSP+) 4-valve, liquid-cooled engine which churns out a maximum power output of 15.3 PS at 8500 rpm along with a peak torque of 13.8 Nm at 7,000 rpm. Compared to the unit we can find under the Vario 150, the new mill generates more power with less friction. The power is sent to the scooter’s front wheel via a CVT gearbox and belt drive system.

Speaking about the Vario 160 fuel consumption, the scooter is capable of delivering a mileage of 46.9 kmpl thanks to the Idling stop system.

Honda Vario 160 suspension & braking

Handling the suspension duties are telescopic forks at the front and a preload-adjustable mono-shock unit at the rear. The improved braking system of the scooter comprises a disc brake on the rear instead of the drum unit. It is mated to a single-channel ABS on the front wheel as standard.

Overall, the new Honda Vario 160 packs innovative engine tech, sophisticated features, and an upmarket design, which can step up Honda’s game in Malaysia. What do you think? Let us know in the comments.

Also read: All-new Honda XL750 Transalp introduced at EICMA 2022