Review: TVS Star City Plus

In a much-needed boost to it's motorcycle portfolio, TVS has launched the latest avatar from the Star bike family - Star City+. First showcased at this year's Auto Expo, the Star City+ is a refreshed and premium variant aimed to attract new young buyers who are now spoilt for choice in this continuously growing entry-level motorcycle segment.

Currently dominated by the likes of Hero, Bajaj and now Honda, TVS is pinning its hopes on the Star City+ with new styling and a fuel efficient EcoThrust engine. We got to ride the new Star City+ at TVS' Hosur track located inside its factory. So though not exactly real world conditions but still good enough to see what the 'Plus' in the Star City really means something.

The refreshed styling on the new Star City+ isn't quite apparent at first glance but look a bit closer and you will notice the more sharper creases on the tank and body. What is really impressive is the improvement in the overall fit and finish with better quality of switches and plastic and a good finish on the paint job.

TVS calls this new design language on the Star City+ as 'modern flow motion style' and says its future range of commuter bikes will also bear similar styling. The instrument panel gets a speedometer with a white background, digital trip and fuel indicators and an econometer that shows when you ride in economy or power mode. Other attractive design elements include alloy wheels, an alloy rear grab rail and a sleek looking tail light cluster.

The Star City+ gets the 109cc, 4-stroke, EcoThrust engine which comes with improvements to boost fuel efficiency and still offer decent power. TVS claims an impressive fuel efficiency on the new Star City+ of 86 kmpl although the mileage in real world conditions will be lower.

Maximum power of 8 bhp at 7000rpm, and peak torque of 8.7 nm at 5000 rpm offers good city riding dynamics especially at low speeds. The Engine feels fairly refined, though acceleration is a bit slow off the blocks; but the bike responds well in the mid-range. On the Hosur track, we managed to push the bike to its top speed to 90 kmph and the bike managed it without a fuss. But the gear shifts aren't the smoothest especially when trying to move up the gears but the clutch feel is fairly good.

The 4-speed gearbox is expected to take this bike from 0-60 kmph in 8.1 seconds. With telescopic forks in front and 5-way adjustable hydraulic shock absorbers at the rear, the ride on the new Star City+ is fairly smooth. The chassis is a tubular single cradle frame and the overall riding comfort is also aided by the nicely-padded seat and the tall, upright riding position.

Braking is fairly decent and does the job well but the disc brake option is missed here. With a kerb weight of just 109 kg, the bike doesn't feel light and handles well with the 17 inch front and rear rims even on the corners in the Hosur track.

Launched at Rs 44,000 (ex-showroom Delhi), the new Star City+ is available in electric and kick start variants. With new features, styling and a reliable fuel efficient engine, the Star City+ packs all the right ingredients to bring back strong volumes for TVS in the entry-level motorcycle market.

Also Read: Top Bikes in the 100-110cc Segment