Suzuki Skydrive Fi vs Yamaha Mio Soul i 125 - The best pick

Gone are those days when the word ‘fun’ was associated only with naked roadsters and fully faired supersport machines. Given the aspect of convenience taking over core performance in all the markets across the world, the sales of scooters have been on an inevitable rise as compared to that of motorcycles. This is the reason why almost all the manufacturers are taking an extra effort to jazz up their scooter lineup. One such pair of scooters happens to be that of Suzuki Skydrive Fi and Yamaha Mio Soul i 125. Both the scooters are the new-age performance oriented machines which do not compromise in the areas like fuel economy and features. Thus making them the current hot favourites in the 125cc scooter segment.

Looks and design:-

Both the Suzuki Skydrive Fi as well as Yamaha Mio Soul i 125 sports an aggressive motorcycle-like design, boasting busy bodyworks, sharper front face, and slim side and rear profiles. This concept makes both of them look athletic just by their visual appeal.

The Suzuki Skydrive Fi features a sleeker front end with a long V-shaped headlamp setup. The entire headlamp unit consists of three lamps placed adjacent to each other vertically, above which are placed the turn indicators. This headlamp setup, along with the black tinted V-shaped finish above it, makes the front apron look very sharp and pointy. The side body panels are fully covered with a mish-mash of body graphics which is loud in our opinion. Unlike the front, the rear appears to be a bit curvy in profile and loses out on the sharp appeal of the front.

On the other hand, the Yamaha Mio Soul i 125 boasts a sharp and aggressive design. It gives equal attention to both front to rear components Like the Suzuki Skydrive Fi, the Mio Soul I 125 too has a headlamp setup mounted on the front apron, though the lamp here is better styled and provides better illumination due to full LED setup. The separate placements of the pilot lamps and turn indicators on the adjacent side panels are a more premium touch when compared to those on the Skydrive Fi. The razor-themed bodywork extends well towards the sides and rear making the Mio Soul i 125 look sharper and bulkier in comparison.

Both the scooters are equally equipped when it comes to features. With equipment like alloy wheels, front disc brake, and key shutter mechanism provided as standard on both. However, apart from the visual and aesthetic appeal, the Yamaha Mio Soul i 125 has a slight edge here too, with LED headlamp and auto stop-start available in it.

Engine and performance:-

Both the scooters are equipped with four-stroke, air-cooled, fuel injected, single cylinder, 125 cc engines, with not much difference in their performance. While the engine on the Suzuki Skydrive Fi specifications pumps out 9.3 PS of power and 9.5 Nm of torque, the Yamaha Mio Soul i 125 belts out 7.0 PS of power and 9.6 Nm of torque.

This slight advantage in power and torque figures on the Yamaha Mio Soul i 125 is further accentuated by the world of difference in the kerb weights of both the scooters. Tipping the weighing scales at just 94 kg, the Yamaha Mio Soul i 125 is a whole 14 kgs lighter than the Suzuki Skydrive Fi, thus giving a lot of advantage in power-to-weight ratio. This significant difference in kerb weight, along with the little benefit in power and torque figures, make the Mio Soul I 125 a better and quicker performer on the road in comparison.

Ride and handling:-

There is a substantial difference in the way both the scooters ride and handle. Both the Suzuki Skydrive Fi and Yamaha Mio Soul i 125 have an underbone frame beneath their aggressive bodyworks. Also, both of them are equipped with telescopic forks at the front and unit swingarm with single coil spring at the rear. However, once again, the big advantage of 14 kg in kerb weight plays in favour of the Mio Soul i 125. In comparison, the Mio Soul i 125 feel agile while making quick manoeuvres, thanks to a more lightweight frame underneath.

Also, while both the scooters are equipped with 14-inch wheels, the front and rear tyres on the Mio Soul i 125 specifications are meatier in comparison. This gives the Mio Soul i 125 a better road grip, thus translating into a supple and more composed ride quality as compared to Suzuki Skydrive Fi. The front disc brake and rear drum brake setup on both the scooters work flawlessly, with equal feedback and assurance.

Colors and price:-

The Suzuki Skydrive Fi price starts at Php 78,000 and is being offered in four color options – black, red, purple, and pink. On the other hand, the Yamaha Mio Soul i 125 is being offered in two different variants – Standard and Matte. The standard variant of Yamaha Mio i Soul 125 price tag reads Php 79,900 and is being offered in three shades of orange, black, and violet. Whereas the matte variant is available in two matt shades grey and green, which will set you back by Php 83,900. There is a very slight price gap between both the scooters, but the Yamaha Mio Soul i 125 feels better value for money package courtesy better equipment levels in comparison.

Conclusion:-

While both the scooters fare almost equally in the engine output section, the Yamaha Mio Soul i 125 emerges out to be a slightly better scooter on almost all the parameters. When it comes to aesthetic appeal, the updated razor-inspired bodywork of the Mio Soul i 125 feels sharper and more modern compared to that of the Suzuki Skydrive Fi. Also, the massive difference in kerb weight gives the Mio Soul i 125 a better advantage in acceleration figures as well as handling too. And since it comes with a couple of captivating features at not much premium over the Suzuki Skydrive Fi in terms of price, the Yamaha Mio Soul i 125 emerges out to be a clear winner out of the two.