TVS Motor Company has always been at the forefront of the scooter market as it changed and grew in India. The brand adapted to that change and introduced the right products at the right time. As the Indian consumer graduated from 110cc scooters to 125cc, a masterstroke from the Hosur-based manufacturer was brought to the fore- TVS NTORQ 125. Here, we have with us the latest evolution of the scooter- TVS NTORQ 125 SuperSquad Edition.

The TVS NTORQ SuperSquad Edition comes as a result of the ideology and the target-consumer that gave birth to the idea of NTORQ 125. The youth of the country wanted a scooter that exuded performance and was dripping with appeal. The TVS NTORQ 125 was, as the adage goes, just what the doctor ordered. It had a futuristic and aggressive design with performance to match. Also, it was also India’s first Bluetooth-connected scooter and hence, understood the aspirations of Gen Z in terms of technology as well.

The result was an overwhelming response from the customers which consisted mostly of young riders. But the versatility of the scooter meant that people from any age-group could make it their own. The popularity and the faith that TVS put in the NTORQ 125 meant that the scooter not only remains on the market to this day, but it has received continuous updates. So, it was able to keep up with the times and the demands of the market and as it stands, it is still one of the best-selling 125 scooters in the Indian market.

Talking a little more about the success of the NTORQ 125, it was for good reason. It was a brilliantly balanced combination of performance, features, practicality and visual appeal. That was true for the ‘OG’ NTORQ launched back in early 2018. TVS launched the NTORQ 125 Race Edition in 2019 which was not only BS-VI compliant but gained some nifty features like the RT-Fi or Race-Tuned Fuel Injection.

But we have the 2020 follow-up, NTORQ 125 SuperSquad Edition, to talk about here so let’s get to that. A little background first. TVS Motor Company tied up with Disney India’s consumer products business for the design of the NTORQ 125 SuperSquad Edition which, as you can see, is inspired by Marvel’s Avengers.

To our good fortune, TVS was kind enough to send to us all the 3 members of the SuperSquad Edition namely; Stealth Black which is inspired by Black Panther, Invincible Red which is inspired by Iron Man, and Combat Blue which is inspired by Captain America.

If one thinks about it, it was a genius move because the NTORQ 125 was aimed at the youth and Marvel’s Avengers received a strongly positive response from that group. Talking about the distinguishing factors, all three of the scooters don the SuperSquad logo with the Avengers insignia, the mighty ‘A’, on the front panel and the leg shield.

Individually, the Stealth Black, in line with its inspiration in Black Panther, sports a deep black colour with purple integrated tastefully in the colour scheme. Looking closely, one can easily make out the details that bring the livery of the NTORQ 125 SuperSquad Edition Stealth Black that much closer to the suit of Black Panther. Neat little touches include ‘Wakanda Forever’ and the number 66, denoting 1966 as the year when the character was introduced.

The Invincible Red variant, because of its inspiration from Iron Man, sports a livery which is a combination of Red and Gold. All that you can ask for makes its way to the scooter’s design including Iron Man’s helmet and the famous Arc reactor that powers Iron Man’s suit and his heart. While the NTORQ 125 SuperSquad Edition Invincible Red also sports the number 63, again denoting the debut of the character in 1963, we liked another little detail a bit more. There’s an inscription that says ‘Mark XXIX’ which denotes Iron Man’s 29th suit also known as the Fiddler and a significant part of the Iron Legion.

The final one and the one that stays as a part of the xBhp Garage is Combat Blue. Inspired by Captain America, the livery of the scooter is a mix of red, blue, and white, in line with Steve Rogers’ suit. The numbering continues and on this one we have 41, marking the debut of the character in 1941. But what’s Captain America without his iconic shield? On the NTORQ 125 SuperSquad Edition Combat Blue, the front is where you find the Super Soldier’s shield. On that note, we have the ‘Super Soldier’ inscription on there too. 

Now since we are huge pop culture buffs and the Avengers hold a special place in our hearts, we really appreciate the smaller bits that one does not get to notice early on. The NTORQ 125 SuperSquad Edition scooters are loaded with the SmartXonnect tech but the best part is that once you pair your smartphone with the Bluetooth enabled scooter, the interface of the app changes according to the scooter that you have.

What that means is pairing the Combat Blue makes the app sport the silhouette of Captain America, Black Panther for the Stealth Black and Iron Man for the Invincible Red. Furthermore, diving deeper into the app makes you realize that the whole theme changes in accordance with the scooter and there are relevant bits scattered throughout. From Captain America’s shield, to Iron Man’s suit and Black Panther’s Eyes. In short, a complete Marvel experience. 

Apart from the liveries, visually and mechanically the scooter remains unchanged and in our opinion, it did not need any immediate changes anyway. There’s the LED headlight with the interesting ‘T’ shaped DRL. Then we have the rearview mirrors from the Apache series. The grips and the bar-ends in addition to a generous sprinkling of carbon fibre patterns further enhance the premium looks of the NTORQ 125 SuperSquad Edition.

We also have the TVS Racing insignia which signifies the involvement of TVS Motor Company’s racing division in raising the bar when it comes to the performance and the dynamics of the scooter. The seat is plush and roomy, the handlebars are tall and therefore there is enough space for even taller riders, and we still dig the ‘afterburner-like’ vents at the rear. The appeal of the scooter’s rear gets a shot in the arm with the stylish ‘T’ tail lamp.

Bits like the stylish passenger footrests, bigger diamond-cut alloys, and thicker rubber also impress upon the rider the performance-biased design of the NTORQ 125 SuperSquad Edition. Oh, and the front brake with the petal disc is another element that shouts performance. It also retains some nifty features like the external fuel-filler cap, roomy under-seat storage which can easily house a helmet, comfortable ergonomics.

While the Avengers’ association is good and all, what good is an NTORQ 125 without the performance we love it so much for. Fortunately, even the transition to BS-VI norms did not hurt the scooter’s performance in a significant manner. It is still a peppy little number that responds quickly to throttle inputs. Post BS-VI, the response became even crisper because of the RT-Fi. And most importantly, it still retains its throaty exhaust note despite a different cat-con.

The handling of the scooter also remains just as good as the original one. The scooter can still turn on a dime and put up a good show even against motorcycles when the going gets curvy. Despite its stellar handling, the suspension is supple enough for a very comfortable ride when you want to take it easy. Braking matches the rest of the handling aspects and so, our love for the NTORQ 125 lives on. The arrival of the SuperSquad Edition was what finally tipped us over and coerced us to add one to our garage.