Maestro Edge vs Duet Comparison Review

Hero Maestro Edge vs Hero Duet Comparison Review:


Pricing & Features:
The Hero Duet 'VX', costs 56,000 Rs. on road, Delhi. This makes it just 1000 Rs. cheaper, than the Maestro Edge ‘VX’, having a sticker price of 57,000 Rs.

In terms of equipment, the Maestro Edge 'VX' offers Alloy Wheels, while the Duet 'VX' and Maestro Edge 'LX' make do with steel rims. Sadly the Duet 'LX' also loses out on the telescopic front suspension, using the trailing link setup instead. Otherwise both scoots sport features like telescopic suspension, mobile charging point, an external fuel filler cap, CBS combi-braking system and a luggage lamp.

Price, On Road, Delhi:
Hero Duet: 54,000 Rs (LX - Trailing Link Suspension), 56,000 Rs. (VX - Telescopic Suspension)
Maestro Edge: 56,000 Rs (LX - Steel Wheels), 57,000 Rs (VX - Alloy Wheels)

Performance & Tractability:
Both scooters are powered by the exact same engine. Thanks to the Hero-Honda breakup, Hero has to stop using Honda's fantastic engines in a phased manner, starting next year. This 110cc mill is one of the first attempts by Hero at development of a grounds up powertrain. In essence it is as good a replica as Hero could make of the Activa's engine. However, Honda being the largest producer on internal combustion engines in the world, knows the intricacies of engine development better than most organizations on this Earth. It has access to patents and proprietary information, which results in buttery-smooth, efficient and indestructible little wonders of powertrains being churned out of their factories. So with whatever resources Hero had at its disposal, it has tried its best to a Honda, resulting in a fairly mediocre mill, which falls a bit short on tractability, refinement and efficiency, while the reliability aspect remains to be seen.
   
Power to Weight Ratio (PS/ton): Hero Duet - 73, Maestro Edge - 77 (difference 5%)
Torque to Weight Ratio (Nm/ton): Hero Duet - 72, Maestro Edge – 75 (difference 4%)

Power (PS@rpm): Hero Duet – 8.43@8000, Maestro Edge – 8.43@8000
Torque (Nm@rpm): Hero Duet – 8.3@6500, Maestro Edge – 8.3@6500
Kerb Weight (kg): Hero Duet - 115 (LX), 116 (VX), Maestro Edge – 109 (LX), 110 (VX)

Displacement (cc): Hero Duet – 110.9, Maestro Edge – 110.9

Fuel Efficiency:
The Hero Duet has an ARAI certified mileage of 63.8 kmpl, which is 2 kmpl less compared to Maestro Edge’s fuel efficiency of 65.8 kmpl. However, in our back-to-back tests, the Duet was half a kpl less-efficient than the Maestro Edge.

ARAI Mileage: Hero Duet – 63.8 kmpl, Maestro Edge – 65.8 kmpl

Test Fuel Efficiency: Hero Duet – 40 kmpl, Maestro Edge – 40 kmpl

Fuel Cost (for usage of 60,000 km):
Hero Duet - 1.10 Lakh Rs.
Maestro Edge – 1.10 Lakh Rs.

Reliability & After Sales Service:
Reliability issues usually crop up after a span of 5 to 7 years. Hero's powertrains are just a year old in age and it will take a few years to really judge their reliability. In such cases refinement has always been a foolproof indicator of reliability. So we can rightly assume this new Hero power-plant to definitely not be as reliable as anything from the the Japanese big-4, the 'Ho-Ya-Su-Ka'. It is still a step below engines from TVS and squarely in line with, Bajaj and Mahindra.

Resale Price (after 5 - 7 years & 60,000 km):
The Hero Duet is bound to hold slightly lesser residual value than the Maestro Edge, thanks to the Maestro name-plate's better recall and longer track record in the market. Both scooters will rack up fuel costs of around 1.1 lakh Rs. over a usage of 60,000 kilometers assuming today's petrol prices.

Hero Duet - 28,000 Rs.
Maestro Edge - 30,000 Rs.

Total Cost of Ownership (Price + Fuel Cost - Resale Price):
Overall, the Hero Duet works out to be slightly more expensive than the Maestro Edge in terms of Total Cost of Ownership.

Hero Duet - 1.38 Lakh
Maestro Edge - 1.37 Lakh

Handling & Ride Quality:
The Maestro Edge has a slight edge over the Duet, thanks to the 12 inch wheel up-front and a slightly longer wheelbase than the Duet. It absorbs the bumps and ruts a little bit better than the Duet. However, remember that whatever you do, stay away from the Duet 'LX' version, which comes with the pathetic trailing link front suspension. The problem with trailing link setups is that they tend to make the scooter squat, instead of pitching on applying the brakes. This causes the weight to transfer off the front axle making it unstable under hard braking conditions.
  
Tyre Size:
Front: Hero Duet – 90/100R10, Maestro Edge - 90/100R12
Rear: Hero Duet – 90/100R10, Maestro Edge - 90/100R10

Wheelbase (mm): Hero Duet – 1241, Maestro Edge – 1261

Comfort & Ergonomics:
Both scooters are sorted in terms of the practicality quotient. They have long, wide, comfy seats, a flat floorboard and saddles low enough to be suitable for average Indian riders. Duet's under-seat storage is slightly smaller than the Maestro's making it a bit too small for a full-face helmet.
  
Seat Height (mm): Hero Duet - 765, Maestro Edge - 765

Verdict:
Maestro Edge 'VX' is a much better scooter than the Duet VX. Firstly, it is a technically superior vehicle, thanks to better ride-handling, courtesy of the larger 12 inch front wheels. Secondly, it is better value for money than the Duet, thanks to better residual value as well as more feature content in terms of Alloy Wheels. Moreover, Maestro Edge's 'LX' version costs exactly same as Duet's 'VX' version but still gets the advantage of a bigger front wheel. Overall there is no logical reason in opting for the Duet, making the Maestro Edge the default winner of this shootout.

Related BikeComparos: