IN THE SHADOW OF THE COLOSSUS

TVS have given the base Jupiter a complete overhaul, including a new engine. We had checked it out on a closed course back in August. This time we let it loose on the urban jungle and observed if it could survive there

- Sayantan De

The planet Jupiter is the second largest object in the solar system, while the TVS Jupiter has consistently been the second best-selling scooter in India. Nice symmetry that. So, the import of the situation didn't go unnoticed when TVS set about re-designing their best-selling model. We rode it on a closed course back in August, but now it was time for the real test in the hustle and bustle of the urban jungle. Does the TVS Jupiter have what it takes to survive in the cut-throat world of urban commuting and weekend grocery shopping? We find out...

The TVS Jupiter has always been a decent-looking scooter, if a bit forgettable. That is no longer the case with the new one. Gone are the silver garnishes, replaced with black, which is the finish on the forks, drive belt cover, grab-handle as well as the strip on the front apron of the scooter. On the lesser models, this is just plastic, but on our SmartXonnect test unit, it houses a nice little LED daytime running lights (DRL) strip, which TVS call, rather ambitiously, the "Infinity Light Bar".

Despite the name, it is a design detail that differentiates the new Jupiter from other family scooters without being gaudy. The tail-light is a similar strip of LED which is something I really liked, as it lends the Jupiter a distinctive derrière. The other notable aspect of the design is the complete and utter lack of decals of any kind, which highlights the character line on the cowls.