Honda X-Adv my2025, how the new version of the scooter-suv goes

Since it was unveiled at Eicma in 2016 (read Motori24's test: Honda X-Adv, what the new suv-sized scooter looks like and how it rides), the Honda X-Adv has received very few updates, largely in 2018 when it adopted two-level traction control and the 'G' off-road riding mode that honed its ability to tackle not-too-complicated dirt tracks. With the 2025 model year, Honda has introduced further minor changes that make it even more of an all-round performer.

Clearly, the X-Adv must have been born in response to the question: "What would an SUV be like if it were on two wheels?". In fact, it combines the dynamic qualities of a motorbike with the practicality of a maxi scooter. The model year 2025 renews the dual LED headlamps: it features a new light signature of the Drl lights that now integrate the direction indicators. Also arriving is a new 5-inch Tft colour screen graphics with Honda RoadSync connectivity for the smartphone, to be operated with the new backlit left-hand control pad (less crowded than it used to be). Also changing is the windscreen, made from biomass-derived Durabio plastic, which is now left-handed adjustable in three levels. Lastly, cruise control becomes standard, underlining the vehicle's attitude to long journeys, during which you will appreciate the revamped and more comfortable seat: it has 10 per cent more urethane foam and a new shape to allow even the less tall to touch your feet, as well as an improved opening and closing system. Finally, the Dct dual-clutch gearbox has been improved and refined, especially in low-speed performance.

The parallel twin-cylinder engine of the X-Adv is Euro5+ and delivers a maximum power output of 58.6 hp, with a maximum torque of 69 Nm. The Throttle by wire throttle control allows the adoption of four predefined riding modes (Sport, Standard, Gravel, Rain), with preset parameters for power delivery, engine braking and traction control (adjustable to three levels), plus two User, fully customisable. The excellent Dct dual-clutch gearbox is also confirmed, as is the motorbike 'frame': tubular steel frame, 41 mm upside-down fork, tubular handlebars with hand guards, single shock absorber with Pro-Link linkage, aluminium swingarm, tangential spoke wheels with 17" front and 15" rear and two 296 mm front brake discs with four-piston radial callipers.

25YM Honda X-ADV

Small clue: that this is more of a motorbike than a scooter is immediately apparent from the way we get on the saddle, i.e. by stepping on it with our leg and not by putting our foot in front of the seat as one would on a scooter. The riding position is comfortable: not very low (it is 820 mm from the ground), but narrow enough to allow everyone to put at least one foot on the ground. Space abounds and even those over 190 mm tall have room for their knees. On the right of the handlebar is the parking brake lever, which is always useful, while on the left we find, among others, the cruise control controls and the + and - levers for manual use of the Dct gearbox (in our opinion very rarely used, given how well the automatic transmission works). Let's start with some city traffic. The X-Adv weighs 237 kg with a fuel tank full of 13.2 litres: not bad on paper, but between cars the extra kilos are not noticeable and in zigzags you are only limited by the scooter's transverse dimensions. The braking is very good, powerful and modular, as is the Abs, which is never invasive (it cannot be deactivated at the rear, however, not even in Gravel mode: a pity). The engine, in Standard mode, is quiet and devoted to fuel economy, with the gears being rapidly pitted by the Dct (here state of the art) and without ever "pulling the neck" of the twin-cylinder. Everything changes when Sport mode is selected: the reaction of the X-Adv changes noticeably. The gears are held a lot more, the scooter is more responsive and quicker, the riding requires a bit more attention: it's the mode I would choose on the way home from the office to distract myself from thoughts of work, in other words. If you plan to use Sport mode a lot, add the knurled steel footpegs (a motorbike option designed for off-road and stand-up riding): they are mounted behind the standard ones and allow, when used seated, both to unload your back and to ride more quickly and safely by giving directionality in corners by pressing on them. In the city you end up blessing the X-Adv's 'off-road' suspension, which absorbs potholes and cobblestones well, but even out of town you appreciate it because it is not too saggy in active driving. In curves the X-Adv is, in fact, sincere, solid and drives with pleasure and does not make you wish for more power. On the motorway you ride very well, well protected by the windscreen (better to adjust when stationary), a little less so by the shield, which is sloppy in the part that should cover the knees. For off-roading, finally, the X-Adv is just like an SUV: white roads and light dirt tracks are within its reach (don't ask it to go enduro), with the Gravel mode minimising Abs and traction control interventions, delegating much to the sensitivity of the rider.