We test KYMCO's new SKY TOWN 150
Scooters have become the most popular choice of 2-wheel mobility for many Filipinos. In fact, in a 2023 report by the MDPPA, 58% of their motorcycle sales in 2022 were scooters, and in 2024 scooter sales jumped to 64% market share.
Personally, I think many Pinoys choose scooters because 1) these are very user-friendly – just gas and go, 2) they are very easy to maneuver on tight spots due to their size, and 3) there is an abundance of relatively affordable aftermarket upgrades.
Despite being sold like pancakes across dealerships, small displacement scooters remain far behind in terms of technology and most of them are not even equipped with the (now) basic Anti-lock Braking System (ABS) for added rider safety.
This is where KYMCO steps in, offering a scooter for the Pinoy rider that is equipped not only with an ABS but also with a Traction Control System (TCS) at a reasonable SRP of PHP 118,900. This is the SKY TOWN 150.
Style and features
Launched in October 2024 (for the 2025 model year), the SKY TOWN 150’s design is inspired by KYMCO’s maxi scooters, which have sporty lines, a large windscreen, and wide seats. According to KYMCO, the SKY TOWN 150’s air-cooled, 149.6 cc single cylinder, SOHC Green Power engine “delivers top-tier performance but emits 17% less carbon emissions and is 21% more fuel efficient” than its other 150 cc counterparts.
Perhaps the highlight feature of the SKY TOWN 150 is that this scooter is equipped not only with dual-channel ABS, but also TCS.
Other features include LED front and rear lights, type A and C charging ports, LCD screen, underseat compartment that can fit a full-face helmet, disc brakes with a 2-piston caliper on the front and a single-piston caliper on the rear, alloy wheels, and a 7-liter fuel tank.
More affordable “smart” scooter
I need to emphasize this again: the KYMCO SKY TOWN 150 is equipped with probably two of the most important safety features found in many of the more expensive, higher displacement motorcycles in the market today: ABS & TCS.
In layman’s terms, the ABS prevents the wheel from locking in the event of an emergency or sudden braking, thus keeping the scooter’s rubber planted on the road. The TCS, on the other hand, prevents the rear tire from losing traction by managing and cutting off the engine’s power delivery when sensors detect slippage. Both the ABS and TCS are essential safety features that could save the rider (and passenger) on roads with less-than-ideal riding conditions.
In the below 200 cc segment, as far as I know, only Yamaha offers a scooter equipped with both ABS & TCS which is the new NMAX, but it is way more expensive at PHP 151,900. While Honda offers the PCX 160, ADV 160 and AirBlade 160 equipped with a front wheel ABS only, these are also more expensive than the SKY TOWN 150, retailing at PHP 149,900, PHP 166,900 and 125,900, respectively.
Riding the SKY TOWN 150
When our friends from KYMCO delivered this test unit, I was imagining that the SKY TOWN 150 is a lot heavier than my puny 125 cc scooter. I was wrong. Even with its maxi-scooterish body, I found out that it requires less effort to put the SKY TOWN 150 on its center stand than my smaller scooter.
On the highway, I could safely say that the SKY TOWN 150 can sprint to 100 km/h much faster than the Suzuki Gixxer SF 155 that we featured last January. I also found no issue weaving in and out on EDSA’s rush hour gridlock, thanks to the SKY TOWN 150’s good weight distribution, with its fuel tank sitting at the floorboard which helps keep the scooter’s center of gravity low.
Speaking of fuel, I was able to achieve a respectable 40 km/L fuel economy on the SKY TOWN 150, all of which is city riding and with consideration to my bad riding habits. That said, one top-up of its 7-liter fuel tank could take you all the way to the beautiful surfing town of San Juan in La Union (from Manila) to enjoy the waves.
Verdict
Of course, nothing is perfect in this world and the SKY TOWN 150 is no exception. While I find its riding ergonomics very comfortable with my arms and legs relaxed forward, my ‘backrider’, which is my son, feels that the space reserved for a pillion seat is very small and uncomfortable. He also finds the position of the footrest too high for his liking and reckons that a 2-hour pillion ride would sore his short Pinoy legs.
But other than that, the SKY TOWN 150 is quick, easy to maneuver, fuel-efficient, has commendable underseat storage, and best of all, it’s equipped with safety features such as ABS and traction control at a price point that is far more affordable than its closest scooter rival in the below 200 cc segment.
I think it’s time for a scooter upgrade for me.
