Honda’s sporty-commuter segment is a family fight: the long-running Air Blade 160 against the newer Vario 160. Both are 156.9 cc liquid-cooled automatics with eSP-family engines - so the differences are in equipment, packaging and price. All figures from Honda Vietnam’s official pages (retrieved 23 September 2026).
Engine
Both publish 156.9 cc liquid-cooled engines. Air Blade 160: 11.2 kW at 8,000 rpm, 14.8 Nm at 6,000 rpm. The Vario 160’s page (retrieved for our model database) lists 11.3 kW at 8,500 rpm and 14.1 Nm at 6,500 rpm. On the road these are identical in feel - the comparison is decided elsewhere.
Brakes
Both have front ABS (see our ABS availability guide). Neither offers rear-wheel ABS at this tier - that remains premium-segment territory (NMAX, SH).
Storage and practicality
Air Blade 160: 4.4-litre tank, USB-C port, smart key, LCD meter. Vario 160: 17.9-litre underseat bay plus a genuinely flat 422 mm floor that swallows a boxed delivery or a stack of groceries - the Vario is the more practical tool, covered in our storage ranking. The Air Blade counters with sportier bodywork and the established brand look.
Size and weight
Air Blade 160: 113 kg, seat 775 mm, 1,887 x 686 x 1,086 mm. Vario 160: 118 kg, seat 778 mm. Five kilograms apart; both are manageable middleweights - our weight table puts them in context.
Price
Honda listed the Vario 160 Sport at 56,690,000 VND; the Air Blade family starts at 42,404,727 VND. The Air Blade is the value pick of the pair by a wide margin.
Verdict
Air Blade 160 for the classic look and lower price; Vario 160 for the flat floor, the bigger bay and newer packaging. Renters: the Air Blade category is price-published at Nguyen Tu (200,000 VND/day, 800,000 VND/week, 1,400,000 VND/month); the Vario is not - contact us to confirm current availability. Whichever you ride, start with the rental inspection checklist.