PEUGEOT VIVACITY 125 (2010 - on) Review

Item: PEUGEOT VIVACITY 125
Rating: 4
Author: MCN Staff

MCN rating 4 out of 5 (4/5)

Owners' rating 4 out of 5 (4/5)

At a glance

Owners' reliability rating:	3.7 out of 5 (3.7/5)
Annual servicing cost:	£40
Power:	8 bhp
Seat height:	Medium (31.1 in / 790 mm)
Weight:	Low (243 lbs / 110 kg)

Prices

New £1,999

Used N/A

Overall rating

Next up: Ride & brakes

4 out of 5 (4/5)

Classy styling, nice attention to detail and a list of handy well thought-out features make the Vivacity 125 look like a charming city commuter package. Overall it strikes a tempting balance between quality and price. The only slight let down is its performance.

Ride quality & brakes

Next up: Engine

4 out of 5 (4/5)

The Vivacity is very stable for a small-wheel scooter and the ride is unintimidating and confidence-inspiring. Fuel is stored under the floorpan which lowers the centre of gravity for better balance. The brakes are a little weaker than other 125cc scooters – including Peugeot’s own cheaper Tweet 125 – but they’re more than acceptable for town use.

Engine

Next up: Reliability

3 out of 5 (3/5)

This is the weak point. It zips up to 40mph nicely, but the Vivacity’s 4-stroke motor is only good for around 60mph in a market where other 125 scooters manage 65 or even 70. If you ride in the city it won’t matter, but out of town those extra 5-10mph are crucial.

Reliability & build quality

Next up: Value

4 out of 5 (4/5)

The Vivacity is nicely put together – nice enough to inspire some joy of ownership even. The seat has stylish white stitching around the edges, the lines of the bodywork and the light clusters show thought and the general fit and finish is neat.

Value vs rivals

Next up: Equipment

4 out of 5 (4/5)

At £1999 the Vivacity 125 is nearly £600 cheaper than Honda’s PS125 and nearly a grand less than the very desirable yet less practical Vespa LX125. It sits nicely in the middle of the market with a good balance between quality and price. Find a scooter for sale.

Equipment

5 out of 5 (5/5)

Everything you could want in a city scoot – 12v power socket to charge your mobile, fuel gauge, comprehensive half-digital clocks and a hook for your shopping. Alongside a 22-litre underseat storage bay big enough to take my full-face lid, there’s a clever 13-litre storage bay built into the front of the Vivacity. It opens via a concealed button under the handlebars that you can't access when the steering lock is on. Compare and buy parts for the Vivacity 125 in the MCN Shop.

Specs
Engine size	124cc
Engine type	4-stroke 2v single
Frame type	Tubular steel
Fuel capacity	7.5 litres
Seat height	790mm
Bike weight	110kg
Front suspension	none
Rear suspension	none
Front brake	200mm disc
Rear brake	130mm drum
Front tyre size	120/70-12
Rear tyre size	120/70-12

Mpg, costs & insurance
Average fuel consumption	48 mpg
Annual road tax	£25
Annual service cost	£40
New price	£1,999
Used price	-
Insurance group	- How much to insure?
Warranty term	Two year unlimited mileage

Top speed & performance
Max power	8 bhp
Max torque	6.5 ft-lb
Top speed	60 mph
1/4 mile acceleration	-
Tank range	80 miles

Model history & versions

Model history

Introduced 2010

Other versions

Peugeot Vivacity sixties - special edition 60s-style version with a tan-coloured seat and a choice of ivory or sky blue retro pastel paint.

Owners' reviews for the PEUGEOT VIVACITY 125 (2010 - on)

3 owners have reviewed their PEUGEOT VIVACITY 125 (2010 - on) and rated it in a number of areas. Read what they have to say and what they like and dislike about the bike below.

Review your PEUGEOT VIVACITY 125 (2010 - on)

Summary of owners' reviews
Overall rating:	4 out of 5 (4/5)
Ride quality & brakes:	4.3 out of 5 (4.3/5)
Engine:	3.7 out of 5 (3.7/5)
Reliability & build quality:	3.7 out of 5 (3.7/5)
Value vs rivals:	3.3 out of 5 (3.3/5)
Equipment:	4.7 out of 5 (4.7/5)
Annual servicing cost:	£40

4 out of 5 Great scooter, I am 1100 miles into a 2000 mile trip.

13 February 2023 by Jonny C, North Wales

Version: Adventure overlander

Year: 2014

I have 4 out of 5 due to poor fuel economy, if it did 80mpg or above it would have got a 5/5.

Ride quality & brakes 5 out of 5

Very comfortable, nice seat which is important for me as I am 1100 miles into a 2000 mile trip from North Wales to Malaga in Spain.

Engine 4 out of 5

Lovely and smooth, lacks a bit of power, but hey it’s an 8hp scooter not a BMW S1000RR.

Reliability & build quality 5 out of 5

Well put together with a fantastic GY6 at its heart powering this scooter.

Value vs rivals 2 out of 5

Very cheap to maintain as you can do everything yourself, but delivers poor performance.

Equipment 5 out of 5

I love the storage.

4 out of 5 Amazing value for money when bought secondhand!

18 March 2021 by Chris C

Version: Jet In

Year: 2012

Annual servicing cost: £40

Cheap running costs. This one I have had been used and abused as a winter 'commuter hack'. Yet it soldiered on. A PX125 Vespa would be in a lot of trouble subjected to this abuse.

Ride quality & brakes 4 out of 5

A reasonable commuter with good storage space (and unlike the MCN review the fuel tank is high at the rear NOT under the floor)! Impressive carrying capacity.

Engine 4 out of 5

If used as a commuter nike in towns etc it's good. Lacks top end speed but that's not its design parameter!!!!

Reliability & build quality 3 out of 5

After 9 years of hard use and 19k miles the plastics get brittle on what is fundamentally a Chinese scooter under the skin. Tabs to hold bodywork can break.

Value vs rivals 4 out of 5

Minimal money spent. It just keeps on going despite being used for many years as a tool........

Equipment 4 out of 5

Storage for items and the general 'hop-on and go' ability.

Buying experience: Private purchase

4 out of 5 Steady as she goes.

31 December 2011 by ArjayM

Bought the scoot for under 2K 16 months ago, just to get on two wheels again after giving up my last ever bike, a from-new 4 year old Blackbird. No comparison, of course, but I didn't want to get, say, a CBF500 because that would have been comparison too near the bone. So, something completely different, the Peugeot Vivacity 125. Slightly girly in vanilla, but nice enough looking, with room for a full face under the seat and a handy boot on the front for raingear etc. A comfortable upright seating position that works with the steady ride. It took a few hundred miles to unglue the reluctant engine though it was pretty obvious from the off that I wasn't going anywhere fast. 5000 miles later and the engine is sweet, and smooths up to 50+ . . . but really, that's it. I have done 60 but it needs all the right conditions and in any case there are other scoots with sportier performance (for rather more money). The little Pug isn't so much disappointing as occasionally annoying, but only when you should have taken the car. I had a couple of goes at chucking it about but frankly it's pointless. Apart from you looking a right tit hanging off it. The scoot will go at it's own pace, which is faster than a speeding pullet. It took a while but I've decided I like it. Sure, the engine is a plodder, but hey, I'm a pensioner, plodding is what I do. It says here. I recommend it to anyone who wants a safe , smooth, sexy ride. All right I lied about that last one, but the reliable, economical Vivacity does its job quietly and well. It's a keeper.

Ride quality & brakes 4 out of 5

Engine 3 out of 5

Reliability & build quality 3 out of 5

Value vs rivals 4 out of 5

Equipment 5 out of 5