Apollo City 2022 vs Kaabo Mantis X - Refined Commuter Meets Rowdy Street Weapon

Fast Answer for Busy Riders ⚡ (TL;DR)

If you mainly ride in the city and want something that feels like a grown-up transport tool rather than a toy, the Apollo City 2022 (Dual Motor / Pro) is the safer all-round choice: more weatherproof, lower maintenance, friendlier to live with day after day. The Kaabo Mantis X hits harder on power and suspension plushness, but makes more compromises on practicality, refinement, and running hassle than its price really excuses. Go Mantis if you crave punchy acceleration, tuneable hydraulic suspension and weekend trails; go Apollo if you care more about reliability, simplicity and turning up to work dry and unflustered.

Both can be fun; only one feels honestly built around real-world commuting first and thrills second. Read on for the full, warts-and-all breakdown before you drop four figures on either.

The mid-range "serious commuter" scooter segment has become crowded with machines that all promise the same thing: car-killing performance, bike-like comfort and "just charge and ride" reliability. The Apollo City 2022 and the Kaabo Mantis X sit squarely in that hot zone-similar money, similar weight, dual motors available, and both marketed as that mythical balance between practicality and adrenaline.

I've spent proper time on both: commuting, lane-splitting in traffic, deliberately hunting potholes, even a few damp night rides that tested the lighting and my life choices. The Apollo is the office-friendly power commuter with its shirt tucked in; the Mantis X is the sporty cousin who shows up on Friday and suggests "the long way home" every single time.

If you're torn between the two, you're not alone. Let's unpack where each one shines, where they quietly annoy, and which compromises make sense for your sort of riding.

Who Are These For, and Why Compare Them?

On price, these two are basically neighbours: both sit in that uncomfortable "more than a toy, less than a motorbike" bracket. Enough money that you should expect real engineering, not Alibaba roulette.

Apollo City 2022 Pro: built for the daily urban commuter who rides in all weather, wants low maintenance, integrated everything, and does not want to wrench on brakes and tyres every other weekend. Think: upgraded-from-a-rental, has a real commute, hates public transport.

Kaabo Mantis X: clearly aimed at the performance-minded commuter and weekend hooligan. Same rough weight class, similar quoted speeds, but with more aggressive dual motors and properly adjustable hydraulic suspension. It promises more excitement and more terrain versatility, at the cost of some polish and practicality.

They compete because from a buyer's seat they answer the same question: "I've got solid money, want something faster, better and more comfortable than a rental or Xiaomi, and I'm not ready to commit to a 40+ kg monster." On paper, they're comparable. In reality, they take very different approaches.

Design & Build Quality

Pick them up, look closely, and you immediately see the philosophy split.

The Apollo City 2022 feels like consumer electronics on wheels. The frame is a sleek, proprietary unibody; cables are tucked away; lights and turn signals are moulded into the chassis instead of bolted on as an afterthought. The rubber deck mat, internal cabling and IP-rated ports all scream "commuter product" rather than garage project. It's not flawless-the folding hook when carried can be annoyingly fickle-but overall it feels coherent. Nothing looks like it was ordered last-minute from a catalogue.

The Mantis X looks more traditional Kaabo: industrial, purposeful, a bit "mechanical jungle gym". You've got those signature C-shaped suspension arms, a chunk of aviation-grade aluminium, visible hardware, and the stance of something that would happily jump a speed bump rather than roll over it. The newer clamp-style stem and central display are clear upgrades; it's a robust-looking chassis, and in the hands it feels solid rather than flexy.

Where it stumbles is refinement: switchgear can feel cheap next to the price tag, fender design is more "sporty" than "keeps your back clean", and exposed cabling and bolts remind you this is still very much a hot-rod Mantis underneath a few modern touches. It's well built for what it is, but it doesn't give the same "finished product" vibe the Apollo does.

If you want something you're proud to park in a modern office lobby, the Apollo plays that role better. The Kaabo is more at home leaning against a workshop wall or next to a downhill mountain bike.

Ride Comfort & Handling

Riding both back-to-back over bad city tarmac is revealing. Imagine a run of patched asphalt, a few sharp manhole edges, then a stretch of cobbles for good measure.

The Apollo City 2022 has a nicely sorted triple spring setup and chunky, tubeless self-healing tyres. It smooths out the worst of the chatter, and for everyday commuting speeds it really does give that "gliding" feel Apollo loves to market. The chassis feels compact and planted, the wide bars give you predictable steering, and on decent pavement it's extremely easygoing. On really broken surfaces the springs can feel a tad busy and less controlled than the Kaabo's hydraulics; you feel the hits, but they're dulled rather than erased.

The Mantis X on the same route? Different game. The adjustable hydraulic shocks soak up repeated hits with that "whoomph" you normally only get from decent mountain bike forks. Dialled soft, it genuinely floats over cobbles; dialled firmer, it still shrugs off deep potholes that would have the Apollo's suspension working overtime. The wider tyres add an extra cushion and noticeably more grip when you lean into a turn.

Handling-wise, the Mantis feels longer and more "carve-happy." At speed it's very stable, inviting you to lean and play. The Apollo is more neutral and tidy: precise in traffic, stable enough at its top speeds, but not begging you to attack corners. For pure comfort and rough-road composure the Mantis wins, but you pay for it with tubes (hello, flats) and a scooter that always feels like it wants to go a bit faster than is strictly sensible for commuting.

Performance

Both are quick enough to make your first scooter feel like a rental toy. How they deliver that speed is very different.

The Apollo City 2022 Pro with dual motors pulls cleanly and predictably. Acceleration is strong enough to beat traffic off the line, but the sine-wave style smoothing and Apollo's conservative tuning mean it rarely feels vicious. Full send still brings a grin, just not a white-knuckle one. Top speed is in the "keep up with fast city cyclists and scooters, occasionally annoy small cars" territory. Braking is where it impresses: the combination of regen on a separate thumb lever and sealed drum brakes means you can do 90% of your slowing with just your left thumb and barely touch the mechanicals. Modulation is excellent once you're used to it; you can scrub speed gently or haul it down firmly without drama.

The Mantis X is a more excitable animal. Dual motors, peaky Kaabo tuning and sine-wave controllers give you a punchier hit when you ask for it. In full dual/turbo mode it lunges forward in a way the Apollo simply doesn't-it's still civilised by old-school Kaabo standards, but the first time you pin it you'll feel your weight shift back hard. Top speed sits slightly above the Apollo's, but what you actually notice is how quickly it gets there and how happily it holds pace, especially uphill.

Braking is handled by disc brakes with electronic assist. Stopping power is fine and can be strong once adjusted, but you're relying on open, mechanically exposed stoppers that will need tuning and occasional love. Compared with Apollo's nearly-zero-maintenance sealed drums plus regen, you trade a bit of day-to-day convenience for a more conventional performance setup-not always ideal for something you ride to work in the rain.

Hill-climbing? The Mantis just walks away, especially with a heavier rider. The Apollo dual motor holds its own on most city gradients and doesn't embarrass itself, but if you live somewhere with properly brutal hills, Kaabo's extra punch is noticeable.

Battery & Range

Both scooters sit in the same general battery class and, unsurprisingly, deliver similar real-world ranges when ridden like actual humans.

The Apollo City 2022 Pro will realistically give you a comfortable there-and-back for most urban commutes, with some headroom for detours if you're not riding flat-out everywhere. Ride it aggressively in top mode and you land in that sweet spot where range is "enough" rather than impressive. The regen braking does genuinely stretch things a bit in stop-start traffic; over time you notice you're arriving home with a touch more battery than you'd expect. Charging is relatively brisk for the capacity-very doable during a workday so you can top up for the ride home.

The Mantis X has a slightly bigger pack and, ridden sensibly, edges ahead in total range. The problem is, almost nobody buys a dual-motor Mantis to ride sensibly. Use the power the way the scooter begs you to, and you're back in broadly the same real-world ballpark as the Apollo, maybe a bit more. Where the Kaabo really falls behind is downtime: the included charger is leisurely, and a full refill is a true overnight affair unless you invest in faster charging. For a daily commuter doing regular long trips, that's a minor but recurring irritation.

In short: Apollo is a bit more honest and convenient here; Mantis can go a little further, but tempts you to burn that advantage with every throttle pull.

Portability & Practicality

Neither of these is genuinely "portable" in the carry-it-like-a-bag sense. They're both around the "oof" category when you deadlift them.

The Apollo City 2022 sits a little lighter than the Mantis X in its dual-motor form, but you still know about it when you hit the stairs. The folding mechanism itself is quick and confidence-inspiring, and the compact, tidy frame makes it easier to manoeuvre into lifts or under desks. The Achilles heel is that slightly unreliable hook when carrying: if you don't balance it right, the stem can unhook from the deck and swing, which is a fun surprise for your shins.

The Mantis X is a hair heavier and feels denser. The newer clamp system makes folding straightforward and the hook-into-fender carry works, but the bulkier deck and wide bars mean it takes up more space in hallways, car boots and crowded trains. Carrying it up several flights of stairs regularly is a workout few will want long-term.

Day-to-day usability tilts in Apollo's favour: self-healing tyres mean fewer puncture dramas, sealed drum brakes mean almost no brake maintenance, better water protection means fewer "should I really ride today?" moments. The Mantis counters with adjustability, a USB port, and more off-road capability, but it asks more from you in return: check tyre pressures, watch for flats, occasionally fettle brakes, plan charging more carefully.

Safety

Both scooters are "fast enough to hurt you" and need to be treated as such, but they build safety in different ways.

The Apollo City 2022 is quietly strong on passive safety. The IP rating is genuinely high for this segment, so you're much less likely to be playing roulette with electrics in the rain. The integrated lighting-with high-mounted front light, rear light and turn signals-is well laid out. The headlight could be stronger for unlit country roads, but for city use it's adequate, and you're nicely visible from most angles. The dual-drum plus regen braking is the real star: predictable, well-modulated, and largely unaffected by wet grit because everything important is sealed away.

The Mantis X ups the ante on lighting. The higher, brighter headlight is much more of a genuine "see where you're going" beam, and the deck and turn-signal lighting package does a good job of announcing you in traffic. Stability at speed is excellent thanks to the improved stem and wide tyres; it feels secure, even when the speedo is showing numbers you don't tell your insurance about. Where it loses marks is weather hardening and long-term brake reliability: mechanical discs plus more exposed hardware mean more to check, adjust and keep clean if you ride in a lot of wet.

For someone riding year-round in European weather, Apollo simply makes your life easier and safer without asking for as much upkeep. The Mantis is perfectly safe in capable hands, but you have to stay on top of it.

Community Feedback

Price & Value

On sticker price, they're so close it comes down to what you value rather than which is "cheaper". The Mantis X markets itself as the performance bargain: dual motors, hydraulic suspension, big battery-on paper, it looks like it's mugging the Apollo for lunch money.

But value isn't just watts per euro. The Apollo City 2022 gives you a very polished, low-fuss ownership experience: fewer flats, almost no brake upkeep, strong weather sealing, decent app, and a design that doesn't feel cobbled together. Over a couple of years of daily commuting, that translates to fewer surprise costs, fewer lost evenings with a pump and tyre levers, and generally less faff.

The Mantis X definitely wins if what you're optimising for is sheer performance-per-euro. It gives you more raw power and suspension hardware than you'd expect at this price. But once you factor in the glacial charging, more maintenance-heavy tyres and brakes, and the slightly rougher edges on build quality, the "bargain" narrative thins a bit for a pure commuter. It's tremendous value if you will actually use that extra speed and plushness; otherwise you're paying for capabilities you don't fully need-and accepting trade-offs you definitely will notice.

Service & Parts Availability

Apollo has leaned hard into the "proper brand" angle: documented support, active community, clear warranty processes, app updates. In Europe you're often dealing with distributors rather than Apollo directly, but parts like controllers, throttles, and plastics are increasingly easy to source, and much of the scooter is purpose-designed, so you're not hunting through listings trying to guess if a generic part will actually fit. The flip side of proprietary design is that some bits have to come from Apollo's ecosystem.

Kaabo has a massive global footprint and the Mantis line is everywhere. That means pads, levers, tyres, stems, and even full swing arms aren't hard to track down via European dealers and third-party sellers. The platform is more "open", in the sense that generic parts often fit. That's great if you like tinkering, slightly less great if you wanted a set-and-forget appliance: you can do a lot yourself, but you may find yourself having to, more often.

For a commuter who wants support but minimal involvement, Apollo is friendlier. For the modder who sees their scooter as an ongoing project, Kaabo's ecosystem is huge.

Pros & Cons Summary

Parameters Comparison

Final Verdict - Which Should You Choose?

If you strip away marketing and look at how these behave in daily life, the Apollo City 2022 Pro is the more complete "transport tool." It's not spectacular in any one metric, but it quietly nails the stuff that matters when you rely on a scooter: it copes with rain, doesn't constantly beg for mechanical attention, rides comfortably enough, stops predictably and folds neatly into real-world routines. It's the one I'd hand to someone who just wants to get to work and back every day without collecting scooter stories.

The Kaabo Mantis X is much easier to love on a quick test ride. The punch, the suspension, the carving feel-it's all immediately addictive, and if you've got hilly routes or weekend trail ambitions, it genuinely does things the Apollo can't. But living with it, especially in European weather, means accepting longer charging windows, more involved maintenance and a scooter that feels permanently over-qualified for basic commuting while still cutting a few corners in the boring-but-important areas.

If your priority is reliable, civilised commuting with the option to have fun, the Apollo City 2022 Pro edges it. If your priority is fun first, commute second, and you're willing to look after your machine, then the Mantis X will put a bigger grin on your face-just go in with your eyes open about the compromises behind that grin.

Numbers Freaks Corner

These metrics tell you how efficiently each scooter turns euros, kilos, watts and time into real-world performance. Price-per-Wh and price-per-km/h show financial efficiency; weight-based metrics show how much mass you're pushing around for the performance and range you get. Wh/km hints at energy efficiency, while power-to-speed and weight-to-power show how "sporty" the package is. Finally, average charging speed describes how quickly you can get meaningful energy back into the battery between rides.

Author's Category Battle

Overall Winner Declaration

In the Numbers Freaks Corner, the APOLLO City 2022 scores 4 points against the KAABO Mantis X's 6. In the Author's Category Battle, the APOLLO City 2022 gets 23 ✅ versus 16 ✅ for KAABO Mantis X.

Totals: APOLLO City 2022 scores 27, KAABO Mantis X scores 22.

Based on the scoring, the APOLLO City 2022 is our overall winner. For me, the Apollo City 2022 Pro is the scooter that feels genuinely designed around the messy reality of everyday riding rather than spec-sheet one-upmanship. It might not light your hair on fire, but it consistently gets you where you're going with minimal fuss, in all weathers, and that counts for a lot when this isn't just a toy. The Kaabo Mantis X is undoubtedly more thrilling when you open it up, and if you live for that punch and plushness you'll love it-but it asks more of you in maintenance, patience and compromise than its raw numbers suggest. As a complete package for real riders with real commutes, the Apollo edges ahead as the scooter you'll still be happy with three winters from now.

That's our verdict when we try to stay objective – but hey, riding is mostly about emotions anyway, so pick the one that will make you look forward to your commute every single day.