Apollo City vs Kaabo Mantis X Plus - Which "Middleweight" Scooter Actually Delivers?

Fast Answer for Busy Riders ⚡ (TL;DR)

The Apollo City edges out as the better all-rounder for real-world commuting: it feels more refined, more weatherproof, and demands less tinkering, making it the safer bet if you just want a scooter that behaves like a quiet, competent everyday vehicle.

The Kaabo Mantis X Plus hits harder on paper and is more exciting when you're in the mood to play, with plusher suspension and a sportier feel - but it asks more of you in maintenance, care, and restraint.

Pick the Apollo City if your scooter is a daily tool that must work in any weather with minimal fuss; pick the Mantis X Plus if you see your commute as a mini track day and don't mind giving it a bit of love with tools now and then.

If you want the full story - including comfort, safety, value, and the cold mathematical verdict - keep reading.

Commuter scooters used to be a choice between flimsy toys and terrifying monsters. The Apollo City and the Kaabo Mantis X Plus both promise to live in that sweet mid-range zone: fast enough to be fun, civilised enough to park in front of an office without security calling the police.

On the one hand, the Apollo City sells itself as an integrated, app-enabled "proper vehicle" for grown-up commuters who like things neat, predictable, and relatively maintenance-free. On the other, the Kaabo Mantis X Plus rolls in with big-brand "Mantis" swagger, proper dual motors, and a suspension setup that practically begs you to take the long way home - preferably with some questionable shortcuts through park paths.

They're similar in price, weight and performance class, but they feel very different on the road. One is built for people who never want to own a torque wrench; the other quietly assumes you know what hex keys are and where your local bike workshop is. Let's dig in.

Who Are These For, and Why Compare Them?

Both scooters sit in that "serious commuter" price bracket - the kind of money where you stop calling it a gadget and start calling it your second vehicle. They're mid-voltage dual-motor machines, competent at city speeds, and heavy enough that carrying them upstairs counts as leg day.

The Apollo City targets riders upgrading from rentals or cheap Amazon specials: people who want something that feels purpose-designed rather than rebranded. It's for the commuter who wants consistency and doesn't care if they're not the fastest thing leaving the lights, as long as they arrive clean, dry and not vibrating.

The Kaabo Mantis X Plus leans more towards the enthusiast commuter: the person whose "ride to work" is secretly their daily dose of adrenaline, but who doesn't want to live with a giant 60 V monster. It's a gateway drug into the performance world - enough power and suspension to be fun, but not so much you start pricing full-face helmets and body armour on your lunch break.

They cost almost the same and target roughly the same rider weight and use case, so the question isn't "can they do the commute?" - it's "what kind of commute do you want?"

Design & Build Quality

In the flesh, the Apollo City feels like something a design team fussed over. The chassis is clean, the cables are mostly hidden, and the grey-with-accents finish wouldn't look out of place in a tech showroom. The integrated display in the stem, the tidy cockpit, and the solid folding joint all give off "I've been thought through" vibes. Pick it up, and it feels dense and monolithic, like one big piece rather than a kit of parts bolted together.

The Kaabo Mantis X Plus, by contrast, proudly wears its "performance scooter" heritage. You get that signature mantis stance: curved swingarms, wide deck, tall stem, and a general sense that it would rather be in a corner than standing still. The materials are serious - properly stout aluminium, decent welds - and the colour TFT display and deck lighting shout "look at me" much more than the Apollo's understated interface.

Where the differences start to show is in the details. The Apollo's integrated cable routing and sealed drum brakes mean fewer exposed bits to rust, bend or rattle. It feels better sealed and less "mechanical". The Mantis, meanwhile, has more traditional external cables, exposed disc brakes and a folding assembly that, while much improved over old Kaabos, still has more parts that can loosen, creak or need a tweak. Long-time Kaabo owners will nod here; the brand's unofficial motto might as well be "great frames, some assembly required - repeatedly".

Overall, the Apollo feels more like a finished product; the Mantis feels like a well-engineered platform aimed at riders comfortable with a bit of fettling. Neither is junk, but they're clearly built to different philosophies.

Ride Comfort & Handling

This is where things get interesting, because both scooters ride well - just in different flavours.

The Apollo City's triple-spring setup and self-healing tubeless tyres deliver a genuinely plush experience on typical city abuse. Think cracked tarmac, expansion joints, manhole covers, and the occasional cobblestone section some sadistic planner left in your bike lane. The City doesn't turn that into a spa day, but it smooths it out enough that you're not clenching your teeth. The steering is calm and predictable, and the geometry keeps high-speed wobbles nicely at bay; you feel like you're standing on a stable platform rather than balancing on a pogo stick.

The Mantis X Plus, though, takes comfort up a notch - provided you dial the suspension in properly. Those adjustable shocks front and rear give you more travel and more control. Out of the box, many units are set a bit firm; once you soften them for your weight, the scooter genuinely glides over the sort of bumps that make lesser machines rattle like a cutlery drawer. The wider, fatter tyres add another layer of cushioning and grip, and the "Mantis carve" is real: it leans into turns more eagerly than the Apollo, feeling more like a small motorbike than a big rental scooter.

There's a trade-off, though. The City's calmer steering angles mean it's less nervous at speed and more forgiving if you're tired or distracted. The Mantis rewards active riding - weight shifts, proper stance, steady inputs. If you ride sloppily, you notice it more. If you enjoy playing with the scooter under you, the Mantis is more entertaining. If you just want to stand there and get dragged to work, the Apollo is friendlier.

Performance

Both scooters are dual-motor, both will embarrass rental scooters at the lights, and both will get you to the kind of speeds where you start checking your helmet strap twice.

The Apollo City's power delivery is very intentionally tamed. Acceleration is strong enough to clear traffic and climb serious hills, but the throttle feels like it's been tuned by someone who cares about daily use, not drag racing. The customisable settings in the app let you go from "gentle commuter" to "sprightly", but even at its spiciest, the City tends to surge rather than snap. You can ride it one-handed for a moment to adjust your glove without feeling like it will catapult you into a parked car - not recommended, but telling.

The Kaabo Mantis X Plus is simply more eager. Those dual motors, combined with Sine Wave controllers, deliver a smoother but more insistent shove. You twist the trigger, and it doesn't ask if you'd like to accelerate - it assumes you meant it. The run from standstill to city speeds is noticeably more urgent than on the Apollo, and on hills the Mantis pulls with that familiar Kaabo "we're not slowing down for this" confidence. It's still civilised by Kaabo standards - far from their crazier models - but it encourages you to ride faster, more often.

At the top end, both hover in the same territory: fast enough for open cycle paths and quiet roads, more than enough for urban use. The Apollo feels slightly more composed near its limit; the Mantis feels like it always has a bit more shove in reserve and invites you to use it. Braking is the mirror image: Apollo's regen paddle plus drums give you smooth, predictable stops with almost zero fuss. The Mantis' discs and EABS bite harder and can haul you down sharply, but they demand a bit more modulation and occasional adjustment.

In short: the Apollo is fast enough and very controlled; the Mantis is faster-feeling and more engaging, with a bit more of that "don't be stupid" conversation in your head.

Battery & Range

On paper, the Mantis X Plus has a slightly larger battery than most Apollo City configurations, but in practice the story is less dramatic.

The City, ridden like a sane commuter - mixed modes, some hills, cruising below its top speed - will comfortably cover a typical urban round trip with margin to spare. Expect it to handle a full workday's use with errands without forcing you onto a charger mid-day, unless you're very heavy or insist on sport mode everywhere. The regen braking helps a bit too, especially in stop-start traffic where you're constantly scrubbing speed.

The Mantis X Plus, with its larger pack, can stretch further in like-for-like conditions. Keep your speeds sensible and it'll out-range the Apollo by a noticeable, if not night-and-day, amount. Ride it like a hooligan and the battery disappears faster - physics doesn't care about marketing copy - but under typical commuting it still feels that little bit less range-anxious. The catch? Charging. The Mantis takes roughly double the time to go from empty to full with the supplied charger. That means overnight charging is more or less mandatory if you're draining it deeply.

With the Apollo, a faster charge option and shorter base time make it easier to top up during the day. So: the Mantis wins on raw endurance per charge; the Apollo wins on how conveniently you can refill it and how efficient it feels in everyday stop-go use.

Portability & Practicality

Let's be blunt: neither of these is a "throw over your shoulder and jog onto the tram" scooter. They're both heavy enough that you'll know about it by the second flight of stairs.

The Apollo City's weight is similar to the Mantis, but it wears that mass differently. The folding mechanism is quick and solid, the stem locks neatly to the deck, and once folded it feels like one coherent lump. The wide, non-folding handlebars, though, do make it more of a handful in cramped lifts and busy trains. For car transport, it's fine - in and out of a typical boot is straightforward enough, assuming you're reasonably strong.

The Mantis X Plus folds down to a comparable footprint, with wide bars and a tall stem. The upgraded clamp system is better than the old wobbly Kaabo designs, but you still have the sense that this is a big scooter pretending to be portable. Carrying it up a few steps or heaving it into a car is doable; carrying it up three floors daily is how you end up on first-name terms with your physiotherapist. The kickstand on both can be a little "optimistic" on uneven ground, though the Kaabo's is generally beefier; the Apollo's has a track record of being slightly too short for comfort.

In terms of living with them, the Apollo's superior water protection and lower-maintenance components (no exposed discs to bend, no inner tubes to pinch) make it the easier ownership proposition if you're not mechanically inclined. The Mantis, though, is more custom-friendly: easier to swap brake types, tweak suspension, and bolt on bits and pieces. Apollo is a "use it as delivered" machine; Kaabo is more "tinker, tune, personalise".

Safety

On braking alone, Apollo does something genuinely different. The separate regen paddle on the left is addictive: you can modulate your slowing with your thumb, rarely touching the drum levers at all. It feels controlled, intuitive, and importantly, very consistent in wet and dry. Drum brakes, fully enclosed, don't care about rain or grime. Combine that with one of the highest water-resistance ratings you'll see on a scooter and you've got a machine you're not scared to ride through foul weather. Lighting is decent, with excellent indicators, though the main headlight is "fine" rather than "wow". Many owners still add an extra bar light for dark country lanes.

The Mantis X Plus approaches safety more like a small motorbike: proper disc brakes with electronic assistance, a strong headlight mounted high enough to be useful, bright turn signals and side lighting that clearly outline the scooter at night. Stopping power is strong, and the EABS helps reduce lock-ups, but those discs need occasional tweaking and don't love being drenched in winter salt for months without attention. Water protection is acceptable - fine for showers and wet roads - but not confidence-inspiring in true downpours, especially with some exposed cabling.

Stability wise, the Apollo is the more "planted" feeling scooter at moderate to high speeds. The combination of geometry, stem stiffness and overall setup gives you that reassuring "this is not about to do something stupid" sensation. The Mantis is stable too, particularly given its suspension travel, but ride it hard and you're more aware you're on a sporty chassis - which is great if you're engaged, less ideal if you're half-asleep on your way to an early shift.

Community Feedback

Price & Value

Price wise, they're essentially in the same bracket - the difference between them is what you get for that pile of notes, not how large the pile is.

The Apollo City feels like a commuter product first and a toy second. Your money buys you a thoroughly integrated design, high water resistance, low-maintenance components, and software that's actually worth opening. If you're replacing a car or public transport for daily city trips, this quietly saves you money and hassle in tyres, brake parts and workshop visits.

The Mantis X Plus gives you more "spec" and more raw ride for similar money - bigger battery than many City configs, stronger suspension, more exciting power delivery, and that flashy TFT interface. On the flip side, you're likely to spend a bit more time and occasional cash keeping it dialled in: brake adjustments, checking bolts, dealing with creaks, maybe swapping parts as you ride harder. For riders who enjoy that, it's part of the value. For those who just want a plug-and-go appliance, it's a mark against it.

In pure bang-for-buck thrills, the Mantis wins. In long-term "I just want it to work" value, the Apollo has the edge.

Service & Parts Availability

Apollo, despite being a younger brand, has put serious work into support: detailed guides, decent documentation, and a focus on making their own ecosystem serviceable. In Europe, you're still somewhat at the mercy of local distributors, but the parts stream for the City is generally good; and because of the enclosed brakes and tubeless tyres, there's simply less to break or wear out in the first place. When issues do crop up, they're more often electronics or app-related than hardware disintegrating on you.

Kaabo, by contrast, is an old hand in this space. The Mantis line is everywhere, and that means parts - pads, discs, fenders, controllers, throttles - are widely available through a web of importers and shops. You will find somebody, somewhere, who has what you need. The catch is that you're expected to use them: Kaabo owners routinely mention tightening stems, greasing pivots, swapping out stock fenders, and so on. It's a very "enthusiast" ecosystem: easy access to parts, but also a quiet assumption that you'll get your hands dirty.

If you want strong support with minimal ongoing effort: Apollo. If you want a tinker-friendly scooter with a big aftermarket and don't mind a bit of wrenching: Kaabo.

Pros & Cons Summary

Parameters Comparison

Final Verdict - Which Should You Choose?

If your scooter is primarily a commuting tool - something you rely on daily in all seasons, regardless of weather - the Apollo City is the safer recommendation. It's more refined, better sealed, easier to live with, and asks less of you in terms of maintenance and rider attention. The braking system is genuinely confidence-boosting, the ride comfort is very good, and the overall package feels like it's been built around the realities of city life rather than spec-sheet bragging rights.

If, however, you see your commute as an excuse to have fun, and you're happy to occasionally tighten bolts, lube things and maybe browse a forum or two when the stem starts creaking, the Kaabo Mantis X Plus is the more exciting scooter. The suspension is on another level in this class, the dual-motor punch is addictive, and the TFT cockpit plus lighting make it feel like a little performance machine rather than just a commuter tool.

Heavy riders, hill-dwellers and weekend explorers will appreciate the Mantis' extra ride quality and range. Year-round all-weather commuters, techie professionals and anyone who just wants "a scooter that works, every time" will be happier on the Apollo. Neither is a mistake - but if I had to pick one to depend on for a wet Monday morning in November, it wouldn't be the one that occasionally creaks at me.

Numbers Freaks Corner

These metrics let you see how efficiently each scooter turns money, mass, and battery capacity into performance and range. Lower cost per Wh or per kilometre means better financial efficiency. Lower weight per Wh or per kilometre rewards you with better portability relative to range. Wh per km exposes which scooter sips or gulps energy. Power-to-speed and weight-to-power ratios show how hard the drivetrain can push the scooter for its size. And average charging speed tells you how quickly you can get useful energy back into the pack between rides.

Author's Category Battle

Overall Winner Declaration

In the Numbers Freaks Corner, the APOLLO City scores 5 points against the KAABO Mantis X Plus's 6. In the Author's Category Battle, the APOLLO City gets 28 ✅ versus 23 ✅ for KAABO Mantis X Plus (with a few ties sprinkled in).

Totals: APOLLO City scores 33, KAABO Mantis X Plus scores 29.

Based on the scoring, the APOLLO City is our overall winner. Between these two, the Apollo City feels like the scooter you trust: it gets you there quietly, reliably, and without asking for a toolbox or a weather forecast first. The Kaabo Mantis X Plus is the one you ride when you want to feel something - it's more alive under your feet, more eager, and more demanding in return. For a single do-it-all machine, I'd live with the slightly less dramatic Apollo and enjoy the peace of mind. If I already had something sensible in the garage and wanted a mid-range toy for grinning my way through city streets, the Mantis would be very tempting - quirks and all.

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.