The scooter market is intense in India, and most two-wheeler makers sell scooters in high volumes, accounting for huge chunks of sales. Hero, however, although being the largest two-wheeler maker globally, sells more motorcycles than scooters. That does not mean scooters are less important to the brand.
Eyeing the lucrative market, Hero has updated its 125cc family scooter, the Destini, to make it more appealing and family-friendly. Has this worked?
Hero Destini 125 first ride review — Design and dimension
The Destini 125 has had a huge makeover in terms of design. It carries the familiar silhouette, but every design detail is new. The headlight gets an H-shaped DRL with a projector high beam, the body gets chrome or bronze garnishes depending on the colour, the front fenders and side panels are made of aluminium, giving the rear design a retro classic look, and the rear tail lamp features an H-pattern again.
Hero has also tweaked the dimensions of the new Destini 125, giving it a slightly longer wheelbase, which not only helps in better stability but also frees up space for a large floorboard — both of which will be discussed later on.
Hero Destini 125 first ride review — Features and practicality
As is the new norm with all modern two-wheelers, the 2024 Hero Destini gets a digital dash with phone connectivity, telescopic front forks, 12-inch alloy wheels, disc brakes by Bybre (apart from the base variant), a large seat, a cubby hole in the front that can hold a water bottle, a USB charging port, a light for the under seat storage, and auto cancelling blinkers amongst others.
On the practicality front, the suspension is plush, the seat is comfortable, the rider ergonomics is upright, and the floorboard is wide enough to carry a 20-litre water can, and possibly a cylinder as well, although we are strongly against doing so. The auto-cancelling blinkers work fine and the scooter could have had hazard warning lights integrated as well, which is a miss.
Hero Destini 125 first ride review — Ride and handling
The 125cc, 9bhp engine is smooth and linear. Hero claims a mileage of 59 kmpl, which we were unable to check on the few hours we had with the new Destini 125. The engine lacks that strong mid-range or initial punch for a 125, but since the new Destini 125 is targeted at families, it should not be a concern.
And speaking about concerns, the biggest is the brakes. They don’t manage to stop the scooter under hard braking. Initially, I thought it was just the unit I was riding, but all the other riders had the same complaint about the brakes not being capable enough. There just seemed to be no bite from the disc. On the handling front, the brakes did give us an issue on how it can handle, but at lower speeds and average speeds, the scooter felt planted.
| specifications | Hero Destini 125 |
| Displacement | 125 cc |
| Power | 9 bhp |
| Torque | 10.4 Nm |
| Mileage (Claimed) | 59 kmpl |
Hero Destini 125 first ride review — The package overall
Overall, the design is appealing and the smooth power delivery along with the easy-to-read instrument cluster and comfort will appeal to families looking for an easy scooter. The drawback is the brakes and the chrome and bronze garnishes that may not appeal to many. That said, the younger members of the family might want something sportier.
When looking at Hero MotoCorp’s perspective, the scooter is perfect for a family. It has ticked all the boxes for a customer in this segment. The package has come out well and feels premium, which is a huge advantage. However, when compared to scooters in the 110cc segment where they manage to appeal to a wider age group with design, practicality and performance, the new Destini 125 could do more. But for a family, it has everything one is looking for.
