The Hero Destini has received a host of updates, so we decided to check out how it stacks up against the rest of the 125-cc segment in its new avatar.
The Hero Destini 125 has been on the market for quite some time, having been launched in 2018, so Hero have decided to give it a comprehensive refresh to bring it in line with the consumer demands of today. We take a look at how it compares to the competition in the 125-cc scooter segment—obviously, we have only picked the family-oriented 125-cc scooters for this comparison. A prospective Destini customer also considers the Honda Activa 125, the Suzuki Access 125, the TVS Jupiter 125 and the Yamaha Fascino 125.
| Powertrain | Hero Destini 125 | Honda Activa 125 | Suzuki Access 125 | TVS Jupiter 125 | Yamaha Fascino 125 |
| Capacity (cc) | 124.6 | 124 | 124 | 124.8 | 125 |
| Power (hp) | 9.1 | 8.3 | 8.7 | 8.2 | 8.2 |
| Torque (Nm) | 10.4 | 10.4 | 10 | 10.5 | 10.3 |
All five of the scooters come with nearly identical 125-cc, air-cooled, single-cylinder engines paired to continuously variable transmissions. The Hero Destini 125 is the most powerful of the lot, with a little more than 9 hp; but the torquiest of them all is the TVS Jupiter 125, by the slightest of margins. Though it seems like we are splitting hairs here, there’s a reason for this, which will become apparent once we look at the first entry of the next table.
| Dimensions | Hero Destini 125 | Honda Activa 125 | Suzuki Access 125 | TVS Jupiter 125 | Yamaha Fascino 125 |
| Kerb weight (kg) | 115 | 110 | 104 | 108 | 99 |
| Seat height (mm) | 770 | NA | 773 | 765 | 780 |
| Wheelbase (mm) | 1302 | 1260 | 1265 | 1275 | 1280 |
| Ground clearance (mm) | 162 | 162 | 160 | 163 | 145 |
| Underseat storage (litre) | NA | 18 | 21.8 | 33 | 21 |
| Fuel capacity (litre) | 5.3 | 5.3 | 5 | 5.1 | 5.2 |
The Hero Destini 125 is the heaviest of the lot, and compared to the double-digit Yamaha Fascino 125, the margin is quite substantial. However, the Hero Destini 125 has the longest wheelbase, by more than 20 mm, which should aid in extra stability over the competition. The rest of the field is separated by a total of 20 mm, so there shouldn’t be much difference there. Honda do not publish an official seat height for the Activa, and we can’t fathom why as it is one of the most important dimensions for prospective buyers. The other important dimension would be the underseat storage capacity, where the TVS Jupiter 125 reigns supreme with 33 litres of storage, that can hold two helmets. Fuel tank capacities are nearly identical.
| Suspension, brakes and tyres | Hero Destini 125 | Honda Activa 125 | Suzuki Access 125 | TVS Jupiter 125 | Yamaha Fascino 125 |
| Front Brake | Drum/Disc | 190-mm disc | Drum/Disc | 230-mm disc | 190-mm disc/130-mm drum |
| Rear Brake | Drum | 130-mm drum | Drum | 130-mm drum | 130-mm drum |
| Front Tyre | 90/90-12 | 90/90-12 | 90/90-12 | 90/90-12 | 90/90-12 |
| Rear Tyre | 100/80-12 | 90/100-10 | 90/100-10 | 90/90-12 | 110/90-10 |
One of the things that immediately becomes evident is the rear wheel size—apart from the TVS Jupiter 125 and the Hero Destini 125, no other scooter has a 12-inch rear wheel, which provides improved stability compared to a 10-inch wheel. However, it is the Honda Activa and the TVS Jupiter that come only with disc brakes, all others offering a choice between drums and discs. This choice affects the features, as we shall now see.
| Features | Hero Destini 125 | Honda Activa 125 | Suzuki Access 125 | TVS Jupiter 125 | Yamaha Fascino 125 |
| LED headlight | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Disc-brake variant only |
| Connected dashboard | ZX onwards | No | Ride Connect Edition | SmartXonnect | Yes |
| USB charging | ZX onwards | Yes | Yes | Yes | Accessory |
| Colour options | 5 | 5 | 7* | 4* | 11* |
| Seat Opening Switch | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| External Fuel Filling | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes^ | No |
* variant-specific; maximum options offered on a single variant | ^ front-mounted
Yamaha have chosen to offer the drum-brake-equipped version with only a halogen headlamp for some reason, which does limit the choices of the consumer somewhat. Another miss by them is the lack of a proper USB charging port—the optional accessory goes inside the underseat storage, so charging your phone with navigation running is not an option. It does offer the widest number of colours, though some cost extra. Other than the Yamaha, all of them offer an external fuel-filler. The Honda Activa, despite its popularity, doesn’t offer a connected dashboard even as an option. In terms of features, the Hero Destini 125 offers exactly what the customers expect, nothing more or less.
| Price | Hero Destini 125 | Honda Activa 125 | Suzuki Access 125 | TVS Jupiter 125 | Yamaha Fascino 125 |
| Base trim (ex-showroom) | Rs 75,000* | Rs 80,256 | Rs 79,899 | Rs 79,299 | Rs 79,900 |
| Top trim (ex-showroom) | Rs 90,000* | Rs 89,429 | Rs 90,500 | Rs 90,480 | Rs 94,830 |
* estimated
It all comes down to cost, but knowing the kind of value Hero MotoCorp are known to offer, the Hero Destini 125 could challenge the competition quite aggressively on the pricing front. Meanwhile, the other scooters all start at around Rs 80,000 and go up to around Rs 90,000, except the Yamaha Fascino, which, depending on the colour you choose, can go up to Rs 95,000. Our estimate for the Hero Destini 125 is that it would start at Rs 75,000 for the base trim, and climb to Rs 95,000 for the top one, as the ZX+ offers quite a bit of kit compared to the base VX trim. As of now, there’s no official timeline for the pricing announcement.
Also read: Hero Destini 125 Review – I Think I Met My Destiny
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