New Hero Destini 125 revealed ahead of launch
Autocar Professional, 9 Sep '24
Ahead of its imminent launch, Hero has revealed the 2024 Destini 125 and this marks the first major update since the model came out nearly 6 years ago.
The 2024 Hero Destini 125 gets an all-new design with a LED headlight and taillight as well as a metal front fender and side panels. There are 3 variants on offer VX, ZX and ZX+.
The base VX variant gets a front drum brake, a simple analogue dash with a small LCD inset and misses out on Hero's i3s fuel-saving start/stop tech. The mid-spec ZX variant brings in the Bluetooth-compatible digital dash, backlit starter button, front disc brake, pillion backrest as well as auto-cancelling indicators, which is a segment-first claims Hero. The top-spec ZX+ gets all the same equipment but the chrome accents are finished in bronze and the alloy wheels get machined finishes here.
All 3 variants come standard with CBS, a side stand engine cut-off, a boot light, USB charging port and an external fuel filler. The underseat storage area measures 19-litres while the cubby on the front apron measures 2-litres. There is also a luggage hook with a maximum weight limit of 3kg on the front apron.
Along with the fresh design there are changes aplenty underneath the skin too with the most prominent one being the 12-inch wheels at both ends and the rear wheel is now shod with a fatter 100/80-12 tyre. The Destini 125's wheelbase has grown by 57 mm due to the new wheels and to prevent that from hurting its agility, Hero has sharpened the rake by over a degree and moved the swingarm pivot point further up the scooter. The ZX and ZX+ variants use a 190 mm front disc brake, which marks the first time the Destini 125 can be had with one, while the base VX variant makes do with a 130 mm drum.
While the chassis has seen some changes, the engine is relatively unchanged. The air-cooled, 124.6cc, single cylinder motor is rated for 9 PS at 7,000rpm and 10.4 Nm of torque at 5,500rpm, which is exactly the same as the outgoing model. Hero claims that in the interest of refinement and aiding fuel efficiency, the CVT's calibration has been changed. The company claims a 59kpl mileage figure (tested by ICAT) and we will put this to the test once we get the Destini 125 for a road test back in Mumbai.
The previous Hero Destini 125 was available in 2 variants - LX (Rs. 80,048 or US$ 950) and XTEC (Rs. 86,538). It remains to be seen how much the Destini 125's price goes up by, if at all.