How does Hero’s first ever 125cc scooter stack up against its prime rival on paper? We find out
The Suzuki Access has been a dominant product in the 125cc scooter segment until now. Despite growing competition in this space, the Access held its own, thanks to its family-oriented positioning and occasional updates to keep it fresh. But, with the introduction of Hero’s 125cc family scooter, the Destini 125, the Access 125 finally has a direct competition in terms of price and positioning. We pit them against each other on paper to find out which one comes out on top. To keep the comparison fair, we have compared the top variants of the two scooters.
Design and Features -
| Hero Destini 125 | Suzuki Access 125 | |
| Windscreen | No | No |
| Speedometer | Digital-analogue | Digital-analogue |
| Service due reminder | Yes | Yes |
| Side stand indicator | Yes | No |
| Mirrors | Body coloured | Chrome |
| Front pocket storage | No | Yes |
| External fuel filling cap | Yes | No |
| Seat | Dual-textured | Retro |
| Boot light | Yes | No |
| DC socket | No | Yes |
| USB Charger | Yes | Optional extra |
| LED headlights | Halogen bulb | Halogen bulb |
| LED tail lights | No | No |
| Dual luggage hook | Yes | Yes |
| Front pocket storage | No | Yes |
| 4-in-lock | Yes | Yes |
Both, the Hero Destini and Suzuki Access cater to a family-oriented scooter segment unlike some of their sporty competitors. While the Destini takes a simple and mature approach with flowing lines and curves, the Access goes with retro styling cues. To add to the premium feel of the scooter, the Destini 125 gets chrome accents, body coloured mirrors, a dual-textured seat and alloy wheels. The Access, on the other hand, features chrome rearview mirrors and accents on the body panels, a red coloured seat and five-spoke alloys.
Both manufacturers offer a number of features on their respective scooters to keep them competitive in this segment. Hero’s new scooter, the Destini 125 gets a conventional halogen bulb up front with AHO, a digital-analogue instrument console with the essential readouts along with a a service due reminder, side stand indicator, pass switch and an external fuel-filler cap which can be opened via the 4-in-1 key slot. Additionally, the Vx variant comes with a mobile charging port and an underseat boot light too.
Likewise, the Access 125 uses conventional bulbs at the front and rear, a semi-digital instrument console with service-due indicator, trip/odometer and fuel gauge. The Access 125 also gets a mobile charging socket (not available on the base variant), but misses out on modern convenience features like a 4-in-1 key slot and an external fuel-filler cap.
Engine –
| Hero Destini 125 | Suzuki Access 125 | |
| Engine | Air cooled, 4 - stroke single cylinder OHC | Air Cooled, single-cylinder, SOHC, 2 Valve |
| Displacement | 124.6cc | 124cc |
| Power | 8.83PS @ 6750rpm | 8.7PS @ 7000rpm |
| Torque | 10.2Nm @ 5000rpm | 10.2Nm @ 5000rpm |
| Idle-start-stop-system | Yes | No |
In terms of performance figures, both the scooters are identical. And, based on our first ride impressions of the Destini 125 and road test review for the Access 125, we can say that both the scooters are quick to get off the line and have a strong mid-range. This is absolutely crucial for quick overtakes in city traffic. While for the Destini 125 the meat of the power lies in the mid-range, the Access feels a lot more sprightly at the top-end of the rev band, with not much stress on the engine. In city speeds, the Destini's motor feels refined, but as you go higher up it feels a bit rough, whereas the Access feels extremely smooth throughout its powerband.
The Suzuki Access also comes equipped with SEP (Suzuki Eco Performance) which reduces engine heat and increases fuel efficiency. Hero offers the Destini with i3S (idle-stop-start-system) technology as standard (a segment-first). This feature senses if the scooter is at a standstill for more than 5 seconds and cuts off the engine automatically to save fuel. To get the scooter going again, simply pull either of the brake levers and twist the throttle. Hero claims that this neat feature improves fuel efficiency by around 10 per cent. While these are company claims, we would reserve our judgement for a thorough road-test.
Underpinnings -
| Hero Destini 125 | Suzuki Access 125 | |
| Underseat Storage | - | 21.8 litres |
| Length | 1809mm | 1870mm |
| Width | 729mm | 655mm |
| Wheelbase | 1245mm | 1265mm |
| Ground Clearance | 155mm | 160mm |
| Seat Height | - | 780mm |
| Kerb Weight | 111.5Kg | 102kg |
| Fuel Tank | - | 5.6 Ltr |
| Front Suspension | Telescopic | Telescopic |
| Rear Suspension | Monoshock | Monoshock |
| Front Brake | Drum | Drum/Disc |
| Rear Brake | Drum | Drum |
| Combined braking | Yes | Yes |
| Tyre Size (Front) | 90/100 - 10 | 90/90 - 12 |
| Tyre Size (Rear) | 90/100 - 10 | 90/100 - 10 |
While both scooters have a similar suspension setup, the Destini’s front end feels a bit on the stiffer side compared to the Access. This allows the scooter to go around fast corners and weave through traffic with ease despite weighing in at 111.5kg (kerb weight). Conversely, the slightly softer rear suspension setup tends to wallow around a wee bit over sharp bumps. Overall though, the scooter feels planted and reliable despite running on 10-inch wheels at both ends.
The Access 125’s suspension setup soaks in bumps and undulations with ease and offers a lot more plush ride. Weighing in at just 103kg (kerb weight), the Access is quick to tip into corners and agile enough to zip through city traffic. The lower weight can be attributed to the use of fibre body panels at the rear as compared to the full metal body of the Hero Destini 125.
The Destini features a tall handlebar and a low floorboard which translates to one of the best riding postures we’ve seen in the segment. And, it’s safe to say that Hero has managed to nail the ergonomics on this one, with the seat being comfortable for both, rider and pillion. The Access has similar ergonomics, however, its floorboard is slightly higher set compared to the Destini which is a bit problematic for taller riders as their knees touch the handlebars while taking sharp U-turns.
That said, there is one downside to the Destini 125, and that’s the storage space. It not only misses on the cubby hole in the front apron, but the underseat storage also looks a bit on the smaller side; 16-17 litres if we were to guess, which is a lot smaller compared to its competition. Nevertheless, it should be big enough to store a standard half-faced helmet.
Storage space on the Suzuki Access is plentiful and comes in the form of a 1-litre deep cubby hole in the front apron and a generous 21.8 litres of underseat storage.
On the braking front, the Destini’s integrated braking system works well and offers decent stopping power. However, an optional front disc brake would have worked even better with the system. As for the Suzuki Access 125 SE, a front disc brake that comes as standard sheds speed quite quickly while offering decent bite and progression.
Price and Verdict -
All prices ex-showroom Delhi*
| Hero Destini 125 | Suzuki Access 125 |
| Lx - Rs 54,650 | STD - Rs 54163 |
| Vx - Rs 57,500 | Disc Brake - Rs 57488 |
With a price tag, feature list and performance that’s on par with its closest rival, the Access 125, it’s hard to pick a clear winner here. However, if you were looking for an elegant scooter that’s a bit fresher in terms of styling, we’d suggest the Hero Destini. Not only this, but the scooter also packs quite a few modern features that give it a competitive edge.
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