Kinetic DX+ Review: Is this the return of the Legendary Kinetic of 90s?

Remembering the legendary Kinetic DX scooter and its popular sound which created a revolution in the 90s, it is now back in its electric avatar with the launch of the new DX electric scooter, which resembles the traditional Kinetic Honda DX 2-stroke petrol scooter.

However, the new DX electric scooter is a visually appealing product. We had a chance to review the legendary scooter in electric powertrain and here is our detailed review about the legendary scooter which was a household name in the 90s. 

Kinetic DX Design And Fit & Finish

The new DX+ electric scooter follows the design philosophy of the conventional Kinetic DX’s boxy shape with squared-off lines. Visually, the DX electric scooter has an identity of its own and looks different from the rest of scooters. The top-spec DX+ variant comes with various colour options which further make the scooter unique in its presence.

The DX+ also gets majority of electric panels made of metal and a metal body is something which is majorly prioritised by Indian consumers as it is a symbol of reliability. In general, the scooter gets a solid build quality.

However, we noticed that some areas definitely needed improvement. These include a big plastic flap that surrounds the on-board charger and the switchgear. These buttons are completely new and don't come standard in other scooters, thus it will be a complex learning curve to see whether you have pressed the exact button or not. 

Kinetic DX+ Features & Specs

Kinetic offers a variety of features such as an on-board charger, and a large 37-litre underseat storage area which is big enough to store helmets and small items, hill-hold assist, and a dedicated mobile app for some smart Bluetooth based functions, and remote opening for the seat and charger flap.

However, one thing which we didn't like is the DX does not come with a physical key and instead there’s a covered keypad into which you have to enter a four digit security code in order to unlock and power the scooter. The trouble here is that there is a strong possibility that these plastic buttons will fade out and it will be quite difficult to enter the passcode.

Kinetic provides 10 attempts to unlock the scooter via passcode, after that it will lock the DX until you reset the code via the mobile app. According to our analysis, it feels like a security threat which could have been easily averted via a physical key.

Kinetic DX Performance & Charging

POWER: The overall claimed IDC range of the DX electric scooter is 117 km on a single charge. It is powered by a 2.6 kWh (Lithium Ferrous Phosphate) battery pack which sends power to a hub-mounted electric motor generating a max power output of 4.8 kW. The hub-mounted motor is silent and provides a seamless driving experience and generates power in a linear way.

The acceleration didn’t feel quick which is pretty well suited for urban conditions specifically for consumers looking to extract more range. The throttle response is well calibrated, but the initial acceleration up to 20 km/hr is weak.

Driving Modes: Kinetic DX+ electric scooter comes with three riding modes which comprises Range, Power & Turbo. We found the Power mode to be perfectly crafted for city commutes and we used the DX+ in Power Mode frequently. The Range Mode is given to extract more range, while Turbo Mode focusses on providing performance, but the range is severely dropped.

Kinetic DX Dynamics & Suspension

What impressed us was the suspension tuning of the DX+ electric scooter, which seems to be perfectly tuned for Indian road conditions. It absorbed the majority of the bumps comfortably with sharper bumps which felt to the rider as soft forks were not able to handle them.

The braking on the DX also felt decent with no ABS on offer, just the traditional combined brakes. However, the riding point seems to be an issue as for riders with height of 5 '11 and more, the riding position was way more in the knees up position, which could be uncomfortable over longer highway rides.

Another impractical flaw is the position of foot pegs which are way too forward which further results in the pillion to stretch his legs in order to adjust his foot on the pegs, which is quite unnatural and can provide discomfort to the rider during longer rides.

Kinetic DX Price & Verdict

Overall, the Kinetic DX electric scooter is a decent scooter but according to modern era’s competition and technology, it feels a step back as rivals are offering more diverse options specifically catered for every consumer at a much lower price. Price and Range are two big factors in choosing a perfect electric scooter and the sad part is that DX doesn’t impress in this department also.

There is also a limited dealer network of Kinetic as compared to its competitors as the DX has returned after such a long time questioning its reliability which is the biggest concern surrounding the electric scooter.

Thus it will be interesting to see whether the new Kinetic DX+ will be able to display the same charm as the legendary DX electric scooter of the 90s.