The revival of the Kinetic DX, now in an electric avatar, has been much talked about and marketed as a triumphant revival of a legend at its launch in July 2025. And to give credit where its due, the new Kinetic DX does have a healthy dose of nostalgia, with design elements inspired by the original and very popular two-stroke Kinetic Honda DX from the 1980s. Riding on nostalgia, the Kinetic leadership reiterated during the launch of the new Kinetic DX that it promises to offer a similar customer experience in the electric scooter segment as its two-stroke namesake did in the ‘80s.
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It’s early days yet, to comment on the product that is the new Kinetic DX in electric form, without experiencing its performance, dynamics, quality and real-world range. On the face of it, it has a blend of it all – decent performance, features that are not ground-breaking but par for the course in the electric scooter segment, and decent charging time and overall claimed range. But the question we’re trying to address is – will nostalgia be able to power Kinetic back into where it strives to be, with the new Kinetic DX? And is it enough to power the new Kinetic DX into the future?
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The original Kinetic Honda DX was launched in 1984 as the result of a collaboration between the Kinetic Group and Honda. It was a ground-breaking product in its time. It was the first two-wheeler in India to offer the convenience of a self-start, automatic transmission with a twist-and-go throttle, and with features like standard integrated turn indicators (also unheard of at the time), and in bright colour options. As far as scooters went in the late ‘80s, the Kinetic Honda DX was aspirational, youthful, trendy and became a runaway hit, which was welcomed by one and all – including a sizeable number of female riders.
The new Kinetic DX attempts to cash in on that history, presenting itself as the product of a company which was known for its groundbreaking achievements in Indian two-wheeler history. From the iconic Luna moped to the much-loved and hugely popular Kinetic Honda DX, Kinetic has been at the forefront of Indian two-wheeler history, at least in the brand's past, more than three decades ago. Now, the new DX revives an iconic name, but the segment is new, although the strategy isn't.
It’s a page out of a playbook that is not new. After all, brands like Royal Enfield, Triumph Motorcycles, Vespa and more recently, BSA, have all rekindled nostalgia and evoked passion for their historic models. But all these brands have been successful in weaving retro appeal with technologically advanced products, striking a balance between nostalgia and contemporary technology and engineering. And in the motorcycle segment, these efforts have resulted in kickstarting a popular genre or sub-segment, which has come to be known fondly as “modern classic” or “neo retro.”
The new and reimagined Kinetic DX, with hints of the old in its stance, proportions and design, may be charmingly familiar to some of us who experienced and lived through the popularity of the original in its heydays. From details in design, including the front fender, headlight and right down to the instrument console and the red power switch, it tries too hard to evoke the past, and not without reason.
Nostalgia can be a powerful and successful brand tool, but only when used in balance with innovation and sincere attempts to address requirements of the contemporary customer. In today’s world, younger buyers, the primary target consumer base for electric two-wheelers – won’t be swayed by nostalgia alone. Many of them will find it difficult to find relevance in the homage to a popular but almost forgotten iconic scooter.
More importantly, Kinetic will also need to compete for market space with other products which have established brand equity and familiarity in the 21st century. Nostalgia alone will not be enough to take on rivals like the Ather 450X, Ather Rizta, TVS iQube, Chetak and more recently, the Vida VX2, which offer everything the new Kinetic DX offers, and perhaps in some ways more, to the young electric two-wheeler consumer.
What Kinetic needs to get right is the pulse of the customer and address issues like range, ease of charging, performance and unique features. More than playing on heartstrings, Kinetic needs to push boundaries to understand the consumer better and attempt to offer real answers to actual consumer requirements in 2025 and in the immediate future. After all, nostalgia has limitations, to help in the resurgence of any brand, even one widely known and regarded as Kinetic.
