 "It's about xcellence")
Hyundai's popular sedan, the Accent, retired last year after a long and successful ride. But its legacy will be carried on by a spanking new Hyundai model, with the name suitably modernised for the digital age as Xcent. Apart from the moniker, however, this new sub-4-metre sedan has nothing in common with the old workhorse. It is actually a hatchback-turned-sedan. The concept was first pioneered by Tata with its Indigo CS, and popularised by Maruti Suzuki with the Swift Dzire and then made entirely credible by Honda and its Amaze. Xcent, the much-awaited Grand i10-based sedan, is here now and Hyundai has got it spot on with the car's pleasing proportions. It takes on the Swift Dzire and the Amaze as its main competitors.
Just as the free-spirited West Indian cricket team has injected Calypso into the Gangnam style, Hyundai too has transformed the car design philosophy. Its eye-catching Fluidic DNA, first unveiled in the Verna, now graces the Xcent. This unique style makes the new car look a complete sedan in itself, not just the Grand i10 strapped with a boot. Admittedly, the car resembles the hatch if your eyes rove only till the B-pillar. But with the C-pillar swooping down to the boot, the car gets the right proportions of a proper sedan. Don't be fooled by the neatly tucked-in boot - it deceives with its compressed look, there's actually 407 litres of space there, making it the roomiest in the segment. Also, the nose may be short, but it is edgy, and so you never fear you are driving a cab-like vehicle.
The cabin is spacious and comfortable. It again looks almost identical to the i10 Grand except that the dashboard in the top model has climate control. The fit and finish of the interiors are definitely a notch above the Amaze's, and more or less on a par with those of the Dzire. But in terms of appearance, the Xcent looks and feels more on the lavish side. What we didn't like, of course, was that the plastics were too shiny for our liking.
Typically for a Hyundai car, the Xcent comes with both petrol and diesel options. The latter's 1.1-litre engine is the bread-and-butter variant and that model is what we test. Step on the accelerator and you immediately notice the lag. It refuses to briskly take off, unlike the Amaze and Dzire. Only when it has warmed up to over 2000rpm does it make cruising a pleasure. The mid-range speed is its trump card, and engine noise is barely audible, which can't be said about the Amaze. On paper, the Xcent has a mere 1PS additional power over the i10 Grand, but in reality it is all about refinement. On the highway, we put the pedal to the metal and the needle flirted with 140-145 kmph in fairly quick time.
The petrol avatar is powered by the ever popular 1.2 Kappa engine which is well reputed for its refinement. This zippy engine is extremely responsive which makes life easy during rush hour traffic. The Kappa always seems capable of adequate power -rather it makes you feel the car is a lot more powerful than the 83PS engine warrants. It has always been a gem of an engine which balances power and economy at ease.
Which brings us to the ultimate question - is it worth buying? Absolutely. And we are not saying this just from the stand point of price. With excellent build quality, a bucketload of features, built-in memory of 1GB for the music system, its refreshing, chiselled looks, the exquisite paint job and backed by the second-largest service network in India, what more can one ask for? The Swift Dzire, like the Indian cricket team, will always have an emotional connect with the people. The Amaze, with its stellar performance and reputation, is like the Australia cricket team. Hyundai's Xcent is a combination of all these things. Shall we say it is like a team with the X-factor?
HYUNDAI XCENT
Engine: 1.2 litre (petrol), 1.1 litre (diesel)
Power: 83 PS @ 6000 rpm/72 PS @ 4000 rpm
Torque: 113 Nm @ 4000 rpm/179 Nm @ 2500 rpm
Mileage: 19.1 kmpl/ 24.4 kmpl
Price: Starting Rs 4.66 - Rs 7.42 lakh
(ex-showroom, Delhi)
Just as the free-spirited West Indian cricket team has injected Calypso into the Gangnam style, Hyundai too has transformed the car design philosophy. Its eye-catching Fluidic DNA, first unveiled in the Verna, now graces the Xcent. This unique style makes the new car look a complete sedan in itself, not just the Grand i10 strapped with a boot. Admittedly, the car resembles the hatch if your eyes rove only till the B-pillar. But with the C-pillar swooping down to the boot, the car gets the right proportions of a proper sedan. Don't be fooled by the neatly tucked-in boot - it deceives with its compressed look, there's actually 407 litres of space there, making it the roomiest in the segment. Also, the nose may be short, but it is edgy, and so you never fear you are driving a cab-like vehicle.
The cabin is spacious and comfortable. It again looks almost identical to the i10 Grand except that the dashboard in the top model has climate control. The fit and finish of the interiors are definitely a notch above the Amaze's, and more or less on a par with those of the Dzire. But in terms of appearance, the Xcent looks and feels more on the lavish side. What we didn't like, of course, was that the plastics were too shiny for our liking.
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The Xcent has many firsts, like an ignition button instead of a key start. But the feature with the most practical value is the rear AC vents. The only drawback is that the AC is not as powerful as we would have liked it to be. It is great to see that rear passengers are finally kept in the picture and for their comfort, the Xcent comes with an arm rest with cup holders. The front seats are wide and supportive, while those in the rear too are comfortable. However, the back rest is more inclined compared to the seats in the hatchback version. One can't complain about the legroom as there is ample space though the rear passenger sitting in the middle will find the AC vent gobbling up a bit of the territory. This means that for short drives you will be fine, but for long distances you could feel cramped. With summer kicking in, the Xcent's glove box doubles up as a cool box and keeps beverages cool for your hydration.
Typically for a Hyundai car, the Xcent comes with both petrol and diesel options. The latter's 1.1-litre engine is the bread-and-butter variant and that model is what we test. Step on the accelerator and you immediately notice the lag. It refuses to briskly take off, unlike the Amaze and Dzire. Only when it has warmed up to over 2000rpm does it make cruising a pleasure. The mid-range speed is its trump card, and engine noise is barely audible, which can't be said about the Amaze. On paper, the Xcent has a mere 1PS additional power over the i10 Grand, but in reality it is all about refinement. On the highway, we put the pedal to the metal and the needle flirted with 140-145 kmph in fairly quick time.
The petrol avatar is powered by the ever popular 1.2 Kappa engine which is well reputed for its refinement. This zippy engine is extremely responsive which makes life easy during rush hour traffic. The Kappa always seems capable of adequate power -rather it makes you feel the car is a lot more powerful than the 83PS engine warrants. It has always been a gem of an engine which balances power and economy at ease.
Which brings us to the ultimate question - is it worth buying? Absolutely. And we are not saying this just from the stand point of price. With excellent build quality, a bucketload of features, built-in memory of 1GB for the music system, its refreshing, chiselled looks, the exquisite paint job and backed by the second-largest service network in India, what more can one ask for? The Swift Dzire, like the Indian cricket team, will always have an emotional connect with the people. The Amaze, with its stellar performance and reputation, is like the Australia cricket team. Hyundai's Xcent is a combination of all these things. Shall we say it is like a team with the X-factor?
HYUNDAI XCENT
Engine: 1.2 litre (petrol), 1.1 litre (diesel)
Power: 83 PS @ 6000 rpm/72 PS @ 4000 rpm
Torque: 113 Nm @ 4000 rpm/179 Nm @ 2500 rpm
Mileage: 19.1 kmpl/ 24.4 kmpl
Price: Starting Rs 4.66 - Rs 7.42 lakh
(ex-showroom, Delhi)