Hyundai Xcent Review: A Compact Sedan To Beat Them All

Click through the images to read through our Hyundai Xcent review.

The 'Xcent' name is an attempt at bringing back the old Accent name and with it, the attachment to the brand, but that's not likely to make much of a difference. What matters is the car it is based on. The Grand i10 has been very well accepted by both critics and consumers and as a result the Xcent has a good shot at success.

Hyundai Xcent Pricelist

Hyundai has managed to set the price of the Xcent below that of the Amaze & DZire.

• Hyundai Xcent petrol: INR 4.66 lakh
• Hyundai Xcent diesel: INR 5.56 lakh
• Honda Amaze petrol: INR 4.99 lakh
• Honda Amaze diesel: INR 5.97 lakh
• Maruti Swift DZire petrol: INR 4.85 lakh
• Maruti Swift DZire diesel: INR 5.78 lakh

Check the full price list



Exterior

Like we mentioned earlier, the transition from hatchback to sedan has gone pretty well in the Xcent's case, with minimal modifications. This means it is hard to differentiate between the two when viewed from the front.



A few minor cosmetic changes come in the form of chrome stripes on the front grille and boot lid.



The headlight, front grille design and the lot remain unchanged. Addition of daytime running lights and projector headlights in the higher variants would have been a welcome change.



The chunky, optional 15-inch diamond cut alloy wheels is a nice addition though and makes the car look more proportioned.



The design change done to accommodate the boot has been done by extending the rear window by a small amount.



You'll also notice that the black plastic strips running on the roof from the Grand i10 are missing on the sedan.



The rear end of the Xcent is the best, or rather, the least awkward among compact sedans.



The stout overhang gets a new set of wraparound taillights.



One of the good things about the car is actually the boot, which offers a class leading space of 407-litres.

Swift DZire - 315-litres

Amaze - 400-litres



Interior

For the most part, the cabin components are shared with the Grand i10. This means the high quality, dual tone beige and grey interior has been maintained.



Features of the Grand i10 such as the 1 GB storage, cooled glove box, smart key and start/stop button, amongst others have been carried over.



Depending on the variant, the Xcent receives added premium features such as automatic climate control, rear-view camera, rear AC vents and even a rear seat armrest with cup holders.



Despite the Xcent being narrower than both the Amaze and DZire, one cannot complain about the spaciousness/legroom, which is identical to the Grand i10.



Also, the rear seats have a more lean-back position compared to the hatchback.



Safety

Safety features such as dual front airbags and reverse parking camera are only available in higher variants. Also, ABS is offered only as an option. Nevertheless, it is available with the automatic variant, which is not the case with the Grand i10 hatchback.



Performance

The engines, the 1.1 U2 CRDi diesel and 1.2-litre Kappa petrol are both from the hatchback. While the petrol engine remains untouched, the diesel unit has been reworked to produce 22 Nm extra torque and 1 bhp more power, though that's not really noticeable.



The diesel engine produces a power output of 71 bhp at 4000 rpm and 180 Nm of torque at 1750 rpm, which though considerably less than what the Amaze and DZire can tap into, is still good enough for a highway cruise.

Amaze - 98 bhp @ 3600 rpm/200 Nm @ 1750 rpm
Swift DZire - 74 bhp @ 4000 rpm/190 Nm @ 2000 rpm

The petrol engine; on the other hand, is a better performer in city traffic. Its 81 bhp power at 6000 rpm and 114 Nm torque at 4000 rpm are comparable to its competitors.

Amaze - 86 bhp @ 6000 rpm/109 Nm @ 4500 rpm
Swift DZire - 86 bhp @ 6000 rpm/114 Nm @ 4000 rpm



A 5-speed manual unit is the standard transmission, while the 4-speed unit that's shared among all Hyundai cars is the automatic gearbox.



ARAI certified mileage delivered by Xcent is 24.4 kpl and 19.1 kpl respectively for the diesel and petrol engines.

Amaze - 18 kpl (P) and 25.8 kpl (D)

Swift DZire - 19.1 kpl (P) and 23.4 kpl (D)



Conclusion

Pros:
Price, good amount variant feature set, build quality, boot space, good legroom for rear passengers.

Cons:
Comparatively less powerful engines, ABS is not standard.

Overall, the Hyundai Xcent is a well-rounded car that offers very good value for money with the potential to grab the ‘Best Compact Sedan' title next year.

Our Hyundai Xcent review ends here. Do feel free to reach out to us for any queries or suggestions - we greatly value your feedback.