The Indian compact sedan segment is all set to have its feathers ruffled again, with a new entrant from Hyundai's stable – the Xcent – which has just gone on sale. It’s derived from the very successful Grand i10, and all of the hatchback’s hallmarks have been carried forth – good legroom in the back, lots of features and a quality interior. But this segment already has two major players – Maruti’s Swift Dzire, for a time the second-best selling car in India, and Honda’s Amaze, which once boasted of being the most fuel efficient car in the country. The new Hyundai's Xcent will have these two to answer to, so how does it square up ? Let’s find out.
The Hyundai Xcent gets the same 1.2-litre petrol and 1.1-litre diesel engines as the Grand i10, which is important, as both the Maruti and the Honda have capable petrol and diesel powerplants. The petrols first – all three displace 1.2 litres, all have four cylinders, all are equipped with variable valve timing, and all can be had with the option of an automatic gearbox, apart from the standard five-speed manual. Hyundai’s punchy 1.2-litre Kappa2 engine makes 82bhp and 11.6kgm of torque, which is a shade shy of the Dzire’s K12 engine, which produces 86bhp and the same amount of torque. Honda’s 1.2 i-VTEC engine makes more power at 88bhp, but marginally less torque at 11.11kgm. Additionally, while the Xcent and Dzire use four-speed automatic gearboxes, the Amaze uses a five-speed automatic.