Tata Zest vs Hyundai Xcent comparison

The engine in the Zest needs no real introduction. It’s Tata’s version of the 89bhp Fiat Multijet engine that you’ll find in a number of cars on sale in India, from the Fiat Punto to the Maruti Ertiga, and of course, the old Tata Manza. While we have seen it in action in the Zest before, that car was equipped with the AMT automatic gearbox, so how does it perform with a conventional manual gearbox? The short answer is familiar, but slightly improved. While this engine has been known to suffer from a lot of turbocharger lag, it seems to be much better contained in this car. As before, however, this motor has a lot of thrust at middle revs, and pulls quite strongly towards its redline as well.

Even just going by the numbers, the Xcent is at a disadvantage here. Its 1.1-litre, three-cylinder diesel motor produces just 71bhp and 18.4kgm of pulling power (the Zest’s engine produces 89bhp and 20.4kgm in comparison). This is evident in the performance figures, where
the Xcent takes a lazy 18.61 seconds to reach 100kph from rest, while the Zest manages it in a more respectable 14.78sec; nearly four seconds quicker.

In isolation, it might seem like the Hyundai has adequate power for most situations, but in truth, you will find yourself shifting gears more often in order to keep the engine in the meat of its powerband; the only place where the thrust feels sufficient. However, we will say that Hyundai has
tuned the motor to be very easy to drive. Unlike the Zest, whose turbocharger suddenly delivers a serious punch at around 2,000rpm, there is hardly any ‘step’ in the Xcent’s power delivery, which comes in one continuous, smooth surge. The power, however, all but disappears at about 3,800rpm, so it’s best to change gears early to try and keep the engine in its mid range. While it has sufficient response at low speeds, it feels a little out of breath on the highway.

Speaking of changing gears, both the cars use five-speed manual gearboxes, and, of the two, the Hyundai’s does feel lighter and smoother to use. The thing is, however, the Zest’s gearbox is not too far behind – it’s light and smooth, but perhaps not quite as easy to slot in gears as the Hyundai’s.

Ride and handling

Here too is an area where Tata has made huge strides. The Zest has a superbly honed balance between comfort and handling ability. Its ride, though a little stiffer than the petrol version, has a nice soft edge over sharp bumps and though you can sense a bit of firmness, it doesn’t toss you around over a rough patch of road. It’s also very stable at higher speeds, which makes it great out on the highway, though the light steering does rob it of some confidence at these speeds. The tall suspension (which gives it great ground clearance) means the car rolls around a bit too much through corners as well.

Mind you, the Xcent’s steering, though better than many other Hyundai cars,  feels too inconsistent in its weight and feel to be truly enjoyable, but like the Zest’s, it’s light and works well in slow city traffic. While we also find most Hyundai cars’ suspensions to be too soft, the Xcent’s is quite stiff, which means it tends to crash over sharper bumps where the Zest simply glides over them. It is at least very stable out on the highway, and over smooth road undulations, you won’t get tossed around in your seat. All in all, the Xcent’s suspension is perfectly acceptable in its own right, but the Zest’s is simply much better.

Buying & owning

These two fully loaded cars are quite closely matched on price, with just Rs 43,000 between them. The Zest Quadrajet XT costs Rs 7.04 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi), while the Xcent CRDi SX (O) costs Rs 7.47 lakh.

On the warranty front, Tata will give you a generous three-year/1,00,000km standard warranty on the Zest, while Hyundai’s two-year/unlimited km warranty is pretty much par for the course.

While we weren’t able to test this version of the Zest for fuel efficiency, its ARAI-certified claimed figure is a decent 21.1kpl overall. The Xcent’s ARAI claimed figure is just a little better at 24kpl, which makes sense, given the Hyundai’s lighter weight.

It must be kept in mind, however, that these claimed figures come from a laboratory. They don’t take into consideration variable factors like traffic, road conditions, pollution and weather, and so, the real-world figures will be more conservative than these.

Equipment & safety

While the diesel auto Zest comes only in a lower-spec XMA trim, it’s good you can get the manual-gearbox diesel in fully loaded XT trim. This means it is the only car in this class to even come close to the Xcent’s long equipment list. There are class firsts, like the touchscreen system and LED running lights, and you also get auto climate control, ABS and two airbags. The touchscreen is connected to an excellent-sounding, eight- speaker audio system, which has Bluetooth (streaming and phone), USB, aux and SD card input; no CD player though. It also has a visual aid for the rear parking sensors, but there’s no camera. Finally, the Zest XT also gets voice commands, but we found them too few and specific to be of any real use while driving; Tata says they could be upgraded at a later stage.

The Xcent SX (O), while missing out a few of the Zest’s new features – like the touchscreen and LEDs – has others that seem to offer more practical benefits. There’s a rear-view camera, keyless entry and go, electric folding mirrors, a cooled glovebox and rear AC vents, for example, and of course, a CD player. It too gets two airbags and ABS, but it is missing speed-sensitive door locks and a real-time fuel-efficiency computer – both of which the Tata gets.

Verdict

The Xcent is a superb compact sedan by any measure, and betters the Zest in a number of areas. The cabin has a higher-quality feel, there are more storage spaces in here, and the boot is usably big. And while both cars have a lot of equipment, we feel the Xcent gives you more useful features. It’s just that it loses out to the Zest in some very key areas. The Tata sedan’s ride quality is just superb, the cabin is wider, the big windows make it feel more spacious, and the seats are more comfortable too. When comparing petrol engines, Hyundai’s Kappa2 motor bested Tata’s Revotron; but with diesels, it’s the other way around. While sufficient for city use, the Xcent’s diesel engine isn’t great for highway cruising, and that’s something that diesel car buyers with high-mileage usage will prefer. Another thing they will prefer is value, and with its slightly lower price tag and big-car dimensions, the Zest delivers that better than the decidedly ‘compact’ Xcent. It’s for these reasons that, in this comparison of diesel cars with manual gearboxes, the Tata edges ahead of the Hyundai.