Hyundai India has officially announced that its new Xcent compact sedan will be launched on March 12, 2014 in New Delhi. Hyundai had unveiled the Xcent at a pre-show event before the 2014 Auto Expo in February.
The Hyundai Xcent is based on the Grand i10 hatchback and carries much of the small car’s styling. In fact, there’s nothing to differentiate the two cars right up till the rear doors. But you can tell the Xcent was envisioned as a compact sedan derivative of the Grand i10 from the very start from the way the tail section blends in smoothly with the rest of the design. The Hyundai Xcent looks quite unique at the tail and promises to offer best-in-class boot space as well.
On the inside, the cabin is a carryover from the Grand i10 which means a smart dashboard and high levels of fit and finish. As with other Hyundais, the Xcent will come loaded with features. It gets the Grand i10’s rear air-con vents, rear parking sensors, push-button start and USB-ready audio system with 1GB internal storage, but top variants will go one step further with automatic climate control and a rear-view camera. Steering-mounted audio controls, dual front airbags and ABS are some of the other features you can expect on the top-spec Xcents.
The new Hyundai Xcent shares the same wheelbase as the Grand i10 hatchback and this means it will get the same generous legroom at the rear. Rear passengers get the added convenience of a fold-down central armrest with cupholders.
The Hyundai Xcent sedan will use the same 1.1-litre diesel and 1.2-litre petrol engines as the Grand i10. These engines will be mated to five-speed manual transmissions as standard, though the petrol car will be offered with a four-speed automatic option too.
With the Xcent, Hyundai makes its foray into the lucrative sub-four-metre sedan segment, and meeting this small-car regulation should allow the company to price it competitively. Going by how well the Grand i10 hatchback has been received in India, the Xcent has the potential to cause a serious dent to Maruti Dzire and Honda Amaze sales.
Suraj Viswanathan
Dipan Sur
Lenny D'sa
Viraaj Bhatnagar
Rivan RS 
Ameya Dandekar
