Hyundai Xcent V/S Competitors

Bringing the old charm of Accent, Hyundai now gears up to bring in the all new Hyundai Xcent, which is certain to pose a serious threat to its competitors. With the launch of Xcent nearing, it seems to be a rising threat for its competitors in the name of Honda Amaze and Maruti Swift Dzire. Other than the already exisiting models, the upcoming cars like Tata Zest and Ford Figo concept, also fall in the list of competitors for Xcent. The launch is scheduled on 12th March, and with this the sedan segment will get another strong player in the market. The new Xcent is based on Hyundai's very popular hatchback car, the Grand i10, which as of facts are concerned has captured a good market share with sales numbers reaching 10,000+ units per month.The sedan comes powered with both petrol and diesel engines. The 1.2-litre petrol engine is capable to belt out max power of 82bhp and 114Nm of torque. While, the oil burner gets a 1.1-litre diesel engine producing max power output of 70bhp and160Nm of top torque. Both the engines are clubbed to a five-speed manual transmission, while the petrol variant also gets the option of four-speed automatic gearbox.

When it comes to the features inside the car; Hyundai has always believed in offering feature rich cars to its customers. Take it to be as the company's USP, the feature rich package has always worked well for this South Korean brand, ultimately pitching Hyundai to be top brand for offering several features. Therefore the manufacturer provides rear AC vents, smart key with push button start, a 2 DIN audio system with USB, CD player with 1 GB internal memory, auto folding mirrors, rear arm rest with cup holders, glove box-cooling, steering mounted audio controls and Bluetooth with the new Xcent. Having discussed the product in detail, lets make a brief comparison between the Hyundai Xcent and existing competitors in the Indian market.

Hyundai Xcent vs Honda Amaze

With Honda Amaze, Honda first time introduced a diesel engine in India. The 1.5-litre i-DTEC  engine churns max power output of 98bhp, and delivers a whooping mileage of 25.8kmpl. With this, the Amaze stands to be country's most fuel efficienct sedan. The petrol variant of Amaze is powered by 1.2-litre i-VTEC engine producing max power of 84bhp. Looking at performance, the Amaze is a worthy contender in comparison to the Xcent.

On the other hand, the Hyundai Xcent's diesel model is no less competitive in terms of fuel efficiency, and delivers a healthy mileage of 24kmpl, but it is a bit underpowered for sure. To remain aggressive in the market, the Honda India has recently introduced 'SX' variant to the line-up. Additionally, this variant gets ABS (Anti-lock braking system), and is placed above the 'S' variant. So, in-total there are now 12 different variants of Amaze that are available in the market. Hyundai Xcent has an advantage when it comes to features, the elements like, rear AC vents, auto-folding mirrors and electro-chromic mirrors, win points for Xcent against Amaze.

Hyundai Xcent vs Swift Dzire

Maruti Swift Dzire has got lots of advantage against Xcent. Starting with Maruti's high brand value, and the amount of trust Indians put in for Maruti is certainly unbeatable. Maruti's products are cost effective, which attracts lot of Indian buyers towards this brand. Swift Dzire is powered by 1.3-litre DDiS diesel engine producing max power of 74bhp, while the petrol variant gets a 1.2-litre K series engine that generates max power of 85.8bhp. Dzire offers better handling and amazing ride quality. But when talked about exteriors, the new Xcent certainly looks far more appealing than the Maruti Swift Dzire. The other downside of this product is that its a bit old in relation to exterior design when compared with Xcent that mode in line with the Korean manufacturer's design philosophy. And as mentioned above. Xcent scores more in interiors and features on board.

Verdict

Considering that Maruti Swift Dzire has been around for the longest time followed by Honda Amaze, Hyundai's latest dig in terms of Xcent should be a good attempt to grab market attention as well as tickle the sentiments of the end consumer. While Tata's recent showcasing of the Zest and Ford Figo Concept can only stiffen the competition considering their design, technology and features offered on board which one will be only able to grasp in the coming months.So, looking at the competition levels, it wont be a cakewalk for Xcent in the Indian car market.