Re: Hyundai Xcent: Review | Test Drive | Pictures
Had been to Hyundai Showroom to check the Xcent. The funny thing was i saw the car in one showroom and Test Drove at another Dealership. The problem was that 1st Dealer didn't have Diesel TD Car, hence i had to go to other Dealer. Firstly, Was greeted by Receptionist. They did it only for Xcent Customers. My brother who was checking out Santa Fe dint get any Welcoming !!.
Front end looks good, since i like Grand i10. The plastic moulds present on the side of the vehicle didn't impress me, the Rear was totally ugly.
As soon as i stepped inside the car, Interiors and a kind of perfume smell inside impressed me greatly. The Dashboard, Steering Wheel etc, everything felt premium. I also found switchgears to be of very good quality. I found Driver Seat a bit uncomfortable, because the seat base isn't flat like Amaze, Dzire, its tilted. My Head was touching the roof because the seat was at full high position. Then adjusted it accordingly. Then i moved to the Rear Bench, the first thing i noticed is that the rear seat is of i20. Everything is same except upholstery color and added Rear Armrest. The back seat is comfortable but space is slightly better then Dzire, Amaze is still most spacious. Boot is also almost same as Amaze, but the shape along with less width makes loading/ unloading of luggage's a bit complicated.
Now, the reason i TD Xcent is because my cousin brother is looking for a replacement for his 2010 Skoda Fabia Diesel. Boot was specific requirement along with Fuel Economy, Space. So Xcent suddenly came into mind along with Amaze. The model i test drove was SX(O) Diesel. First Impressions are the engine is refined despite being 3 cylinder. Gearshifts were butter-smooth and Engine was very responsive with slight lag. It pulls cleanly upto 60kmph, after that it feels underpowered and struggles to gain momentum. Constant gearshift is required to keep engine in the powerband. The Handling was also much better then other Hyundai cars. Overall i would say this engine is more good for City driving then Highways. I hope Petrol is opposite to this. So, to sum it up then, Hyundai have created another good product using their best ingredients (Equipment,VFM Price,Fluidic Design) but the engine is a let down especially on highway's.
So if i would pick a Compact Sedan, Honda Amaze has to be it because it is spacious, efficient, powerful and it comes with H badge(Reliability, Peace of Mind). I would definitely head to Honda Showroom with a Chequebook in my hand.