Hyundai Xcent launched. To battle against the Amaze and Dzire

Hyundai seems to be on a roll! Having shaken the small car space with the Grand i10 unlike any other product before it, save for Maruti's Swift, the Korean auto maker is going to announce its entry into the sub-4 metre sedan segment - a category that's done wonders for Maruti Suzuki, and Honda, of late. Popularly mentioned in the motoring world as the Grand i10 sedan, the Xcent has finally been launched!

Hyundai had revealed the Xcent to the media just before the commencement of Auto Expo and the press world went crazy talking about it - rightly so. The Xcent is based on the Grand i10 platform, and taking cue from how rounded the hatchback is as a mechanical product, and how brilliantly it's done in the market, the compact sedan is expected to mirror that performance. Expected, mind you.

The compact sedan segment was, in essence, create by Tata Motors when it came out with the Indigo CS. Maruti Suzuki soon followed suit with its Swift-based Dzire and has been the strongest player in the segment ever since. Honda, however, did worry Maruti a fair bit when the Amaze was introduced. The fact that it was a serious effort from a company like Honda, no less, and also that it came with the first ever diesel engine (for India) from the chaps at Minato, Tokyo, shifted the market sentiment heavily in favour of Honda.

But Hyundai has added the spice that Maruti and Honda would've been keen to avoid for some more time. We compare the three - the Hyundai Xcent, Honda Amaze and the Maruti Suzuki Dzire to checkout if the fight will get any bloodier!

When it comes to design, the Honda does look more striking. There is a bit of modernity to it and though the front bears resemblance to the Brio hatchback, it does have its own character. The Xcent on the other hand carries over the front fascia of the Grand i10 but the boot could be slightly better integrated. It does look a bit odd from the rear. Now, the Swift Dzire fails to appeal in this department. It looks similar to the Swift and Maruti has not really thought about the rear. It looks like it was done in a hurry. The Xcent gets a 407-litre volume which is best in class, beating the Dzire's 316 litres and the Amaze's 400 litres.

Obviously, all the three mentioned cars are less than four metres in length. Since the Xcent is based on the hatchback (the Grand i10) the basic width and height remains unchanged. The wheelbase sees a change and is now 2425mm which makes it spacious but not as much as the Swift Dzire (3,995mm) or the Honda Amaze (3,990mm). The Swift is 1,695mm wide; the Amaze is 1,680mm while the Xcent is the narrowest of the lot with 1660mm.

A bit of engine-talk now. The Dzire gets the 1.2-litre K-series petrol engine and the 1.3-litre MultiJet diesel. The Honda Amaze gets a four-cylinder 1.2-litre petrol and a 1.5-litre petrol engine. The Xcent might carry forward the same engine from the Grand i10 and it will get the 1.2-litre Kappa petrol and the 1.1-litre, 3 cylinder diesel engine.

On the transmission front, the Amaze and the Swift Dzire get a five-speed manual as standard. But the petrol variants also get the auto-box. The Xcent gets the 5-speed manual or the 4-speed auto box.

As for features, all the cars will be evenly matched. But since the Xcent is the most recent of the launches, it will come with some best-in-class features like push button start-stop system, rear AC vents and two-din audio system with 1GB of memory. There will also be automatic climate control on offer (just like in the Dzire) and even safety features like ABS and Airbags will form part of the car.

The Maruti Suzuki Dzire still holds a strong influence in this segment, but if there's any manufacturer that's spoiled Maruti's game, it's mostly been Hyundai. This may not be any different. It's difficult to overthrow the Dzire as the segment bestseller, but Hyundai will definitely make a heavy dent in its numbers - or so we expect. The Honda Amaze too, new to the segment, remains a strong contender. The Xcent is priced at Rs 4.66 lakh and that's what makes it an appealing deal. At that kind of price it will kill all competition but does it drive well? That department is yet to be conquered!