So, the next big thing to stir up the compact sedan segment is coming, coming from the Koreans! Hyundai will launch the Xcent in Delhi tomorrow and as always, we will be present to cover the event.
While the company has officially unveiled the car before the Auto Expo, they specifically did not reveal the engine details. Upon being asked by someone, they cleared that they want to keep them a secret and leave something for latter times.
Hyundai has the choice of two diesel engines. 1.1L U2 diesel motor, which is an obvious expectation for a car which is just an elongated Grand i10. The second is the 1.4L CRDi diesel engine which does duty on the i20 and the 1.4L Verna. Both the engines are well under that 1.5L mark set for a car to be eligible for the lesser sub-4 meter excise duties.
While majority of the publications are reporting the obvious 1.1L U2 diesel engine, Economic Times reported that one Hyundai official was recorded saying that the compact sedan based on Grand i10 will get a ‘more powerful engine’ back in September last year.
Though it may score on fuel efficiency, frankly speaking the 71PS 160Nm 1.1L motor may just be a tad too underpowered for a sedan (how-so-ever small it may be). The competition Dzire has an engine which produces 75PS of power but more importantly 190Nm of fantastic torque. Honda’s workhorse Amaze’s 1.5L i-DTEC motor has 100PS and 200Nm and returns fuel efficiency figures of phenomenal 25kmpl.
On the other hand, Hyundai’s 1.4L diesel engine produces 90PS of power output and 220Nm of torque which is what appears to be the ideal motor for it. In fact they have a room for detuning it a wee bit for the sake of fuel efficiency, if that is the motto.
Nonetheless, we will come to know all about Xcent in tomorrow’s launch, its variants, prices and the secret diesel engine. Our estimate for Hyundai Xcent’s price is somewhere around 4.75 Lakhs for the entry level petrol which will undercut both Amaze and Dzire. Do not forget to come back tomorrow at around 12 noon for live updates.
Related Reading: List of all 6 Upcoming Compact Sedans in India [Rs 5-8 Lakhs]
