Hyundai’s next big bet

Hyundai has been upgrading all of its cars here in India and the Xcent is expected to come soon after the new generation Grand i10. Rahul Ghosh talks about this new compact sedan

Take a closer look at the Xcent which promises to stir up the

compact sedan segment

RenaultHyundai has been a company buzzing with activity. It recently launched a brand new compact SUV and also the Kona electric vehicle. Needless to say it is also busy revamping

their line up of standard cars in India. On a recent trip to the southern part of the country we were able to spot the new generation Xcent which we think has a lot of potential. So what all can we expect?

The new Xcent is expected to be based on a completely reworked platform. The sedan is expected to grow in terms of wheelbase but owning to the sub-four norms, it will continue to be a compact sedan. The design

will reflect Hyundai's new age design philosophy and hence will get sleeker than before. It will also be a feature rich sedan and will get projector lights up front and LED day time running lights located on the front bumpers. The grille up front will be much larger and will give the sedan a sportier look. In profile, the sedan looks much larger and it will also get new door handles and ORVMs. The rear section is worked upon heavily and will no longer look like an addon to the hatch. The tail lights will sport LEDs and will be much larger units. The registration plate has also been repositioned on the new rear bumper. Overall the new Xcent should look good.

The interiors will also go through a sea change. The dash will be all new and will house a floating style infotainment system. Top of the line variants will also come with climate control system and the rear AC vent will be standard too. The seats are new too and are not the single piece units as seen currently. The new generation Xcent will also come with retuned engines. The 1.2-litre petrol will continue to serve the compact sedan and will become even more efficient. The other thing to think about is the future of the small diesel engine which Hyundai uses in their small cars. Whether those engines will continue to be offered is the only thing which needs to be seen.

THE SEDAN IS EXPECTED TO GROW IN

TERMS OF WHEELBASE

The new generation Xcent will come with new dimensions and a longer wheelbase. Note the sporty alloy wheels and the rear parking sensors and the little camera mounted about the registration plate (above). The tail section will also look more matured as far as the design is concerned