Hyundai Aura

We drive the replacement for the Xcent

Indians have a certain desire for sedans and this very desire has compelled Hyundai to give it’s aging compact sedan, the xcent a proper upgrade. Enter the Aura. The Aura gets the new age Hyundai design philosophy and a lot of it comes from the recently launched Grand i10 nios which is also the car the Aura is based on. Today we have the turbo version of the Aura and hence there are some additional goodies linked in. Things like the red lining on the grille and the little turbo badge up front announce that you love your driving. Apart from that all other top of the line variants get this swept back projector headlamps, boomerang shaped DRLs. In profile we kinda like the design. The dimensions of the car have changed as well and there is plenty of ground clearance offered as well. The diamond cut alloys look good and the large glass areas also makes thing look cool. Not to forget the black C-pillar. At the back though is where the major change has happened. The tail gate gets large 3D tail lights and a chrome garnish as well. The Aura badging too looks good. Pop the boot and you will find a non intrusive 402 litre cargo bay. So overall we can say that the Aura looks a lot more matured as compared to the car it is replacing.

Much of the interior design has been borrowed from the Grand i10 Nios. So you continue to get a large dash with a large display area. The infotainment system is apple and android ready and also beams feeds from the rear view cams.

The Aura also gets wireless charging, cruise control and an all digital instrument panel as well. The textures used within the cabin are rather soothing and we also like the red piping on the seats to differentiate this variant with the non-turbo ones. Hyundai say that they have thinned down the A-pillar as well to ensure better visibility. Overall larger glass areas have resulted in the cabin feeling bright and airy too. However certain black plastic elements could have been of better quality. The rear too is spacious and passengers do get an AC vent.

The Aura comes with a choice of three engine variants and today we have the driver’s choice propelling us. This is a 1.0-litre turbo charged engine which offers 100bhp and is mated to a 5-speed manual transmission. This motor comes with a host of tech upgrades which include and ewga turbo, a 2-stage oil pump among other. Overall fuel efficiency is claimed at 20.5kmpl. But instead of me blabbering out specs and telling you all the nitty grities, let’s

OVERALL LARGER GLASS AREAS HAVE RESULTED IN THE CABIN FEELING BRIGHT AND AIRY

THE GEARBOX PLAYS SPORT TOO AND GIVE IT A DOWNSHIFT TO GET THINGS EXCITING IS THE MANTRA

get driving.

The 1.0-litre motor starts up a tad rough but settles down immediately. Being a turbocharged motor, we thought of driving it with some grunt first. The car takes off rather quick and most importantly it gives you that kick. It has that feel of sportiness within and makes the car a rather fun one to drive. Drive it sedately and it also feels comfortable. Sure at the bottom end of the rev range things are a bit slow, but keep it marginally revved and you will enjoy driving. The gearbox plays sport too and give it a downshift to get things exciting is the mantra. Surprisingly the Aura handles well too. The taught chassis takes on to corners well and one will enjoy the drive for sure. Ride quality too is good and the sedan takes on the nasty bumps with ease. The only drawback is the amount of tyre noise emanated. The steering is well weighed but feedback is not on the higher side.

Likes Turbo petrol engine, ride quality, features Dislike Not too convinced with the looks

1.0-litre turbo charged petrol offers good power and fuel efficiency is claimed at 20.5kmpl

1. The dash comes from the Nios. But note the little red accents on the dash and the red stitching on the seats which are special to the turbo variant only. 2. The instrument panel is also lifted straight off the Nios. 3. The infotainment system is Apple and Android ready. 4. Wireless charging is also offered on the Aura

Rahul Ghosh Associate Editor rahul.ghosh@intoday.com @bulletcompany VERDICT The Xcent always looked like a half-hearted effort in creating a compact sedan. We are happy to report that the Aura changes this and overall looks a lot more matured. We loved the features offered in the Aura and also the fact that the turbo variant gets special touches. The engine makes the car a fun to drive motor and the manual gearbox just adds to the overall fun. The pricing is also very tempting and we see no reason why someone should not like the Aura.

1. The headlights are projector type on the top variants. 2. The tail lights look smashing thanks to them being LEDs and also the 3D effect infused in them. 3. Rear passengers ger an AC vent as well as a 12V charging point