Hyundai Xcent spotted testing; to be launched on March 12

Hyundai’s much awaited Xcent sedan has been spotted testing without any camouflage. The car, recently unveiled during the Auto Expo, is slated for a grand launch on March 12, 2014. This car had no badges, and was seen with chrome door handles and alloy-wheels indicating it’s the top-end variant.

Hyundai has always been the master of the equipment game and it won’t be a surprise to see the Xcent being loaded with a few segment best features. There are already rumours that the Xcent will get push-button start, rear ac vents, rear parking camera, one-touch opening boot etc. 

Although, the Xcent won’t win a beauty contest, it doesn’t look bad either. The car borrows the front-end from the Grand i10 hatchback with no changes. However, the best part is the rear silhouette that looks neatly integrated into the stubby boot. The entry-level sedan space has cars which are derived from a hatchback, the Xcent is no different. But, unlike the competition it looks like a car that was designed as a sedan, rather than a hatchback with a boot. 

The Xcent might be powered by the 1.2-litre Kappa engine and the three-pot, 1.1-litre oil burner from the Grand i10. However, we feel the Korean car maker might use the 1.4-litre CRDI engine found in its siblings. The car will get a five-speed manual, however, in the past, a few test-mules were spotted with an automatic gearbox. We have a strong feeling that Hyundai might offer the Xcent diesel with an automatic transmission.   

The Hyundai Xcent will compete with the Maruti Swift Dzire, Honda Amaze and the upcoming Tata Zest. This year, expect to see some fireworks in the segment dominated by Maruti. We will bring you more details on the Hyundai Xcent before its launch on March 12.