Hyundai Xcent taxi to go up against Maruti's Dzire taxi

Maruti Suzuki India had launched the Swift Dzire Tour for taxi operators back in 2012. This was a completely feature-stripped first-generation so far as to missing the left wing mirror. Hyundai has now decided to take it on with its feature-stripped Xcent.

The taxi variant Xcent from Hyundai will not feature front power windows, central locking, wheel caps, AC-cooled glovebox and blackened pillars. It will also get a more rugged cloth seat material which will be apt for the taxi operators. This taxi trim Xcent will use the same 1.2-litre Kappa VTVT petrol engine that develops 82bhp at 6,000rpm and 114Nm of torque. The diesel model will be powered by the same 1.1-litre U2 engine that develops 71bhp at 4,000rpm and 180Nm of torque between 1,750rpm and 2,500rpm. Furthermore, the pricey automatic transmission won’t be available on taxi variant. The petrol variant will be offered with CNG. Comparatively, the Dzire tour is only available with the 1.3-litre diesel engine.

Hyundai moves about 4,000 units of the private-user market Xcent while Maruti Suzuki pushes 3,000 units of the Dzire Tour alone. Hyundai plans on taking a part of the share away from Maruti by offering a comparatively contemporary option. The current base model Xcent starts at Rs 5.18 lakh for the petrol and Rs 6.01 lakh for the diesel variant. We can expect Hyundai Xcent to price the taxi notably lower.