The
world of C-segment compact sedans was taken by storm this year when
Honda launched the Amaze. It finally looked like there would be a worthy
competitor for the mighty Swift Dzire. However, it has been more than
six months since the CS was launched but has not been able to make any
inroads into the Dzire’s sales number. Now, it looks like Hyundai wants
to try its hand at this competition and will bring a new Grand i10 based
compact sedan to the Indian market next year. Reports have already
emerged that the prototypes arte ready for testing and are likely to
soon be seen on the roads in obviously camouflaged guise.
The car is
expected to follow the standard compact sedan formula as has been the
case with its rivals and will be a Grandi10 with a boot slapped on after
the C-Pillar. While the Dzire cannot hide the fact that it Swift with a
boot on, the Amaze has been able to do a better job thanks to the fact
that Honda has designed the car from the ground up to be a compact
sedan.
The
Hyundai Grand i10 based sedan is expected to share much of its external
appearance with the hatchback which means that there will be a similar
fascia but with minor alterations like a larger grille or different
design for the bumpers to separate both vehicles. On the side profile,
we expect that Hyundai will continue to retain the same overall shape
but will have the roofline flow into the boot section rather sharply
rake into the back. While such a move will make the car look graceful
and complete it is likely that it will reduce the available amount of
headroom for the passengers in the back seats. The Grand i10 stands at
3.76 meters, so it looks like the Korean automaker has another 24
centimeters to add boot space at the back without losing out on the
requirements to fit into the sub four metre vehicle category. In
standard practice, they are expected to push the back seats into the
current boot area of the hatchback and then add on the boot. We expect
full foldable rear seats in a bid to boost the storage capacity for the
upcoming sedan.
The
back is expected to be a little high up and will have a slightly high
loading lip in a bid to give the car a slightly higher stance. The rear
end is expected to have the same design for the tail lamps and
indicators. The number plate holder will move the bumper to the lid of
the boot.The
Hyundai Grand i10 based sedan is expected to have exactly the same
interiors as the hatchback and will also have the same feature list.
This means beige and black interior trim and what seem to be high
quality plastics for the stalks, switches and buttons. Features such as
the rear AC vents, internal hard drive, rear parking sensors and height
adjustment for the driver’s seat are all likely to be offered for the
Grand i10 based sedan. The top spec petrol and diesel variants are
likely to get heated rear glass, arm rest for the rear passengers.
The
Grand i10 based sedan will get the 1.4-litre diesel unit from the i20
premium hatchback that produces 89bhp and 219Nm of torque while the
petrol unit is expected to be the 1.2-litre Kappa ngine that produces
81bhp and 114Nm of torque. Power is transmitted to the front wheels via a
five-speed manual gearbox or a four-speed AT (petrol only). It is
expected to be available in all five variants that the Grand i10 is
currently available in. There is also a possibility that if the Grand
i10 hatchback gets a diesel AT variant, the sedan too will be offered
with this option.
Price, competition and when can we expect to see it on the road
We expect that Hyundai will price the Grand i10 based sedan in the
range of Rs 5.1 lakh to Rs 7.7 lakh. In this price range, it competes
with the Honda Amaze, Maruti Suzuki Dzire, Chevrolet Sail, Fiat Linea
Classic, Ford Classic and the Toyota Etios. It is expected to bridge the
gap between the Verna and the i20. The Grand i10 based sedan is likely
to be unveiled at the 2014 Indian Auto Expo and will be launched for the
Indian market a few months later.
Hyundai is all set to launch the Xcent compact sedan in India on the
12th of March 2014. The Xcent is based on the Grand i10 hatchback
platform and has an identical front profile as that of the hatchback’s
with the same headlights, grille and front bumper. The side profile is
similar to that of the Grand i10 as well, right up to the C-pillar which
then gives way to a boot. Around the back, the Hyundai Xcent compact
sedan has a very sharply contoured rear end that gets large tail lamps
that look ungainly at best. The rear bumper has straight lines and
curves that lend a visual break along with a faux air diffuser and
reflectors.
Inside,
The Hyundai Xcent compact sedan will be well
equipped like its hatchback sibling by sporting features such as climate
control, rear parking sensors, rear view camera, cooled glovebox,
keyless start/stop, rear air vents, rear centre armrest, electric
folding mirrors, lots of cubby holes and storage spaces, dual tone
interiors and a double-din stereo with Bluetooth connectivity, 1GB of
internal storage space and steering mounted controls.
These
features will no doubt make the Hyundai Xcent the most well equipped
compact sedan in the country and knowing Hyundai, the car will come with
a range of variants to choose from that will be placed at various price
points.
Engine options for the Hyundai Xcent will include the 1.2
litre Kappa2 four cylinder petrol engine from the i20 and Grand i10
developing 84PS of power @ 6,000 rpm and 114Nm of torque 4,000 rpm. The
diesel engine is the 1.1 litre three cylinder engine from the Grand 10
developing 71PS of power @ 4,000 rpm and 160Nm of torque between 1,500
rpm and 2,750 rpm.
The Hyundai Xcent will take on the likes of the
Maruti Suzuki Swift DZire and Honda Amaze. The Amaze being a compact
sedan and having the option of a diesel engine is the highest selling
Honda in the country while the Swift DZire is currently the third
highest selling car in India. As you can now understand, the Xcent has
tremendous potential in the market and can do wonders for Hyundai. Its
all down to pricing then for Hyundai, we expect Hyundai to price the new
Xcent in the range of Rs. 5.10 lakh to Rs. 7.7 lakh (ex-showroom Delhi)
