[TusharK]

Hyundai has launched the Xcent Prime with a factory-fitted CNG kit. The Xcent Prime CNG is available in two trim options - T and T+ priced at Rs. 5.93 lakh and Rs. 6.13 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi) respectively.



Both variants of the Xcent Prime CNG are primarily aimed at cab operators. Both versions get speed limiting function (SLF) as standard. According to Hyundai, factory-fitted CNG will help in reducing the hassles of registration and finance. Additionally, customers are expected to be able to get tax benefits in certain areas. Additionally, the factory-fitted CNG will save time of installation post-delivery.

The Xcent Prime CNG is powered by a 1.2-litre petrol engine that is paired with a 5-speed manual transmission. Hyundai is offering a warranty of 3 years / 1,00,000 km on the car.

[Ricky_63]

I had bought the Xcent 1.2 in December 2015, WITH warranty on the CNG Kit, from Hyundai.

The difference is that the fitting is being done at the factory now. Earlier this was done at dealership level, warranty however was provided for the whole car alongwith the sequential CNG kit. Worked like a dream.

Cheers

[oli.ferns]

Sorry this maybe a noob question. I'm just checking to see if this could be a good investment in terms of renting it out especially if you aren't driving it. I heard zoomcars had an option to let out your car, any other options to recover the cost or earn money?

[Reinhard]

Originally Posted by oli.ferns

Sorry this maybe a noob question. I'm just checking to see if this could be a good investment in terms of renting it out especially if you aren't driving it. I heard zoomcars had an option to let out your car, any other options to recover the cost or earn money?

I'm not sure if those who want self-drive cars on rent would pick a CNG. Most of the times people rent a car like that to go on a vacation out of town. Places that will not always have CNG filling stations and will leave the customer to use petrol. Also - a CNG tank in the boot will eat up vital luggage space. I don't feel this will be the right car for self-drive purpose. Diesel is the way to go for that.

[Ricky_63]

Originally Posted by oli.ferns

Sorry this maybe a noob question. I'm just checking to see if this could be a good investment in terms of renting it out especially if you aren't driving it. I heard zoomcars had an option to let out your car, any other options to recover the cost or earn money?

I got a few cars & tried living the OLA / UBER dream. Alas in North India, the profits are dependent on how honest the driver is. I had had enough in 3 months.

Recovered my cost 90% but sold the fleet & I'm glad I did

My honest advice ! Don't get into this unless you are ok with.......a lot of crap. The only one who makes money is the owner & driver as in both being the same person

[i74js]

Can one not buy these factory fitted CNG options for personal use as they are fitted with speed governor?

Is there is an option that speed governor will be deactivated / bypassed if the car is sold to private owner? Delhi has a lot of market for private CNG cars and Maruti is cashing on it. Some cities in Gujarat are also picking up personal CNG cars because of lower operational cost.

[Ricky_63]

@ i74js

One can buy it as a private registered car. There's no problem at all.

[i74js]

Originally Posted by Ricky_63

@ i74js

One can buy it as a private registered car. There's no problem at all.

Will you buy a personal car with speed maxed out at 80 km per hour? I hope I have made it clear now. I am not asking if I can or cannot buy !

[ashutoshb]

I had seven i10 cars fitted with the Hyundai (CEV) kits. With all running above one lakh kms each, for a total of seven lakh kms, the problems faced were almost none. The kits even came with separate rear shock absorbers, taking in account the weight of the cylinder.

Like it has been said in the article, the registration process for dealer fitted kits is indeed cumbersome. So, a factory fitted kit is a step in the right direction.

I'll be surprised if they don't launch the factory fitted option in the new gen Xcent as well.

Originally Posted by oli.ferns

Sorry this maybe a noob question. I'm just checking to see if this could be a good investment in terms of renting it out especially if you aren't driving it. I heard zoomcars had an option to let out your car, any other options to recover the cost or earn money?

One word suggestion, avoid. The running and maintenance expenses are huge and the earning is completely dependent on how good and honest your driver is. Which means, all your investment is dependent on one salaried individual, who doesn't give a damn about you or the well being of your car.

[2000rpm]

I think its safe to declare the Xcent (and Toyota Etios) as modern era cabs. These vehicles replace Indica in the commercial vehicle market. Also the Old Dzire to the list. I think the companies have realized that these three products will not get the required traction in the personal user segment and they have positioned them as commercial cabs. I personally love the Etios as my Uber ride.

[Ricky_63]

Originally Posted by i74js

Will you buy a personal car with speed maxed out at 80 km per hour? I hope I have made it clear now. I am not asking if I can or cannot buy !

People who buy CNG fitted cars are buying for economy not for burning tyres. For city use 80 kmph is adequate.

I'm not suggesting that you or anyone else buy it. Simply answered a straight forward question.

[Nissan1180]

Originally Posted by 2000rpm

I think its safe to declare the Xcent (and Toyota Etios) as modern era cabs. These vehicles replace Indica in the commercial vehicle market. Also the Old Dzire to the list. I think the companies have realized that these three products will not get the required traction in the personal user segment and they have positioned them as commercial cabs. I personally love the Etios as my Uber ride.

We have the CNG XCent, and it is the most economical compact sedan in the market today. In the city, you can achieve a running cost of Rs. 2/km. I'm not sure why people are against CNG as a fuel for private cars- maybe some people have a lot of money to burn. Even a petrol Alto costs Rs. 4-5 per km these days.

While the company may have aimed this at the commercial segment, it has the attributes of being a blockbuster for the private segment as well if they manage to publicize the running costs. It is unbelievably cost effective. The best part is that you still have a boot, although it is a lot smaller than the petrol/diesel version. The pickup is great and you do not feel the presence of the CNG kit since the tuning is done by the company. The only disadvantage of the XCent is the weak Air Conditioner which takes a lot of time to cool the cabin. Presence/absence of a rear vent doesn't change things.

[GTO]

Originally Posted by Ricky_63

I had bought the Xcent 1.2 in December 2015, WITH warranty on the CNG Kit, from Hyundai.

Originally Posted by ashutoshb

I had seven i10 cars fitted with the Hyundai (CEV) kits. With all running above one lakh kms each, for a total of seven lakh kms, the problems faced were almost none. The kits even came with separate rear shock absorbers, taking in account the weight of the cylinder.

Originally Posted by Nissan1180

We have the CNG XCent, and it is the most economical compact sedan in the market today.

Wow guys, I didn't know we had so many owners of CNG Hyundais on the forum. Can you please share a short overview of the car here? Especially important since diesel is getting such a bad name these days.

Like, what are the main pros & cons, differences in maintenance, cost of upkeep, any inconveniences when filling up etc.

Thanks!

[Nissan1180]

Originally Posted by GTO

Wow guys, I didn't know we had so many owners of CNG Hyundais on the forum. Can you please share a short overview of the car here? Especially important since diesel is getting such a bad name these days.

Like, what are the main pros & cons, differences in maintenance, cost of upkeep, any inconveniences when filling up etc.

Thanks!

Our car has an interesting story. I bought it for use as an OLA taxi. The driver ran away with it and after retrieving it, I decided to convert it to a private vehicle. It would replace our 2006 Baleno VXI (which my dad still doesn't want to sell- it really is a brilliant car)
Pros:
1. Virtually no difference in pickup and performance. It is as good as a Petrol Xcent.
2. Rs. 2 per kilometer! Even bikes cost more these days.
3. There's no space constraint at all. The boot is bigger than that of a typical hatchback.
Cons:
1. Sometimes, you have to stand in a queue with CNG cabs and autorickshaws. It doesn't affect me or my dad at all, but some people who're very conscious about who they're surrounded by may find it difficult.
2. Long trips can be a bit difficult if you carry a lot of luggage.

I really feel that given the cost of Petrol, we need CNG variants on all cars. I remember Maruti used to offer this earlier, but then they believed the hype surrounding petrol and stopped it. Today, Petrol is Rs. 79 per liter in Mumbai and it makes no sense to not use CNG. Maintenance costs are the same as petrol, and the company gives a 1 Lakh kilometer warranty! The warranty on the CNG kit is 60,000 kilometers but the other parts of the vehicle are covered better. So far, we've not encountered any problems and the car has run close to 60,000 kilometers in less than two years. This includes the abuse thrown in by the rouge driver. A normal service costs around 3000 INR.

I was not a fan of Hyundai but after owning this car, we really feel that the CNG XCent is the most underrated economy segment car in the country. It doesn't come with ABS/Airbags, so a lot of people might be put off by the safety ratings. But if that's addressed, it is a great company family car that's very cheap to own and run.

[Reinhard]

I used to own an LPG Omni & used it like a bike! Used to be still cheaper than scooters at that time. If it wasn't for a bent rear end of the chassis (manufacturing defect that I realized after warranty) that always ate up half side of the rear left tire, it would have still been with me.

CNG certainly is wonderful & I'm ultra disappointed with the way auto-makers are handling (or not actually) it. Tata for instance only had an Indica eV2 / eCS on offer in factory fit CNG setup. The Marutis that offer it, offer it in specific trims (like LXi only, that doesn't get any safety generally).

It is about time that this model of "factory fit" CNG setup is changed. Customer of any variant should have an option for CNG installation. Based on the customer order, either install it at the factory on the assembly line, or make the conversion at the dealer workshop level with trained staff & extend the warranty to cover this change also. Ensure that correct details are sent for insurance.

Are these things so tough? Simply to make more profits and not do anything extra for the customer, these are skipped.

Give CNG in the variant that customer wants & we'll see a huge difference in the number of people who opt for CNG.
It is cleaner, it is cheaper. It is the fuel everyone should use if possible.