[Rajain]

The question about what car started to do rounds at the dinner table at home given that the lovely A Star was now out of production we figured its value will fast depreciate. We had seen that happen with our Opel Corsa Sail.

However, A Star was different. It came from the Maruti stable. It has been cheap to run and maintain. And above all it was what home ministry calls “freedom of expression”. Years ago when she first flirted with driving she lay her hands on a manual Santro and never really got comfortable with changing gears and the like. Mind you Santro was a very accomplished car and I must add a great mountain goat.

Fast forward to the time when automatic cars started to appear in the Indian market at an affordable entry level cost. A Star was a quick choice since at that point in time (2012) the only other option was i10 – which I personally liked more but a feature to feature comparison left a huge 2 lakh plus cost variation.

Given that this would be the exclusive domain of the home ministry – as most of you married folks here know – don’t even attempt an argument! A Star came home and dutifully served us well for 2 years. Had it not been for the decision by Maruti to stop production, perhaps A Star would have continued to serve her. True Value made the handing over part easy and with a heavy heart the “Freedom of expression” was let go.

An upgrade was not extremely necessary but since new technologies and features had come for someone who spends a fair bit of time checking out new things a feature rich automatic was certainly on the cards.

So, what were the boxes that had to be checked –

a) Obviously the next car had to be an automatic

b) Must be feature rich – the more gizmos, the better

c) We have had 3 hatchbacks – so this could be a sedan.

d) The feel good, feel new factor

e) Looks did matter and I know this is subjective but some cars and a couple of sedans were immediately ruled out.

f) The service network – Maruti has had a high benchmark in this but we also have had great experience with Hyundai and General Motors.

g) Cost of ownership – and this is where some of the German and European cars got ruled out

h) Economy – Ok not all that important given how little the vehicle would be driven. So petrol would be fine. In any case diesel AT cars are all above 12 or 13 L

i) Space – this was a bit of a decider. Ample space for 4 and an occasional 5th person. The additional boot was a big plus. We are fortunate to get several guests and the occasional airport runs would need a boot.

j) Safety – not at all the last. In fact high on our priority was ABS/EBD/Airbags.

With a variety of requirements our search for a new AT preferably a sedan started a couple of months ago.

1. The Choices

For someone who learnt driving on a Jeep and the only 2 cars of the time were Amby and Padmini with Maruti showing up in mid 80s one can only guess what today’s market means. One is spoilt for choice. The following criteria was important to us – AT, reliable, comfortable, spacious, well sorted/well engineered/well settled product, feature rich, sturdy, easy to maintain/own, easily serviceable in small towns, resale. So, what did we start thinking from and what did we finally zero down on.

Honda City AT – Butter smooth is the word. The vehicle is really well refined, very well finished, looks classy, has a lovely engine and feels rich. Given that it would be our second car at home plus that it would not be very extensively driven, we decided against a Honda City AT mainly due to its cost and a little bit on the lack of a few features.

Vento AT – I loved the sedate design, the fit and finish but having owned a German machine prior we felt the resale goes down fast and the service centre being some distance away was a bit of a deciding point on this one.

Verna AT – This is a lovely vehicle and considering how strong its performance is, I was feeling good on driving it. The home ministry however felt this is a little too much of indulgence given the sporadic use and so this was ruled out.

Corolla AT – An outstanding vehicle and possibly every inch bang for your buck. The only reason we decided not to consider it – the buck itself. And given that our car would not be used a whole lot it did not make sense to invest so much in a depreciating asset. But I would recommend this car. If I was buying the car for myself this would have been the choice.

SX 4 AT – Its a good vehicle but perhaps a bit too macho for the liking of the home ministry. The engine, the cabin comfort, the space etc – all scored high but the big car huge tires and macho styling did not appeal. So this was also ruled out.

Ford Ecosport AT – Gizmo rich, good looking vehicle but for my home ministry the design was too macho. She was not looking for an urban SUV. Moreover she felt the boot space was too less.

And mind you the cost of all these lovely sedans are over 10 lakhs (some over 12-13 even) and that is also a consideration given that the car won’t be used for more than a couple of thousand kms per year. I am not too sure of the price of a Ecosport AT but I would imagine that would have been close to 10 if not more.

So, we decided to explore the next level of sedans and spent considerable amount of time going through these options since we knew this is where the decision would eventually rest. Some would say that this is a more comparable band but I have to say a whole range of ATs were at least given a thought. This is what all we gave a good serious thought to –

Honda Amaze AT – Personally I liked the looks of Amaze. Slightly bold, well proportioned (unlike Brio), outstanding engine but, 'a huge but', the dashboard! Come on Honda I am sure you could do better than put such a dashboard that can drive a customer away. The Amaze ticked all our boxes minus two – the dashboard looks and almost no features.

Maruti Desire AT – Considering that we had two Marutis, an Ertiga and A Star, any Maruti dealer worth their salt would be happy give extra loyalty bonus and good exchange price plus a few freebies. But the interior of the Desire and Ertiga seemed to be fairly similar plus there weren’t any features. In the looks department, there was a bit of oddness to the boot. All in all I will say it was hard to say no.

Hyundai Xcent AT – Given that the home ministry had a Santro for a few years and we had done close to 75K in it without even one part (minus the battery and tyres) repaired or replaced the strong Hyundai brand was strong in mind. That though is true of almost all vehicles these days. They are built to last. The Xcent though did not just live on past glory or its heritage. It made a strong case for itself in just about every box we checked. It has the butter smooth steering, it is AT, climate control, Bluetooth, full music system, lovely sedate design, boot of course and above all good comfort. A quick drive meant we were nearing the decision point and the scales tilted in favour of Xcent.

The decision was then largely based on delivery schedule.

And so ladies and gentlemen please put your hands together for Hyundai Xcent SX (o) AT.








2. Booking and Delivery

Back in May we booked the car at Advaith Hyundai at outer ring road. Mind you no test vehicle and of the 3 visits there we were not even given the i10 Grand AT. Anyway, home ministry trusted my judgement on it and we went ahead and booked it. We were told of 4-6 weeks of delivery schedule. 4 weeks over no news, 6 weeks over no news.

In the meanwhile some level of frustration had begun to set in so one day while driving from Electronic City side I came across Trident Hyundai. I stopped and asked for a test drive plus delivery schedule. Again, no Xcent AT for test drive but Grand i10 was. I asked the sale person on delivery schedule and the same story 4-6 weeks. I pressed that button and got a commitment – which I felt was a routine salesperson promise.

We were now in June and Advaith still had no information. Once on our way back from the airport we stopped by and had a serious enough talk at Advaith that at least a customer must know and be informed – yes sir/ yes sir but again a few more days past – no information. Not a single call. Meanwhile Trident salesperson had been working hard and kept us posted on a possible delay in June but kept saying July delivery is certain – which was still within his 4 weeks.

July came and we were frustrated with the lack of communication from Advaith and meanwhile the salesperson at Trident called us up on 20 July and said the car has been dispatched from Chennai. That was great news. We went over to Advaith and cancelled our booking. Again, no great communication as to the reason for cancellation or whatever. We eventually cancelled our booking at Advaith. Yes we lost 5k in cancellation.

The day arrived and at Trident the car was ready for delivery – just 3 moving parts had to be synched up.

Insurance, Registration and funding - When I asked for a quote from Trident I was somewhat amazed at the exorbitant quote on the insurance. I simply told them that I would organise my own insurance. The registration was smooth enough with one rep calling me for number series and making a choice. The funding had to be stitched up from sale of A Star and some stretch at home. I made a call to Bajaj Allianz and their rep came home for giving a cover note for insurance. There was a 35% cost variation on the insurance as given by Trident.

With all formalities done, it was time to take the delivery. The week had Eid and then two days later a citywide bandh. So I had to find a time slot when I could get out, take the delivery and bring it home.


3. What you will like -

Design – We loved the sedate design. As I have mentioned earlier also, personally I liked Honda Amaze slightly more than Xcent but design wise we liked the Xcent as much if not more. Years ago we had purchased our Opel Corsa Sail and while Getz had more lines but the Corsa Sail design was more sedate. Walk around the car and it does come across simple and easy in its design. There is a level of consistency in its design, the black cladding on the side and the lines around the vehicle look integrated well. In particular the boot looks well integrated.



Boot – Yes absolutely needed. Coming off a hatch a boot was much needed blessing. It does not look like having been added later (which I feel at least one other comparable car has). The boot does get a light as well though I think that is hardly worth a mention.

Check the depth of the boot






Petrol AT – it is really nice and easy to drive. Petrol engine is responsive and does its work well without breaking sweat. The P, R, N and D are easy. In automatics I am not a great fan of trying to remember is the car slotted in D1 or D3 or needs L – for me that is the function of the engine itself - after all it is AT. I remember a couple of years ago being in Ladakh in a lovely Mitshubishi Outlander AT. I forget now what my friend was slotting into but the Outlander refused to take a climb which an Innova just took.

Cabin – It is roomy, feels airy, has enough light coming in from all quarters, with the beige colour tones the feeling of light and space gets further enhanced and above all it is made of top quality materials. In fact this one point is true for the entire vehicle. The quality of materials used is top notch. The front and rear windows are large and the light comes in well.

The dashboard



Quietness of the cabin – With windows raised one would have to strain for outside sounds coming in. The engine sound is anyway negligible but even the outside traffic sounds are really kept down but the good work done on cabin sound insulation. Great handling of the NVH levels. The rubber on the door as well as the door frame helps.

Seats – The fabric is good though beige will attract a fair bit dust and may start looking dirty sooner rather than later. Lumber support is good. But what impresses is the angle for the rear seats. The front seats have the usual adjustments including height adjuster for the driver seat. The middle of the rear seat has an armrest as well with 2 cup holders.

Lights – The headlamps are ‘so-so’. I understand it is the law to have 55/60W but there are ways in which auto manufacturers are giving good combination headlamps. Case in point the headlamps of Stingray, Tata Vista, Ford Fiesta, i20 or the latest Honda City. But that apart, the rear lights, the blinkers (integrated with the OVRMs), reversing light, cabin lights, brake lights and the fog lights – all do their job well. Their illumination is good, their spread is good and they are well visible from a distance at night.

Comfort Features – There is a whole range of them. Keyless start and go, auto folding mirrors, driver height adjust, push button start, cooled glove box, rear camera (not just sensors), rear air con, full music system, digital clock, date, on board trip meter, fuel consumption, temperature display, steering tilt, bluetooth, two charging points, automatic climate control etc (must have missed a few)

Climate Control – This deserves a special mention. The climate control does a wonderful job of cooling the cabin and in good time as well. The vents can be adjusted and the those for the rear also work fine for air circulation and direction.

Safety Features – ABS, EBD, child lock, keyless entry, reverse camera, front airbags, electronic folding mirrors, fog lamps, central locking, immobilizer, rear defogger, a host of reminders and alerts (and again must have missed a few).

Storage – The front and rear doors have map pockets, bottle holders, the middle of the seats in front have space for a full size 1 ltr bottle, there is cooled glove box (first time I have this feature in any of our cars and I must say I am liking it – try getting an ice cream brick home after shopping and see the difference). Not to forget a few drinks being cool during a long drive (not gone on a long drive as yet) And above all a lovely boot – good enough for 4-5 cabin size bags or 2 check in suitcases. A best in class 407 ltrs of boot space.

Audio – This deserves special mention. It’s a full music system. 4 speakers, 2 tweeters, there is MP 3 player, CD, there is aux in, there is USB, Bluetooth connectivity, steering mounted controls and 1GB internal memory. The sound does come through well and in the settings there is a surround effect (setting as well) which does make a difference. In fact the system even has a speed sensing audio volume which has four levels. Now, I will say the sound quality is pretty good for a stock HU though it may not impress the enthusiast.

Legroom – I was particular on this one. Being 6’2” I first sat full and comfortable in the driver’s seat (not going to be my seat majority of the times but just for the feel). I adjusted the seat for height and distance from steering wheel to the best position that I would need to get if I were driving. I did the same with the navigator’s seat. Then I went and sat at the rear seats and felt nice and comfortable. No compromises at all. Subsequently I asked the salesperson and 3 customers who were also looking the vehicle to come and sit inside and we closed the doors. We were sold. This car had the perfect balance. Five adults can sit well inside. The middle tunnel is low enough. Full marks on the cabin space designing.

Check this picture in the rear seat. The front seat was adjusted for my driving position. I am 6.2




Premium feel – Step inside the Xcent and you are surrounded by a rich premium feel. There is top notch plastic, rich fabric, the dashboard really really looks classy – certainly from a car a segment above. Dashboards of Hyundai cars right from the time of Santro to Verna to Elantra to even Eon – look nice, well laid out, functional and never cheap plastic or cost cut ill designed ones. As I have mentioned earlier this was one single point of rejection for the Honda Amaze. You can say the same for Etios though it was never in contention. Hold the steering wheel and you will be impressed with the touch and feel. Close the door and there smooth sound of closing well. No thud but nice and easy.

Refinement – The Xcent feels refined, well built, fit and finish looks and feel premium, the materials used give you a sense of a car a segment above (not a aspiration for me but feels nice), the paint work, the door bidding, the boot release, the feel on the buttons, the features list, the quality of the parts used under the hood, the fabric on the seats, etc and I could go on longer – every piece, every part feels refined and well stitched up. Consider this – there isn’t a thing I want and is missing or that I would rush to the accessories shop and say please put this and that. The vehicle is exemplary.

Seat fabric and thigh support



Cost of ownership and experience – Hyundai’s service is as good (or second only to Maruti). We had owned a Hyundai earlier and two things work for them – overall good product and if something is needed then good service to back it up. My personal benchmark is a car should not spend more than 2 days in a workshop in a year. Any non service requests should be catered to within 2 hours and Hyundai certainly scores on that.

On the smaller yet significant things

Cabin Lighting – There are two of them and they light up the cabin pretty well.

Dashboard lights – looks like diwali. Somewhat like XUV a host of lights. Nothing against – they look brilliant at night and you can shut down the music system lights.



Boot space again – Given the generous leg room there is no compromise on the boot. It is a well finished boot and the rear seat passengers do not have any issues on space.

Power windows – Those for the rear seat can be controlled by the driver. The driver one is a single touch one. And they roll up or down with some speed. Nice.

The large windows – Given that we had A Star the rear windows were not the largest. In Xcent however, the rear windows have a good space and light is high.

Reverse Camera – this is not just a camera but has audio alert for objects closing in. Moreover they have neatly tucked it so that it is neither damaged easily nor gathers dust.

Neatly tucked away reverse camera



Functionality of the reserve camera



Cooled glove box – I mentioned it above. For me its a first and its quite nice. On long trips we have struggled to find ice on the second day of our travels for the ice box. Here the cooled glove box is good enough. Think of bringing an ice cream box or chocolates and how they would be maintained through the journey.

Alloy wheels – After the manufacturers realised that buyers are going in for aftermarket alloys they perhaps realised that they too could do a good job of designing better alloy wheels. The SX (o) version comes with 15” diamond cut alloys which look nice. The spare tire, however, is normal steel rim.

Beautiful alloys




Head room – After I sat and adjusted the driver’s seat for height that I needed I could easily feel 6-8” space above my head for extra room. This holds true for the rear seat passengers as well.

Smartphone compartment – right below the sound system and before the gear there is a small compartment for aux, USB and for placing your phone away from prying eyes. Very useful. I have a Samsung Galaxy note and it fits well inside.

Keyless entry – You need to carry that fob with you and touch the door sensor to unlock. One needs to be within proximity for the door to unlock. The key inside or key out alert is configured. You need to be inside the car for it to start. Figured after struggling a bit.

Reducing display lights – I have mentioned elsewhere that the display lights are a fair bit. The engineers at Hyundai also thought of it and have provided a switch to the left of the music system to switch off its lights in case of any distraction.


4. What could have been better –

Not a whole lot here. But sure there is always something you feel could have been there

The spare tire – is a normal one not an alloy. So in effect during tire rotation only 4 tires will be rotated not the 5th. And if the 5th needs to be in circulation there is the extra work of exchanging the rims.

Auto locking doors – Yes this is sorely missed. Of the few kms that we have done in this car so far I missed locking the doors manually from inside and had to remind myself. Hyundai – I am sure with all the dozens of features – how did you miss this reasonably basic one.

Engine Protection – This should be like a must have. Given our roads and height of our speed bumps this is something that is necessary and must come as standard fitment.

FE calculation in the MID – While I know and understand tankful method is a better one to get the fuel economy calculated but the FE can and should have been a part of the multi information display. If its there then I have not yet figured it out.

Horn – Realised this within 50 yards of driving out of the dealership. Such a meek horn. I am not noise maker and don’t really use a horn very extensively but my better half does a little more than I do. But this horn is weaker than even an auto or a two wheeler!

Extended Warranty – There is not much clarity on the 3rd and 4th year warranty for now. I am sure this is something Hyundai will look into. I understand that it can be purchased at a later date also.

Adjustable headrests – Ok I don’t sorely miss it but adjustable ones have a certain advantage.

Dead pedal – While some may say this is missed but given that I have an AT version the left foot is not doing any exercise anyway so it can rest anywhere. I did not miss a dead pedal.

5. Engine, Drive, Handling and Vehicle Information

The engine is a VTVT 1.2 L Kappa one. I understand its the same that does duty on the Grand i10. The displacement is 1197, max power is 83 PS and the torque is 116 NM. It is 4 cyl 16 values. Given that the weight of the vehicle is 958 kgs this power seems adequate. My Opel Corsa Sail was 126 NM and 88 PS but the weight of the vehicle was 1250 kgs.

The word AUTO is written on the side panel



There is almost no sound from the engine and unless one gets used it you would need to stress on how to make out that the engine is running. Being an automatic the shifts are not as pronounced as I have felt in say the A Star and one can barely make out any changes. The engine feels smooth, noiseless and effortless while on drive. NVH levels are maintained very well.

I took it on the NICE road and checked out its highway manners and I must say I came back pretty impressed. Touched 100 kmph and was really smooth. The acceleration was nice and so was the braking. In fact I must say the braking inspired confidence. Now, for anyone looking for a speedy manoeuvre please be informed of the 1.5 to 2 second response the engine may have. Actually lets put it this way, this is not for the racer. Remember sedate. Yes, that’s the way the engine is.

Does this mean that the manual mode that is provided is useless. Well not really. But again please don’t expect a ‘hot off the blocks’ performance. Though I must say its no slouch either. The 100 mark comes up within 14 seconds which is at par with a number of vehicles with different engine types. The driver display does indicate the gear the vehicle is slotted in. My recommendation – simply slot the vehicle in “D” and let the engine do its work. You will enjoy the ride with minimum fuss.

Fuel Efficiency – Yes the great question that Maruti threw in a great advertisement “Kitna Deti Hai”. We are still on our first thankful so this will have to wait till we finish it. I am informed and read elsewhere on the forum that one should expect 12-12.5 kmpl or so. That I am prepared for and would be decent. Given the tank size of 43 ltrs this would translate to a 525 kms or so. Which is pretty good range for a AT petrol car.

Ride quality – On the highway this car behaves well. At a slight hint of turn the rather too responsive power steering starts doing its job well. The ride feels planted though a couple of times I felt it could have been more planted but no complaints either.

Brakes – As I mentioned above – the brakes have a good bite and bring the car to a complete halt firmly and of course without skidding thanks to ABS. Some credit to the Bridgestones as well. It is R15 rubber which is good.

Handling – At high speeds the steering is feather light which may not be to the liking of some. In our Opel Corsa Sail it used to become slightly harder at high speeds and maybe I am more used to that. No downside of a very light steering. It may take me some days to get used to. There is no noticeable body roll.

Tires – The stock tires are Bridgestone 175/60 R-15. Sometimes one feels like upgrading tires as soon as the vehicle is out of the showroom but not the case here. These tires do the job pretty well. There is hardly any noise and in fact even at speeds of 100 kmph you would be hard pressed to think there is an engine that is at work.

Vehicle Information displays -There are various alerts that will educate you on power steering fluid, ABS, Airbags, engine oil, handbrake, door ajar or boot open and the like. The information comes up well on the display in the instrument console. The MID has information on 2 trips, average speed and time. Also present is the gear in which the auto is slotted. Much as I tried it did not give me distance to empty or distance travelled on the fuel. Maybe it is there just that I have not yet found it. The visibility is good in the day as well as at night. In fact as mentioned elsewhere the night visibility is really impressive all over.



6. Closing remarks
In short the vehicle provides the best bang for the buck. It has contemporary styling, refinement even cars a segment higher would aspire for, features list that runs into pages, fit and finish that could put some of the hot selling vehicles to shame and comes at a price that makes a real compelling case.

The AT is a breeze to drive and the petrol engine is smooth, peppy and rev happy. Carry 5 people in comfort, their weekend bags neatly tucked away and given the Hyundai service network – you are never far away from assistance should the case arise, if at all. Hyundai deserves full marks for this wonderful piece of machinery.

Hope you liked the review.

Cheers

[raksrules]

Thanks a lot for the review. We are also considering the SX(O) AT for our family. We did a TD of manual and really liked the car. Need to check if any dealers in my city can offer TD of AT Grand i10 or Xcent.

Can you explain one thing ? How does one use the + and - on the D mode in the car ? Sorry if the question is amateurish but I am not really aware of those + & -. All I know is that in D mode one has to flick the gear sideways to enable the sort of "manual" mode.

[S2!!!]

Hey congrats for getting one of the most well proportioned sub 4m hatchbacks in the country. Great choice of colour too.

Luckily you got Bridgestone tyres which are very decent compared to the MRF tyres which came along with my Grand i10 earlier this year; they filtered in a lot of road/ tyre noise into the cabin.

Originally Posted by raksrules

Thanks a lot for the review. We are also considering the SX(O) AT for our family. We did a TD of manual and really liked the car. Need to check if any dealers in my city can offer TD of AT Grand i10 or Xcent.

Can you explain one thing ? How does one use the + and - on the D mode in the car ? Sorry if the question is amateurish but I am not really aware of those + & -. All I know is that in D mode one has to flick the gear sideways to enable the sort of "manual" mode.

once you push the gear lever to the left of 'D' you are in the manual mode. To upshift to a higher gear you gently push the gear up and vice versa. In case you try to upshift too early the car ignores your command as that would result in stalling the engine. Similarly, if you hold the gear upto the redline for too long, the car upshifts automatically to avoid knocking and engine damage.

Hope that clears your doubt.

[abhishek46]

Many congratulation on you purchade! Happy motoring.!
This red colour looks particularly good on the xcent.

How is the car performing on highway speeds? Do you recollect rpm@100kph it was doing on highway? Just wanted to know how the automatic is geared.

[motomaverick]

Congrats Rajain nice and detailed review of the car. Welcome to the Hyundai AT club

I checked about the auto locking feature with Hyundai if it can be turned on from the ECU, the answer was no as there is no CAN bus module that can communicate whether the door is locked or not with the ECU. Well this was asked at Advaith & Hyundai Customer care, maybe you can try your luck

[Rajain]

Originally Posted by raksrules

Thanks a lot for the review. We are also considering the SX(O) AT for our family. We did a TD of manual and really liked the car. Need to check if any dealers in my city can offer TD of AT Grand i10 or Xcent.

I think one dealer in Bangalore has a Xcent At for test drive. Forget which one. But if you drive the Grand i10 AT then the feel and experience is the same.

Originally Posted by raksrules

Can you explain one thing ? How does one use the + and - on the D mode in the car ? Sorry if the question is amateurish but I am not really aware of those + & -. All I know is that in D mode one has to flick the gear sideways to enable the sort of "manual" mode.

Its like the manual gear minus the clutch. So to upshift take + and for downshift take -. The piece to remember is that the slotting needs to be in the band in which it is typically supposed to be. More on this from S2.

Originally Posted by S2!!!

Hey congrats for getting one of the most well proportioned sub 4m hatchbacks in the country. Great choice of colour too.

Personally when I saw the colour in a brochure I was not too excited but when I saw a i10 in this colour I felt good. The colour is not like tomotto red but more like a beetroot. I was at 3M yesterday and a Skoda red was parked next. That was tomato red and not what we wanted. Thankfully this is a colour that is suiting the car well.

Originally Posted by S2!!!

Luckily you got Bridgestone tyres which are very decent compared to the MRF tyres which came along with my Grand i10 earlier this year; they filtered in a lot of road/ tyre noise into the cabin.

Yes I liked the tires. I also did not think of a tire upgrade. I have full faith on Bridgestones and the profile plus radius is good.

Originally Posted by abhishek46

Many congratulation on you purchade! Happy motoring.!
This red colour looks particularly good on the xcent.

Thank you. Yes initially I was bit skeptic of the colour but I have begun to like it and feel good about.

Originally Posted by abhishek46

How is the car performing on highway speeds? Do you recollect rpm@100kph it was doing on highway? Just wanted to know how the automatic is geared.

Absolutely fine. A speed of 100 kmph or 120 kmph is fine and the car does well at that speed. No issues whatsoever. I was thinking it maybe wallowy or maybe bouncy. Both of these concerns were laid to rest. It pretty stable and holds the road well. In a small measure credit due to the tires and to the stability at high speeds.

Originally Posted by motomaverick

Congrats Rajain nice and detailed review of the car. Welcome to the Hyundai AT club

I checked about the auto locking feature with Hyundai if it can be turned on from the ECU, the answer was no as there is no CAN bus module that can communicate whether the door is locked or not with the ECU. Well this was asked at Advaith & Hyundai Customer care, maybe you can try your luck

Thank you Motomaverick. Yes its good to be a member of this club. I am now getting used to manually locking it from inside since the auto lock does not take place. I doubt if going to another dealership will make any difference. I think they are all trained to work on OE.

Cheers

Rajain

[anandpadhye]

Originally Posted by Rajain

The P, R, N and D are easy. In automatics I am not a great fan of trying to remember is the car slotted in D1 or D3 or needs L – for me that is the function of the engine itself - after all it is AT. I remember a couple of years ago being in Ladakh in a lovely Mitshubishi Outlander AT. I forget now what my friend was slotting into but the Outlander refused to take a climb which an Innova just took.

I did not understand anything out of this.

Anyway, congratulations on the new car.

[Rajain]

Originally Posted by anandpadhye

I did not understand anything out of this.

Anyway, congratulations on the new car.

P is Park, R is Reverse, N is Neutral and D is drive. These are the 4 slots for the AT stick. Its there in the picture of the dashboard. In some cars the AT stick has a couple of other settings like D1 or D3 or L. A Star has D3 - basically it drives the car in gear 3 of manual mode or lets say a sportier drive. In some AT vehicles there is a S mode - which is probably the same.

The example I gave of the Mitshubishi Outlander in Ladakh was that inspite of being a AT 4x4 for some reason it was not getting the correct gearing. I forget its slots but my friend struggled to take it on a steep incline which incidently a Innova went through without any issues. Later he learnt that the manual itself said don't take it on steep inclines.

Bottomline, AT gear slots are unique and they build up power automatically but one needs to know which is the best slot. I have only driven a couple of ATs before and in my mind I have an impression that it is best left to the gear to automatically work out which is the best position.

Anyone else who has a more extensive experience with ATs please chime in.

Cheers

[vincyf1]

I was eagerly looking out for review of the Hyundai Xcent Automatic. I am planning on buying the same after having ruled out the rest of the options in the compact sedan space due to various reasons. Kudos to Rajain for having posted such an extensive review of the same.

I would however be booking the car in January next year since I am out of the country. But I finally know what car to buy!

Thanks again Rajain.

[psankar]

Originally Posted by Rajain

j) Safety – not at all the last. In fact high on our priority was ABS/EBD/Airbags.

I was looking for the AT version of Grand i10 and was very disappointed when it came without the Airbags Good that Hyundai have not made that blunder with Xcent. I didn't knew that the Xcent AT had airbags until I read your review.

Originally Posted by Rajain

I am informed and read elsewhere on the forum that one should expect 12-12.5 kmpl or so. That I am prepared for and would be decent. Given the tank size of 43 ltrs this would translate to a 525 kms or so. Which is pretty good range for a AT petrol car.

Oh !? I have read that the old i10 gave mileage of only about 8-9 kmpl. Please do update your mileage figures after some time.

I loved your review. In addition to being well-written, it had nice sections with bold titles. Also what was your cost breakup if you don't mind sharing it?

[phamilyman]

Sir,

Congrats on a well written ownership log with a lot of nuances. Its a pleasure to read.

But I am still puzzled. A-Star will still be serviced nicely by Maruti for years to come. I mean - you can still get Esteem serviced easily anywhere. What was the trigger to sell it now? It is already discontinued - so unless you sold it before the news of the withdrawal got out, you would've already sold at a bit of a discount.

Coupled with the cost of a new car, I'm not sure why you booked your losses right away, instead of using the A* for a few more years.

Having said that, when the itch to change is there, it NEEDS to be scratched and that I completely understand!

[Secretariat]

Another brilliant review of the Xcent SX(O) AT, after Crazy Driver's classic. Congratulations on a great buy from a fellow owner

I was nodding my head vigorously right through your review. I had the same experience booking, with the same dealer (maybe even the SA was the same). Only difference was that I persisted with them instead of shifting and got my car around the same time as yours. After two brilliant reviews, I have little more to add, so am not going to do a report !

Agree with almost every word of your review. My only change would be to put the meek horn in the positives category. Encourages you to not use the horn in order to avoid provoking derisive laughter from passers by - helps contain noise pollution !

Just a few minor additions

• The owners manual is useless for all the audio and bluetooth settings - in fact outright wrong. I actually went back to the dealer to figure that out - yes, I know I am not the smartest kid on the block.

• You can't get the spare alloy wheel. Hyundai isn't selling them, the dealer says. So we have to live with 4 tyre rotation.

• No sign of the extended warranty. They are offering it on the manual versions - its only the AT where it isn't offered. I have a sneaky feeling it may not come at all.

Once again, thanks for an excellent review.

[Rajain]

Originally Posted by vincyf1

I was eagerly looking out for review of the Hyundai Xcent Automatic. I am planning on buying the same after having ruled out the rest of the options in the compact sedan space due to various reasons. Kudos to Rajain for having posted such an extensive review of the same.

I would however be booking the car in January next year since I am out of the country. But I finally know what car to buy!

Thanks again Rajain.

I would rather suggest if you mind is made up then perhaps make the booking in November. The vehicle does take almost 2 months for delivery so by the time Jan comes it is ready for delivery or certainly Feb.

The compact sedan space just got another entrant - Tata Zest. And I must say this is one space where there is likely to be most action.

I am glad the review was of some help. I appreciate your observations.

Cheers

[CrAzY dRiVeR]

I got a call from Mr. Sidhu few weeks back, while my car was still not delivered.

"There is an Xcent automatic SX(o) in the shop. Which version have you booked? Free to come down to the shop?"

Seeing one of your pics, and considering the less number of sales of the automatic variant- I guess it's safe to assume that we would have met earlier had I not been held up with some personal work that day.

Congrats on the purchase. Welcome to the family. Nice review. Covered several things on a personal note which I missed in my short experience.

PS: Even I had an interest in red, but went with white considering the main usage by parents. Your colour looks stunning with all that gloss. Congrats.




Sent from my iPhone using Team-BHP

[fusionbang]

Congratulations Rajain. Brilliant review!

Originally Posted by Rajain

Horn – Realised this within 50 yards of driving out of the dealership. Such a meek horn. I am not noise maker and don’t really use a horn very extensively but my better half does a little more than I do. But this horn is weaker than even an auto or a two wheeler!

Do you drive with all windows rolled up? If yes, then probably that would be the reason you feel the horn is meek. Roll down your windows and try once and you might feel it is sufficient and up to the mark.

Originally Posted by Rajain

Tires – The stock tires are Bridgestone 175/60 R-15. Sometimes one feels like upgrading tires as soon as the vehicle is out of the showroom but not the case here. These tires do the job pretty well. There is hardly any noise and in fact even at speeds of 100 kmph you would be hard pressed to think there is an engine that is at work.

Have you come across any screeching sound with these tires while braking or maneuvering in curves?