[motomaverick]

Originally Posted by Rajain

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

By the way on the Horn front, I got it changed from the Hyundai service center to a dual one, Grand i10 already has the relay in place, so they added the high tone and wiring.

[Wanderers]

Hi Rajain,

Thanks for bring up this ownership review.
Well we are also on shopping spree, trying to Zero down on Grand i10.
While we have Diesel in Mind, we would like to try auto Petrol.

I understand that delivery for auto is slightly more but It would be worth the wait I suppose.
Any Suggestion on Grand i10?

[samabhi]

Superb detailed review Rajian. Congratulations on buying a well equipped modern car. Except for the weak 4 speed AT Box and the front seats with integrated head rests, I like every bit of this car.

How do you find the front seats? For me, I found them to be protruding right onto my neck and found it very discomforting.

Originally Posted by Rajain

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.

Who was the Sales person you are dealing with in Advaith? I some how find their A.S.S superior to the sales division, being their loyal customer for almost 5 years now.

Wishing you and your wife a great experience in this car.

Cheers.

[itsashishsharma]

Hi Rajain, hearty congratulations to you buddy. It is evident how competent cars like the Grand i10, the i20 and the Xcent are. I wish you hundreds of thousands of happy miles. One question, did you consider the Zest? As you could get an AMT with diesel with the Zest, I am just being curious.

Regards,
Ashish

[JASMEET MATTOO]

Many Congratulations to you on your new ride. I have used two cars from Hyundai - Santro Xing XO and Accent Executive, and I am an ardent fan of the Hyundai club.

The Hyundai Xcent does look nice with loads of features. The choice of colour on your part is nice and vibrant. Am sure this car will serve you in a great way. Lastly, thanks for the detailed review. Very well written.

Cheers!

[Rajain]

Originally Posted by phamilyman

Sir,

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

Thank you. Appreciate your kind words.

Originally Posted by phamilyman

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!

It was not the serviceability or after sales or maintainence. It was actually driven by need to have a boot and then generally look for an upgrade. In fact not just is Esteem being serviced till now even Opel Corsa Sail is properly looked after by GM. Car makers have certainly improved their after sales.

Originally Posted by Secretariat

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

Thank you. You are kind with your words. This is actually my second review of a car on Team-Bhp. The first being on our Ertiga. Also here on initial ownership reviews.

And if you ask me on Xcent CrazyDriver has a lovely review. In fact it is users who contribute to the quality of our site and this was just a humble attempt.

Originally Posted by Secretariat

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 !

I would'nt want to report the SA but they know it out there and I made enough noise to let them know why we cancelled out booking. After all these is a cost to cancelling.

I am glad you liked the review. As I was saying it is by the quality of our own inputs that this site is now amongst the best places to get an unbiased view on a variety of topics including but not limited to vehicle reviews.

Originally Posted by Secretariat

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 !

In a sense you are right that a weak horn can be viewed as positive because ultimately it does reduce noise pollution. That said there are situations when one does not get the space to drive because there are other users blocking your path. The way I view it is have a horn but use it sparingly. I draw parallel with aux lights - don't use them in the city as they can have a blinding impact but its good to have them on a 4 or 6 lane highway.

Originally Posted by Secretariat

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.

I did read the manual with a fair bit of detail. You are right it is not the most friendly on the bluetooth pairing and some of the audio controls. I applied the time tested methoed of trial and error before I learnt it.

Originally Posted by Secretariat

• 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.

Interesting. I did not know one can't get a fresh alloy. Wonder what they would do when someone unfortunatly meets with an accident and needs a new alloy. Yes the 4 tire rotation is a practice now gaining currency. I also follow it in my Ertiga though I have 5 alloy wheels there. The downside of using and rotating only 4 wheels is that the 5th wheel and tire don't get used and most of the times not even pressure checked so when the day comes that it needs to be used - well then it is not road worthy.

Originally Posted by Secretariat

• 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.

I am informed that ultimately Hyundai will come up with extended warrenty. Just that at this moment they don't have it. I do believe that any issues that car may develop are likely to come up in 2 years - but of course if there is extended warrenty I will buy it. My brother who has a Safari Storme (and before that Safari) purchased the extended warrenty and had Tata replace parts under warrenty till the 5th year. That is commendable support. So, there certainly are benefits in extended warrenty.

Originally Posted by Secretariat

Once again, thanks for an excellent review.

Thank you for your kind words. I am glad you liked the review.

Originally Posted by 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.

Yeah imagine. Small world. I stay in the same locality. But chances are that may have been someone else. I was at 3M last Saturday (just 3 days ago).

Originally Posted by CrAzY dRiVeR

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

Thank you. You have yourself set a benchmark in writing review.

Originally Posted by CrAzY dRiVeR

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

Thank you. Coming from you, who did such an outstanding review, it is quite a compliment that my review has been considered good. Personally I was not so much in favour of a 'red' and kept thinking it might be a tomato red but when it was delivered it was a muted red - somewhat like a beetroot. I am now beginning to like the colour. Standing next to a VW Polo Red and Skoda Rapid Red I could make out the difference.

Thank you once again on your kind words.

Originally Posted by fusionbang

Congratulations Rajain. Brilliant review!

Thank you. Really appreciate your words and the fact that you like dthe review.

Originally Posted by fusionbang

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.

Even otherwise it is not all that loud and sounds like an autorickshaw's horn. Yes, it is a point of veiw that louder horns are being discouraged. My brother's Safri Storme came with a meak horn - and maybe there is a government directive in this space.

Originally Posted by fusionbang

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

No. Not at all. Though when pushed to through corners most cars will screech. But no - in normal driving conditions I have not heard any such sound. I did take a exit from a expressway at 60 plus and there was enough confidence.

Originally Posted by motomaverick

By the way on the Horn front, I got it changed from the Hyundai service center to a dual one, Grand i10 already has the relay in place, so they added the high tone and wiring.

Yes the Hyundai accessories do have it. I think it is Bosch. I do plan to take it out one of these days. Last Saturday they were busy and Sunday they were closed.

Originally Posted by Wanderers

Hi Rajain,

Thanks for bring up this ownership review.
Well we are also on shopping spree, trying to Zero down on Grand i10.
While we have Diesel in Mind, we would like to try auto Petrol.

I understand that delivery for auto is slightly more but It would be worth the wait I suppose.
Any Suggestion on Grand i10?

Some of it depends of your driving needs. With decreasing petrol and diesel price difference petrol cars are making a comeback. In any case there is no diesel version of AT Xcent. In fact I think diesel AT sedan class is all 10 L plus.

It is about a 2 month wait give or take a week. But I do certainly recommend the car for anyone looking for a car in this segment. As you can see I was willing to go up a segment but settled here because Xcent gives me all that I want and then some more.

Originally Posted by samabhi

Superb detailed review Rajian. Congratulations on buying a well equipped modern car. Except for the weak 4 speed AT Box and the front seats with integrated head rests, I like every bit of this car.

How do you find the front seats? For me, I found them to be protruding right onto my neck and found it very discomforting.

I had no complaints with the AT box. It has a nice pick up - certainly not hot off the blocks but does its work well. To think of it the 100 mark does come up within 14 seconds - fair enough. I did not try it with 5 people yet. I actually like the front seats. I don't mind the integrated headrests. Though sometimes when occupying the rear seat I have a tendency to remove the navigator's headrest for a clearer vision which can't happen in this case.

Originally Posted by samabhi

Who was the Sales person you are dealing with in Advaith? I some how find their A.S.S superior to the sales division, being their loyal customer for almost 5 years now.

Wishing you and your wife a great experience in this car.

Cheers.

I don't want to put up his name in the forum but I made it known it was the delay in delivery and lack of communication from their side that made me cancel the booking. Chances are the service side maybe better.

Thank you for your wishes. Hopefully we won't be changing this car anytime soon.


A big thank you to all those who found this review good. I think CrazyDriver set a real high benchmark in terms of a great review. Hopefully between us and the official review I think no point has been left out and potential buyers, I hope, will benefit from our collective, unbiased and detailed effort.

Cheers

[Sommos]

Many Congratulations Rajain for the Xcent.
The Xcent is an excellent all-round-package.
Wish you many happy miles with the car.
Enjoy your ride and drive safe.

[agambhandari]

Congrats on the new car!!
It's a definite upgrade and those interiors are really comfortable and match those a class above.

[sandeepmohan]

I am not a big fan of this segment of car but I gotto say, your choice is the best among them.

Hyundai are on a mission to be number one. With their recent line of new releases and upcoming, I won't be surprised if they reach the top spot sooner than predicted.

Automatics are also the way to go in our country. There are quite a few options now but auto box technology is not really moving ahead in the segment of the Xcent and lower. We have AMT now which is good considering it keeps cost in check. However, I am not sure if a seasoned automatic user will like one. Hyundai continue to sell a 4 speed auto box even on a car costing over 12lac. This is unacceptable. What are they thinking, the car should never hit the highway.

Advaith needs to return Rs. 4750 to you. The charges for booking cancellation is Rs. 250 across all Hyundai dealers. More so, for the refund in your case as it was the dealer who was unable to give you a proper time frame and also missed their delivery dates twice. You can verify the charges by calling Hyundai customer care or emailing them.

A colleague is going through a rough phase with Trident. These chaps are known to be the best. However; in his case its not going well at all. He booked a mid variant Elantra without bothering to check the price difference between mid and top spec. This was his mistake. Post booking the car is when he realized that for the additional equipment you get on the SX, 1.5lac more for the top spec Elantra is not much considering what one is already spending. Trouble started when he decided to make the switch to the top spec Elantra. Trident tried everything to hold him back from making the change in variant. Kept convincing him that the “S” variant has all the equipment you need and what not. This episode took place last weekend and I suspect, being a month end, Trident were in a hurry to close the deal. Hyundai India have a policy of not taking back cars from dealers once a order is placed into their system. Low and Mid variant Elantra cars are one's that don't sell. With Trident now stuck with a mid variant Elantra in their stock yard, they were not happy about my colleagues decision to switch. It took several levels of escalation for the variant switch to take place and it was only after speaking to someone at the top in Trident, was the change accepted. Post this, the attitude of Trident has changed so much that it is unbelievable. This is after all payments have been fully cleared. Its only the car that needs to arrive. The sales representative no longer answers my colleagues calls or texts. This colleague is now keeping his fingers crossed that the car comes and comes clean. When Trident were not budging for a variant switch, this colleague decided to cancel the booking itself and that fired them up. Trident said they will charge whatever they feel like for cancellation and it could be anywhere between 10k – 50k. That is when my colleague decided to pick the phone and call up everyone at Hyundai to confirm what the cancellation charges were. You need to get your money back mayte.

On the subject of your Corsa, I still rank the Opel as the best looking car, even today and it sure looks like a car from the Xcent segment. Driven a Corsa (not Sail) extensively and I absolutely love it. The road manners are unmatched to several cars sold today. It did not have the same Ikon responsive 1.6 engine. As a product, it scored much higher in every other area. Rear passenger room being a bit of a trade off.

[W.A.G.7]

Rajain, thats a wonderfully written experience of the Xcent! Very concise and to the point; I liked it a lot. You get a lot more for your buck, in the Grand i10 and Xcent I feel. And an automatic hatch/sedan these days is a more logical choice; given the traffic situation in almost all the cities in India. All the best for your new car and drive safe! I will be tuned to this thread, as I might get an automatic hatch or sedan maybe next year (even though I am big fan of manual transmission!)

[Rajain]

Originally Posted by Sommos

Many Congratulations Rajain for the Xcent.
The Xcent is an excellent all-round-package.
Wish you many happy miles with the car.
Enjoy your ride and drive safe.

Thank you. You are very kind with your words.

Originally Posted by agambhandari

Congrats on the new car!!
It's a definite upgrade and those interiors are really comfortable and match those a class above.

Yes I agree this vehicle has interiors and features that match those in a segment above.

Originally Posted by sandeepmohan

I am not a big fan of this segment of car but I gotto say, your choice is the best among them.

Thank you. Yes we made a considered choice and I know all of us spend a fair bit of time selecting our wheels.

Originally Posted by sandeepmohan

Hyundai are on a mission to be number one. With their recent line of new releases and upcoming, I won't be surprised if they reach the top spot sooner than predicted.

Agree. I was reading yesterday either in Mint or in The Economic Times that they have a plan leapfrog their brand to the next level - showrooms will undergo a change, new product offerings are likely and localisation of parts are some of the steps along this journey of theirs.

Originally Posted by sandeepmohan

Automatics are also the way to go in our country. There are quite a few options now but auto box technology is not really moving ahead in the segment of the Xcent and lower. We have AMT now which is good considering it keeps cost in check. However, I am not sure if a seasoned automatic user will like one. Hyundai continue to sell a 4 speed auto box even on a car costing over 12lac. This is unacceptable. What are they thinking, the car should never hit the highway.

Agree that in our city traffic of stop/go AT makes perfect sense. I have not yet reviewed engine types and boxes to realise which ones make sense from a city as well as a highway experience. Can't comment until I have spent some time researching and learning on that. From a user perspective I can say Xcent has a fine balance.

Originally Posted by sandeepmohan

Advaith needs to return Rs. 4750 to you. The charges for booking cancellation is Rs. 250 across all Hyundai dealers. More so, for the refund in your case as it was the dealer who was unable to give you a proper time frame and also missed their delivery dates twice. You can verify the charges by calling Hyundai customer care or emailing them.

Thanks. Very useful information. I will follow up with them.

Originally Posted by sandeepmohan

A colleague is going through a rough phase with Trident. .....

Unfortunate expereince with your friend. Hope it sorts itself out.

Originally Posted by sandeepmohan

On the subject of your Corsa, I still rank the Opel as the best looking car, even today and it sure looks like a car from the Xcent segment. Driven a Corsa (not Sail) extensively and I absolutely love it. The road manners are unmatched to several cars sold today. It did not have the same Ikon responsive 1.6 engine. As a product, it scored much higher in every other area. Rear passenger room being a bit of a trade off.

Without a doubt. Imagine I kept a Corsa Sail all these years and every now and then when I take it out it is a pleasure driving it and being a passenger as well. Yes the seats per se are thicker and take up the space. The rear 40:60 could have had more space. That said even back then Sail had 40:60 split and an engine protection plate - which does not come standard in several cars even today.

Originally Posted by W.A.G.7

Rajain, thats a wonderfully written experience of the Xcent! Very concise and to the point; I liked it a lot.

Thank you. I am glad you liked the review.

Originally Posted by W.A.G.7

You get a lot more for your buck, in the Grand i10 and Xcent I feel.

Yes absolutely. This one certainly had that feel. Imagine our other vehicle - the Ertiga does not have features like reverse camera, bluetooth or climate control. Imagine a more expensive vehicle not having these.

Originally Posted by W.A.G.7

And an automatic hatch/sedan these days is a more logical choice; given the traffic situation in almost all the cities in India. All the best for your new car and drive safe! I will be tuned to this thread, as I might get an automatic hatch or sedan maybe next year (even though I am big fan of manual transmission!)

Yes the choices in AT are certainly increasing and a variety of engine and feature options depending on the budget one has. The traffic situation in our major cities certainly makes a strong case for AT. I am glad you like the thread and will follow it.

Appreciate everyone's comments and observations.

Cheers
Rajain

[Pam81]

Originally Posted by Rajain

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.

Congrats on your new Xcent AT. I personally think the interior fit and finish really make you feel like you are in a car that is one notch up than just another compact sedan.

I was wondering if you have driven other Hyundai cars of recent times and could you comment on difference in handling & suspension? Especially on body roll during corner manuevers and passing over small potholes at moderate speeds?

[V.Narayan]

Rajain, congratulations on making an excellent selection of car and a lovely colour. I agree with you on the outstanding after sales service Hyundi give -- a refreshing change from the German brands (speaking from experience here). This is my first post on Team BHP and I am glad to see someone (like me) who remembers the Padmini & Ambassador. I learnt to drive on the Standard Herald before the Maruti800 was even conceived. Compared to those cars I am sure the Xcent will be a reliable trouble free dream. Happy motoring.

[Starfire]

A really nice review Mr. Rajain.

I would like to mention about a small gremlin in the ergonomics of how the auto box gear lever has been made. I own a Verna Auto and the gear knob lacks a shift lock. The outcome? Well my clumsy hands have shifted the lever into neutral by mistake a couple of times when driving, especially me being a guy who uses triptonic mode quite often. Maybe because of force of habbit?

Does the Xcent get a shift lock? If it doesn't than you better be careful if u ever get habituated to using triptonic or you might just compel the car to start free roling in neutral which can be dangerous! That apart from the damage to the engine which maybe caused due to over-revving.
Just giving the heads up incase.

Cheers!
Starfire

[CrAzY dRiVeR]

Originally Posted by Starfire

A really nice review Mr. Rajain.



I would like to mention about a small gremlin in the ergonomics of how the auto box gear lever has been made. I own a Verna Auto and the gear knob lacks a shift lock. The outcome? Well my clumsy hands have shifted the lever into neutral by mistake a couple of times when driving, especially me being a guy who uses triptonic mode quite often. Maybe because of force of habbit?



Does the Xcent get a shift lock? If it doesn't than you better be careful if u ever get habituated to using triptonic or you might just compel the car to start free roling in neutral which can be dangerous! That apart from the damage to the engine which maybe caused due to over-revving.

Just giving the heads up incase.



Cheers!

Starfire

Yes. You need to press the button to change the gear out of the various modes. And the button itself won't engage unless the brake pedal is pressed.

Not the case with the manual mode though.

Edit: Sorry for interfering Rajain. Didn't realise I'm in your ownership thread.


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