[CrAzY dRiVeR]

1. Had to be an automatic transmission - Father had developed knee issues recently and even the light clutch of our good old WagonR used to give him problems.
2. Should be a newer model in the market - If all goes well, this car might be retained for a very long time.

3. Should feel like an upgrade from our old WagonR VXi.
4. Wait, not just an upgrade, but a sedan this time - Mom only had this one requirement.
5. Sedan? But it should be a sub-4m car with a good turning radius, otherwise U_turn into our garage could becoming a tricky affair on a daily basis - Father's only requirement. Automatic transmission was my requirement for him, he was never convinced of the need for it.

6. Reversing sensor / Camera - This U_turn into our garage is going to be a very tight one, and any electronic assistance would be great. Not a must_have feature since these can be had after_market as well.
7. ABS and airbags - While we are on the topic of must_have features!

8. Quality & Feel good factor - Wife only had this one requirement! The car should feel nice enough for us to use when we visit hometown.
9. Good looks - And I had this one additional requirement over and above the feel good factor - After all it would need to share the space with a FIAT Punto whenever we visit hometown.

10 Good service network - Parents read this as Maruti Swift DZire, however there was no ZXi AT on offer, and I doubt Maruti service centers are equipped to handle automatic transmission cars, in smaller cities like Trivandrum.



Automatic transmission, new model, spacious sedan, but sub-4m/ having tight turning radius, with a good quality feel and looks, and backed up with a good service network -

A small list of big requirements, and thus began the search for our new car - A search for the best compromise that finally ended up with a car that asked for no compromises.

Presenting our Hyundai Xcent SX(o) Automatic -

[CrAzY dRiVeR]

What I like:

• Contemporary design. In fact - I like the clean understated looks. The reason why the cover photo in this thread is the side profile shot, that too in B&W.
• Good all-rounder - Didn't need to compromise on any of our initial requirements. And the only after-market accessory that it requires is a better horn.
• Interior fit, finish & quality. The feel-good factor has not been compromised for better pricing! (Long-term update) No rattles and squeaks till date and all the materials still look fresh, except the seat fabric.

• Extremely smooth and refined engine and gearbox combination under sedate driving conditions.
• Loaded with features even on the automatic variant - Dual airbags, ABS, Keyless start & go, Reversing Camera with electrochromic mirror, Reverse Parking Sensor, Rear a/c vent, 12V DC outlet both at the front and the rear, cooled glovebox etc)
• Comfortable ride quality and the soft setup does wonders at city speeds. Handling is not so bad either.

• Audio system is feature-packed as well - offering Aux input, USB, Bluetooth streaming, CD/ MP3 and FM connectivity and 813 MB (usable out of 1GB max) internal storage inbuilt. Audio and bluetooth controls are mounted on the steering as well. And - the stock audio system sounds nice.
• Interior packaging - For a sub-4m segment car, the amount of space at the rear and the boot is amazing IMO.
• Talking of the interiors - the buttons are all backlit and give the cabin a very premium feeling at night.

What I don't:

• (Long-term update) Poor crash safety. Hyundai later had a pathetic show at Global NCAP safety tests.
• (Long-term update) Unreliable over the long term. Multiple breakdowns with month-long repair times, frequent ABS sensor failures, etc.

• (Long-term update) Poor mechanical quality - Failure of parts like crankshaft bolt, ECM, catcon, known issue of a weak a/c that requires regular maintenance, etc point towards rampant cost-cutting in build quality adopted by Hyundai.

• (Long-term update) Comparatively high cost of maintenance. Dealerships inflate bills with unnecessary add-ons.
• (Long-term update) Dealership reach is good and treats you well. But actual service quality is poor.

• (Long-term update) Poor express-way manners: Front suspension crashes into larger potholes at highway speed with a loud thud! The soft rear bounces around at expressway speeds.
• (Long-term update) Poor FE: Average of 9.3 km/L (Max- 10.07, Lowest - 8.38 as per tankful calculations).

• No, this is not the car to have fun with! Steering is on the softer side, the suspension is on the softer side and doesn't feel connected to the road in a way - let's say my Punto does!
• Same goes with the 4 speed automatic as well. The smooth nature at sedate speeds is transformed into a rather boring slushbox under medium-heavy acceleration.

• Auto-locking doors, FE calculations on the MID and a dual-tone horn - Sad to see these basic features missing on an otherwise feature loaded car!
• No underbody engine protection. Sounds scary considering the number of times the engine guard in the Punto has protected the sump from hits. However, this car will be used only in the city for the use of parents.

• Interior colour scheme should have been either beige/ black. The brown/ black combo is not particularly interesting, but not a deal-breaker and more importantly - packaged way ahead of what the competition offers.
• Hyundai dealership experience was way below expectations initially. However, they picked up their act later once a query was raised through the company.

• Last but certainly not the least - No extended warranty on the automatic versions. 3 years warranty is offered as standard.

[CrAzY dRiVeR]

Tribute:

10 years & 95,000 kms on the odo, and would have done a lot more - if not for our need for an automatic transmission car. Bought as a pre-worshipped car - it gave us back 43% of the original amont we spent on it after using it for 8 years and near 70,000 kms. Truly amazing!

Moreover, this car was used a lot during my college days and I have a lot of memories revolving around it.



Brother from another mother:

The new petrol automatic will be used by parents and will occassionally share the garage with this diesel manual - my Punto 90hp. Many of comparisons and perspectives mentioned in this review will be influenced by the little FIAT.


Pic courtesy: KarthikK

Decision Process: The pain of selecting an automatic transmission car!

When was the last time you read in this forum that the sub-10L automatic car buyer is spoilt for choices these days? Well, let me assure you that it is certainly not the case! I began this hunt two years back, armed with the above mentioned 'small' list of requirements. In these two years - there have been moments of desperation, moments where i questioned my credibility as an automobile enthusiast, moments where I found hope in an upcoming launch only to be crestfallen later, times I do not wish to recollect as well.

However, to put a long story short - Below are the cars considered and the primary reasons they were rejected.

1. Honda Brio Love-O-matic -

October 2012 - Anshuman posts his brilliant review of the Brio automatic.

Originally Posted by CrAzY dRiVeR

Nice! Looks like the ideal upgrade for my parents - from the WagonR. Only negative is the that the rear is still the ugliest in the market. But choosing black should solve that problem.

http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/offici...ml#post2930155

And off we went to the dealership!

But -

It never really ended up in a purchase since parents thought it to be a small car, and not really an upgrade to be considered from the WagonR. Well - true enough - it did not have the road presence of say - a Swift or an i20.

2. Maruti Suzuki Swift DZire VXi Automatic -

And what could be bigger and better than the true Indian sedan, the one that represents the dreams of the Indian middle class even better than the good old Ambassador! Automatic, sub 4m, sedan, Maruti service - it had a compelling case for itself and seemed like the safest best at one point of time!

Or not! Maruti compromised on safety features. Thank you Maruti!

3. Honda Amaze VX Automatic -

Originally Posted by CrAzY dRiVeR

This is the PERFECT car for my parents- specially the petrol AT. Small length- easy to park and reverse out of my house, boot- sedan status (Makes a big difference for old people), best in class engine and transmission in AT- absolute joy to use in city, softly sprung- I guess better city ride.

In fact, given no other problems arise, I'll ask them to book one as and when they open bookings.

http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/indian...ml#post2966749

GTO does an amazing job writing reviews. So off we went to the Honda dealership once again - this time prepared to book the Amaze automatic. However this experience destroyed all my expectations from the Honda brand, an opinion further cemented when the new city came out!

Originally Posted by CrAzY dRiVeR

I would have added one to the December sales. Almost decided on the amaze AT for parents and went to the showroom to have a closer look. It was just perfect for our requirements, atleast on paper, however- the experience was extremely disappointing.

We had checked out Hyundai Grand i10 AT (Ruled out due to lack of safety features) and Polo GT TSi (Showroom guys not sure about taking bookings because of the very high waiting period) before going to the Honda showroom. The Honda seemed way cheaper in terms of quality levels. Everything from paint finish to dashboard to materials shouted poor quality, and parents dismissed it without even a TD. I understand its a budget compact sedan- but I think Honda slightly missed the thin line between budget/poor here.

We have decided to wait a bit for another Honda- the Jazz.

http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/offici...ml#post3342069

4. Volkswagen GT TSi



I had a huge grin on my face while we were waiting to touch and feel the GT TSi at the local VW showroom. On one side - I knew BHP'ians would slaughter me for getting this hot hatch as a city-drive for parents, but the temptation was too much to resist. It was an automatic, and it was in our budget.

It was not a sedan, but for this one - mom was prepared to compromise - thanks to the overall quality levels and fantastic build quality.

'9 months waiting period sir. Minimum. Why dont you have a look at the Cross Polo?'.

5. Ford Ecosport AT

Hello, Ford showroom?
Receptionist: Yes.

Can we discuss an Ecosport booking and purchase?
Receptionist: No bookings.

Beep... Beep... Beep.


Hello, Ford showroom?
Receptionist: Yes.

Madam, Ecosport?

Beep... Beep... Beep.

Still, the car seemed worth it. Afterall, the AT version was loaded with features unheard of in this segment! Inspite of the worst ever showroom experience - decided to give them a second chance and I raised a callback request through ford india website.

And i received an immediate response. They called me back in the first week of July, in response to my website query made in April!

6. Hyundai i20 Sportz AT

With the last facelift, Hyundai silently changed the AT option from Asta to Sportz without a reduction in price - reducing the VFM qoutient. Moreover, the all new i20 spy pics were all over the internet and the current one was starting to show its age.

And mom had also made her stand clear - It had to be a sedan / SUV, unless the car is exceptionally good.

7. Hyundai Grand i10 AT

No option of ABS/ airbags with the automatic variants. Period.


8. All new Honda Jazz/ All new Hyundai i20

These two seemed to be the only options in front of me - a long wait considering that his knee was not going to better over the weeks. Many times during this hunt, i had declared that I had found the perfect choice for our requirements, but we only ended up getting disappointed. I was not happy with the new Honda City and there was a big chance the Jazz wouldn't satisfy our tastes either. But still it would have been perfect atleast on paper, but the wait might turn out to be rather long considering the localization planned by Honda to keep prices in check! And it didn't make sense putting all our eggs in one basket and waiting for the all new i20 when the current one was struck out from the list.

One thing was clear to me now -

'Our new car had to be a compromise - there are no perfect matches for our requirements this time!'

[CrAzY dRiVeR]

The one that ticked all boxes and some more!



1. Had to be an automatic transmission - AT available on the top end SX(o) trim. Tried and tested 4 speed unit might not be the best in the market - but then, whats the point in getting a high speed box for their low speed city drives!
2. Should be a newer model in the market. - Booked the next day after launch.


3. Should feel like an upgrade from our old WagonR VXi - Spacious seats, loaded with features, decent boot space, much better quality levels inside out, Automatic climate control + rear air-con, automatic transmission, refined drive with lot more pep.

4. Wait, not just an upgrade, but a sedan this time - Mom got her sedan alright and she is really happy about it!
5. Sedan? But it should be a sub-4m car with a good turning radius, otherwise U_turn into our garage could becoming a tricky affair on a daily basis - Sub 4m length, short 4.7m turning radius, light steering wheel.

6. Reversing sensor / Camera - This U_turn into our garage is going to be a very tight one, and any electronic assistance would be great. Not a must_have feature since these can be had after_market as well. - Integrated ECM mounted rear view camera + reverse sensors. Rear bumper edges clearly visible in the visual. Electric folding mirrors are a boon as well!
7. ABS and airbags. Check. SX(o) version also gets true keyless entry with a host of warnings and reminders.

8. Quality & Feel good factor - Wife only had this one requirement! The car should feel nice enough for us to use when we visit hometown. - A mixed bag here. She is not extremely happy with the interiors and the colour schemes used, however its not a deal breaker either. Else this would have gone the Amaze way!
9. Good looks - And I had this one additional requirement over and above the feel good factor - . Subjective for sure, but yes - I like.

10 Good service network - Hyundai is only second to Maruti, and may be even better than Maruti when it comes to service centers capable of handling automatic cars.

[CrAzY dRiVeR]

Very little to distinguish the Xcent from the Grand i10 in this angle, except the optional 15 inch diamond cut alloy wheels and the smoked out headlamps.



But its a sedan -



And here's the all important boot that makes mom so proud -



Pre-2014 Hyundai cars were infamous were wearing a dozen badges at the rear. For example, the car used for the i20 review had 'Hyundai', 'H', 'i20', 'CRDi', 'Asta', 'ABS' - a grand total of 7 badges. The Xcent comes with just 3 - 'Xcent', 'H' and 'SX' logos. Also notice the flush sitting parkings sensors and reflectors. Rear view camera is also visible in the pic above the number plate.

No quirkiness around the C-pillar. Given the 4m length constraints, Hyundai has done a brilliant job IMO -



And unlike the Honda, Hyundai breaks the monotony of the flat side profile with a massive black molding at the bottom of the doors, rather than employ cuts and slats across the side profile. Both designs will have its takers, I prefer this cleaner look.



The chrome lining for the hexagonal grill is the only distinguishing factor from the Grand i10 when viewed upfront -



15 inch optional diamond cut alloys - A closer look.



The gloss and the finishing - Well worth the extra over the regular alloy set IMO.



A closer look at the tail lamps -



Hyundai could have done a better job here - would have made a world of difference to the rear design.

[CrAzY dRiVeR]

Typical Hyundai cabin. Decent quality dashboard and loaded with features like a full fledged music system, automatic climate control, steering mounted audio + bluetooth + trip controls, -



And the cabin is a diwali of blue lights at night, most of the buttons in the cabin are backlit, including the AT transmission modes -



Generous legroom at the rear, two 6'ers one behind the other should not pose any problems -



Also please note the relaxed seatback angle, foldable handrest with cupholders and the rear a/c vents. There is also a 12V charging point below the rear a/c vent.

Legroom at the rear with me seated behind my comfortable driving position. I am near 6' (180cms) in height.



Floor hump is minimal and the 5th passenger can rest feet properly in the centre. However, the rear a/c tower will introduce with the shoes of the 5th passenger if they have XL sized feet like mine. Dust marks from the shows are already visible on the tower!

Airflow can be controlled towards either side. These can be properly shutoff as well, unlike the front air vents that will let in some amount of cabin always.



All this legroom doesn't mean the boot is compromised. Bootspace is 407L -



However, the underside of the bootlid lacks a cladding and looks very cheap -



If you have a soft corner for cup holders - There are a total of 5 1L bottle holders and 3 cup holders as well -



Although the rising windowline might be a conern for shorter passengers, large windows ensure an airy cabin at the rear as well -



What doesn't help matter is the black matte finish door pads which tend to give a partial gloomy feel to an otherwise airy cabin. I feel the doorpads are one area where the cost-cutting shows, although it is not glaringly evident.

Front doorpad has the controls for opening and closing of the electric ORVMs, controls for each individual ORVM, central locking button (There is no automatic door locking mechanism as mentioned earlier), controls for disabling the rear power windows, and individual power window controls. Only the driver side door gets auto down while none of the windows get auto-up functionality. In comparison, Punto offers auto-down on all its mirrors and auto-up functionality on the driver side door.



Only the driver power window button on the driver's doorpad is backlit, none of the other power window buttons are!

ECM offers a good coverage of all the action from behind -



If thats not enough - the reverse camera + visual / audio parking alerts will help to park in tight situations. The edge of the bumper is also clearly in the camera image. Works very well in the night as well under pitch black conditions, but sadly I do not have the image for it.



The closed compartment behind the gear lever opens to reveal a 12V power socket and the Aux + USB connectors for the music system. Space is also provided to park your phone right next to these important slot hugely aiding practicality.

On the flip side, GTO seemed to like this storage space in Grand i10 where you can easily park your smart phone below the USB slot. Not anymore.

My own comments in the initial impressions thread for the Hyundai Xcent here. I was proved wrong though! Here's a 5.2" LG G2 smartphone parked easily in the slot while connected to the charger. Without the charger connected, this XL size smartphone can easily be placed within the closed compartment.



Twin cabin lights help light up the cabin evenly at night -



The steering wheel deserves a special mention. It is an absolute joy to use, and one thing I wish were the same in my Punto. No, not the feedback from the wheel but just the wheel. It is just the right size and feel very premium to the touch. Only grouse here is that the hornpad feels a bit small and you need to take your hand of the rim to honk.

Also has controls for music volume, a big MUTE button for when the need arises, mode and navigate buttons for navigating music files, buttons for bluetooth telephony and the trip meters as well.

[CrAzY dRiVeR]

Instrument console is rather simple. No fancy design/ chrome rings here. However - it comes with an analogue temperature gauge.



Visibility is good throughout the day and does a good job at night as well -



Warning lamps are present individually for ABS, Airbags, Power Steering Fluid, Brake fluid, Engine Oil, Battery, handbrake. There is also a check engine light and a indicator for the Eco mode.

MID has two trip meters, average speed and engine running time. However, fuel consumption display is sorely missed here, or may be not - mine being an automatic, that display could surely give us heartattacks.

[CrAzY dRiVeR]

Xcent comes with the same 1.2L Kappa Dual VTVT petrol engine as in other Hyundai cars such as the i10, Grand i10 and the i20 manual - and produces 83ps and 116Nm of torque.



Thanks to the low kerb weight of 958 kgs, this engine feels sufficient for the car. It is no highway scorcher, but will not feel underpowered at any given point of time, but what really impresses is the refinement. The engine is barely audible at speeds below 100 kmph and along with the silent cabin - the car eerily feels almost like an electric for a dieselhead like me!

All this without having any insulation material under the hood-



Its been noted in other reviews that the low end torque from this engine can be best termed as satisfactory - however, the torque converter gearbox does a good job of giving excellent response from standstill. Shifts happen smoothly, upshifts early and overall is highly impressive when driven with a light foot inside the city. Truly effortless commuting in city traffic thanks to the smooth and silent petrol engine, smooth gearbox, silent cabin, small proportions and decent interior comfort.

The lack of a dead pedal might be the only fly in this soup here, however - there is enough space to rest your left foot flat on the floorboard.



I cannot comment on the expressway experience purely because such a thing in unheard of in kerala where the regular highways are 2 lane and restrcited to a speed of 70 kmph. But till this point and a little bit more, it never for once felt underpowered to attain higher speeds.



But thats where the bright story ends.

For an enthusiastic driving experience - look elsewhere. The smooth gearbox becomes rather clumsy when pressed hard for performance - you realise the kickdown timings are not the best in the business and there is usually a 2-3 seconds delay before the change in engine note gets translated to actual performance at the wheels. The gearbox still has the tendency to upshift early, so you need to use the manual mode to plan that quick overtaking.



Flick the gearbox to the right to use the manual mode - there are no flappy paddles provided - however the manual mode itself is a simple operation. Manual can hold gears higher into the rpm change and does shift only when the driver suggests an upshift, however the reverse is not true. The car will downshift if the rpm range drops too low. Manual mode does not translate to immediate response from the gearbox, and you still have to live with the 2-3 seconds delay after pressing the lever for a downshift. The shifts are also shown on the MID -



I find the manual mode easier to use compared to the D, L, 2 and O/D off mode that the i20 AT comes with, or for that matter - the only other automatic that i have driven multiple times - the Fortuner AT. Infact, in terms of pure response times from the gearbox and the nature of the gearchanges - i would put the Xcent AT ahead of the Fortuner AT, its only the sheer pulling power of that massive engine that comes through for the Fortuner and saves it from the weaknesses of that slushbox.

Another point to note - don't think you can shift down to a lower gear to use drastic engine braking. It does allow engine braking, but i sometimes found the downshifts not happening when the car is at a higher speed for the lower gear suggested by the driver. May be, its the ECU trying to avoid over-revving as mentioned by GTO for the i20 AT review, although the i20 AT does not have a pure manual mode as in the Xcent.

Now that the i20 AT has been mentioned - let me mention that it makes for a compelling package as against the Xcent AT, if not for the boot. Its got a 1.4L petrol with 100 horses and is a level ahead in the Hyundai lineup. However, it is priced significantly higher as well, and for the price - you get the Sportz variant instead of the Asta.

And then, may be, the fuel efficiency -

[CrAzY dRiVeR]

Well, let me put the figures first -

The first tankful-tankful figure the car gave me was 10.5 kmpl.

The second tankful returned a figure of 11.9 kmpl.

Now these figures are under Kerala/ Trivandrum city driving conditions, with me in the driver seat for most of the time. Remains to be seen how efficient the car will be with father in the driver seat - considering he is new to automatics and still has a tendency to floor the throttle rather than waiting for the slushbox to pick up speeds slowly.

Now that the figures are done with, let me also explain how the gearbox tries to acheive a better mileage - the ECO mode.



This mode is not present in the Xcent manual transmission models, and i haven't noticed it in other Grand i10 AT ownership reviews. Hopefully, one of the Grand i10 AT owners can confirm if the mode is present in their cars -



ECO mode can be turned on and off using the MID and steering mounted controls, and when turned on - it tries to save fuel by upshifting early. I did not find the car being bogged down for power when the mode is ON, and the early torque from the conventional torque converter also helps.

From the initial feel - i guess the mode is purely judging the accelerator inputs from the driver, anything more than half throttle will cause the ECU to switch off the ECO mode. I did find the car holding revs higher once the mode is off. Is this the answer from Hyundai for all the fuel efficiency concerns that i10, Grand i10 and i20 owners have been cribbing about?

Only time can tell. For now - i hope it works!

[CrAzY dRiVeR]

First comment has to be about the brakes - they are powerful and have a good bite the moment you step on the pedal, and caught me by surprise even after living 70k kms with the Punto with its excellent stopping power. There is absolutely no comparisons with the WagonR we had, and I had to remind father to be careful on the brakes, unless we require someone to crash into that tiny boot and make it a hatchback again.

Next up - the ride. Surprising compared to my previous experiences with Hyundai cars. The ride is no longer choppy and the suspension is very compliant in the city. It came as a surprise that the ride is even better than our Punto at city speeds, and what impresses even more is the muted thud when the car goes over potholes - makes the otherwise silent cabin of our Punto feel rather noisy.

Its only when the speeds climb that the Punto gets the edge. It may be noisier but it flattens everything in its path at highway speeds while the Xcent can feel a bit unsettled.

Now comes the part where i need to talk about the handling, but let me mention the steering first. As mentioned earlier, the steering itself is an absolute delight to hold, just the right size and feels very premium. At city speeds, it is absolutely effortless and lock to lock turns at your parking slot can be a one hand operation.

As the speeds climb - it feels a bit lifeless. A lot better than our WagonR, but nowhere in comparison to the little FIAT. And may be because of this, i found myself backing off the accelerator before entering hard corners, something i never experienced in the Punto. Anyways, it serves the purpose well, and the regular commuter will not find any reason to complain with the steering.

Coming to the handling - safe, predictable with a controlled body roll. I don't think a regular commuter would ever complain about this either, but sadly i miss the handling capabilities of the Punto everytime i take a corner with the Xcent. Be rest assured though that the Xcent wont give you any scary moments. Even the 175/60 R15 bridgestone tyres do a decent job and I think it should be enough for the dimensions and the performance this car offers. Lower versions come with 165 section tyres though - and I am not so sure it would be capable enough since my WagonR itself came with 155 section tyres from the factory. (And let us not even begin to speak about the Punto with its stock 195 section tyres!)

[CrAzY dRiVeR]

Stock audio system sounds nice and comes as a real surprise.

One thing for sure - this system offers the highest number of connectivity options I have used so far - You can choose from 1. FM 2. CD player 3. Aux input 4. USB drive 5. iPOD connectivity via USB 6. Bluetooth audio and 7. an inbuilt 1GB harddisk which offers 863 MB of usable space.



Moreover it offers bluetooth telephony as well, with steering mounted call controls. Audio clarity is excellent and a notch better than the Blue& Me system of the Punto. A total of 5 phones can be paired to the bluetooth system.



When it comes to playing music - the steering controls do a brilliant job and makes your life so easy! Nice big buttons ensure you will never ever need to take your eyes of the road. The system is way more intuitive than Mircosoft Blue&me in this case - one major grouse i had with the system being the difficulty to change folders. No such issues with the Xcent.



However, the same cannot be said about the controls which are not as intuitive as in the Blue&Me system, when it comes to telephony. For example as shown below, navigating through the phone list requires you to take your hands of the steering wheel. Defeats the whole purpose of having so many buttons on the wheel!



The speed sensing audio volume has four levels - Off, Low, Mid and High. I have always found 'medium' level to be a big miss in the Punto where low feels a bit too less for the noise level increase at high speeds on the expressways, while high can turn you deaf at high speeds. More customization options are always welcome and full marks to Hyundai on this.

[CrAzY dRiVeR]

One of my earlier memories of keyless entry was a top gear episode where Jeremy pushes Hammond's car while the key was in the vicinity. Led me to believe that keyless systems are not that safe and efficient. However, thats not the case anymore and there are multiple alerts and reminders here to ensure you dont make a mistake with your smartkey -

1. With the key inside the cabin and the engine in any modes other than 'Ignition ON', the below warning lamp lits up to let you know the key is inside. But thats not all, it does not allow the car to be locked with the key inside. The touch sensor on the door will only work with the key located very near to the door, a distance of about 50cms in my judgement.



2. I also remember reading in this forum somewhere that one of our members sometimes drives his car away from home, only realizing later that the key was at home. I forgot the member, thread and the car details, however I do remember it was one of our members from Kerala.

Now, that cannot happen in the Xcent because the moment you step out of the cabin with the ignition ON - this happens along with a loud and irritating warning chime that should get your attention.



With the key in your pocket, you just need to walk upto the car and hit the below request sensor to open the car. Request sensors are provided for the driver and the front passenger, but the front passenger will only be able to use the sensor to open the door if the key is in his pocket.



There is no seperate keyslot provided. The key can remain in your pocket and the below button can be used to put the car into OFF, ON and IGNITION modes as in other cars.



Switching on:

1. With the car in P mode, depress the brake pedal and press the Start/Stop button to ignite the engine. The car takes about 2 seconds to initiate the startup sequence and ignition. There is however no annoying delay here as reported by moderator ajmat on the 2014 Renault Fluence.

2. With the car in P mode, press the Start/Stop button without depressing the brake pedal to enter into ON mode. Your electricals will function in this mode.

Switching off:

1. With the engine running, slot the gear into P and hit the Start/Stop button to switch off the engine and into 'OFF' mode.

2. With the engine running, slot the gear into D/N mode and hit the Start/Stop button to switch off the engine and enter into the 'ON' mode. This happens seamlessly and there is no interruption of the electricals, for example - if you are playing the music system. I believe however that this advantage might be limited to the AT versions.

3. With the car in 'ON' mode, hitting the Start/Stop button once again without pressing the brake pedal switches it to 'OFF' mode. However, please note that although the car is off, it cannot be locked in this state because -

4. The gear lever has to be in P when hitting the Start/ Stop button to completely switch off the car and to lock it from outside.

Needless to say, a newbie user to keyless entry like me should take a few tries to figure this out. The most confusing part for me was when I first switched off the car in N mode. Everything went off, however no matter what I did, the car could not be locked from the outside. It would give a loud chime when the request sensor/ central locking button on the remote is pressed, and it was only after 2-3 minutes of confusion that i finally figured out that the car cannot be locked in any mode other than 'P'.

And father spent 15 minutes on the same issue few days later.

[CrAzY dRiVeR]

1. The car needs to take a U-turn on this road, or otherwise has to be reversed few hundred meters to the main road. Please note that the gate seen in the pic is not ours and hence, it cannot be opened for taking the turn.

Xcent manages this turn much better than my Punto due to the better turning radius and the help of electronic aids like sensors + camera.



2. Owner's manual has been edited properly with Xcent specific pics and material. Good attention to detail shown here -



3. However, same attention to detail is not shown in the official brochure. Absolutely pathetic photoshop done here. The edges of the stationary tyre are seen clearly while the alloys have been photoshopped to show motion.



Many more instances of such poor photoshop jobs can be seen on the official website as well - Case below where just a cut and paste job has been done without worrying about the reflections/ view through the glasses etc.



4. Kia branding appears in few parts -



5. The curious case of India's compact sedans-


Pics for Amaze and DZire are taken from team-bhp official review.

6. Swift DZire has only one automatic version priced at 6.57L - what you get is the VXi AT trim.
Amaze on the other hand has two automatic versions priced at 6.96L and 7.83L respectively for the S AT and VX AT trim levels.

Xcent offers the biggest bang for the buck here and has two automatic versions priced at 6.40L and 7.32L for the S(0) and SX(o) respectively - being cheaper and more loaded with kit than the competition here.

Also at 6.4L for the S(o) AT, it is the cheapest AT sedan in India displacing the previous bargain - the Swift DZire VXi AT.

7. As you would have already guessed, KL 01 KL 0101 is a fake number just because i dont like the original numbers on the thread.

8. My take on the Grand i10 sedan, sketched way back in Sep 2013. In retrospect, i think i still prefer my original sketch. Any votes for my design?

http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/indian...ml#post3233517

[CrAzY dRiVeR]

Considering the amount of kit the car comes with and our limited usage requirements by parents, there wont be many customizations done to this car.

1. Dual tone Horn - A must have! The current one is too meek for a motorcycle! This should be done during the first service.

2. Leather seats - Will be done sometime i visit Trivandrum. The fabric seats are prone to catching stains, and are light brown compared to the black and brown seats on the Grand i10.

3. Door sill plates - Saw these on another forum, but unfortunately our dealer didn't even have the original floormats in stock, forget sill plates!

Source here.



4. DRLs - Came across these while browsing for Grand i10 pics sometime back. Are these available as an official accessory for the Grand i10 in India? I suspect Hyundai might be waiting for the facelift to introduce these. I would love to have these, but they are not priority stuff!

Source here -



5. Original floormats as seen in our official review. The current ones provided free from the dealership are universal mats and looks too cheap! Have to be replaced on priority.

Service:

Car has covered around 1000 kms now and getting ready for the first service. Only the first service has to be done between 1200 - 1500 kms, the rest all follow the 1 year/ 10,000 kms pattern.

This car will have minimal usage and i will get behind the wheel less often, hence there wont be frequent updates. Thanks to anyone who have had the patience to read through the whole page. You are spared now and wont be bothered with updates often.

Also:

Would be great if anyone could answer the questions posted above -

1. Has anyone booked an extended warranty for the Xcent Automatic?

2. Is there an Eco Mode on the Grand i10 Automatic?

3. Are these DRLs available as an accessory in India?

And also, please feel free to correct me if something has been mentioned wrongly in the review. Happy weekend.

[Eddy]

Thread moved from the Assembly Line.

C_D - This is a wonderfully detailed report, thanks for sharing.

I am contemplating my next car, and the Xcent is one of the contenders along with Dzire and Amaze. Reviews like this definitely help

Edit - And it's time to change your avatar