With the growing demand for compact sedan cars in the country, car manufacturers are aiming to capture some space. The Maruti Swift Dzire has been the country’s top selling compact sedan, while Honda Amaze has been doing tremendous business for the company. Recently, Hyundai India introduces the Xcent compact sedan which is based on Grand i10 hatchback. Now, Tata Motors is all set to launch the Zest compact sedan which will pitch against the likes of Xcent, Amaze and Dzire. This time we have decided to pitch the Hyundai Xcent against the soon to be launched Tata Zest. The Tata’s sedan was unveiled on February 3rd in Delhi. [Also Read- Tata Bolt Vs Maruti Swift]
Exteriors
Based on the Grand i10 hatchback, the Xcent looks quite identical to its small sibling. The front façade and the side profile till C-Pillar is exactly the same as the Grand i10. Its front fascia features a two piece chrome grille which accommodates the Hyundai logo and a wide air dam that features licensing plate. The bumper also gets round fog lamps.
The front fascia of the Zest sedan gets the same elements which also accentuates the Bolt hatchback. It gets the large chrome grille which is complemented by fog lamps. The large bumper features triangular fog lamps and double slat air intake.
The side profile of both cars looks different; however, the vehicle gets similar design elements. The C-pillar size in Zest is larger than the Xcent, while both cars feature aerodynamic creases running across the length. The Hyundai Xcent gets black coloured body moulding on the sides which add to its sporty character. The flared wheel arches of the Zest sedan have been fitted to 16-inch alloy wheels.
The rear profile of the Zest sedan appears more appropriate and upmarket compared to Xcent. Both models features wrap around tail lamps and chrome strip over the boot lid. Aerodynamic curves further enhance the overall look of Zest sedan.
Interior
Inside the cabin, the Hyundai Xcent gets a bright dual tone beige and black interiors. The material quality and fit & finish are top notch. The smartly design dashboard is integrated with hexagonal outlined audio. It offers several utility spaces in door trims and centre console, fabric seats, rear arm rest, premium leather wrapped steering wheel, gear shift selector with chrome inserts and more. The vehicle has a boot space of 407-litres, which is more than sufficient to carry 4 suitcases easily. This compact sedan is equipped with several segment-first features like rear AC vents, a 1GB hard drive for the 2-DIN music system, steering mounted audio and Bluetooth control, push-button start and many more.
Frankly speaking, it is the best interiors you would imagine with any budget Tata product. Inside the cabin, the compact sedan looks identical to the Bolt hatchback. The overall design features and upholstery looks upmarket and is sourced from its hatchback sibling. The material quality, fit & finish is top notch. The vehicle offers spacious cabin and is equipped with loads of features such as touchscreen developed by Harman, Sat-Nav, and Bluetooth and voice recognition system.
Safety Features
The Hyundai Xcent is loaded with decent amount of safety features, but only top spec model gets airbags as standard. The top spec model also get reverse parking camera, Anti-lock braking system, child safety lock, central locking, engine immobilizer and many more.
Tata Zest sedan gets EPAS with active return function and speed sensitive power steering which has been developed by ZF. The other features include dual airbags, ABS with EBD and brake assist, engine immobilizer and others.
Engine & Transmission
Hyundai Xcent is offered in both petrol and diesel versions. The petrol version is powered by the 1.2-litre 4-cylinder engine producing 83PS at 6,000rpm and 114Nm of top torque at 4,000rpm. The oil burner is propelled by a 1.1-litre, 3-cylinder diesel engine that is capable of developing 72PS at 4,000rpm and torque of 180Nm at 1,500-2500rpm. Both the engines are coupled to a five-speed manual transmission gearbox, while the petrol version also gets the 4-speed auto gearbox.
The Tata Zest will be powered by the newly developed 1.2-litre turbocharged petrol engine that produces 84bhp and 140Nm of torque. The diesel version will get the 1.3-litre Multi-jet engine producing 90bhp and 200Nm of torque. Power is transmitted to front wheels via a five speed manual transmission gearbox. However, the Zest will be the first diesel car to feature an AMT (Automated manual transmission gearbox).
Price
The Hyundai Xcent is priced at Rs. 4.66 lakh for base spec petrol model and Rs. 7.38 lakh for the top spec diesel variant. We expect that Tata Zest will be priced around Rs. 4.9 lakh to Rs. 7.5 lakh for the top spec diesel model.
