ABS, EBD Now Comes As Standard With Hyundai Xcent

South Korean automaker Hyundai has added anti-lock brakes (ABS) and electronic brake force distribution (EBD) as standard across variants for the Xcent. However, all variants of the pre-facelift version were equipped with ABS as standard. Earlier, these safety features were offered only on the top spec variants of the compact sedan and after the central government’s rule that all cars sold after April 2019 should come fitted with ABS with EBD as standard across the range, Hyundai has taken this measure.

In the compact sedan segment, Hyundai Xcent was the only vehicle in the market without ABS and EBD, other than this, all the rivals already have ABS included in their standard safety feature list. Apart from that Hyundai has also removed the mid-spec E+ variant of the compact sedan. The Hyundai Xcent is now offered in four variants: E, S SX and SX(O). After the update, the prices for the Xcent start at Rs 5.5 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi) for the base petrol variant and the top-spec diesel variant is priced at Rs 8.61 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi).

Under the hood, the Hyundai Xcent comes powered by a 1.2-litre petrol and a 1.2-litre diesel engine. The petrol engine is capable of producing 82 bhp and 114 Nm of torque while the diesel engine generates 70 bhp and 170 Nm of torque. The petrol engine comes mated to a 5-speed manual or a 4-speed automatic gearbox; on the other hand the diesel engine gets a 5-speed manual gearbox to perform the transmission duties. In terms of features, over the base-spec E variant, the E+ offered wheel caps, a 2-DIN audio system, steering-mounted audio controls and front fog lamps. Interestingly, none of these features have been included to the base variant and now they’re available from the S variant onwards.

In the compact sedan segment, the Hyundai Xcent takes against the likes of the Maruti Dzire and the new Honda Amaze. Though, the vehicles offer ABS as standard safety feature, none of them offer EBD, hence the Xcent now has an upper hand over its rivals in terms of safety. Currently, Hyundai Xcent holds the third position in the compact sedan segment in terms of sales and new Amaze is the current segment leader. Honda Amaze has already recorded over 30,000 unit sales in just three months since its launch and now Hyundai is also working to introduce an all-new Xcent with new design and features to rival the car.

Since, the festive season is around the corner in the Indian market, this move by Hyundai will surely attract more customers for the Xcent compact sedan. The Hyundai Xcent has been a decent performer in the segment to date and returns healthy fuel efficiency while the interior also offers a host of features along with ample space for the passengers to feel comfortable. Apart from the Xcent, Hyundai might also take a step further and implement the same on the Grand i10 very soon as both cars compete for various parts of the same segment. Let’s wait and watch what more Hyundai has in their kitty to offer the customers in the near future.

Stay tuned to V3cars.com for further details.