Xtra Appeal

Since I work for an automobile magazine, people expect me to be driving a Porsche or a Ferrari, or at the very least, a Merc every other day.

I have grown used to disappointing friends, acquaintances and neighbours by now. The last such let down on my part happened some twenty days ago. I had joined my friends for a boozy night out at a hip pub in Mumbai's Lower Parel, and a copious amount of the good stuff was ingested by all, excluding yours truly who doesn't drink when he has to drive.

At about 1 am, my friends decided they really had to eat Egg Bhurji, and so we prepared to head to Mumbai Central, where a street vendor is known to make egg dishes that attract people from all over, at all times of the day and night.

As expected, my test car, the Hyundai Xcent, elicited some groans of disappointment ('What ya? " said Sonia, who's probably never ventured beyond South Mumbai. "Where's the Porsche, ya?”) as expected, but there were some folks who were pleasantly surprised as we drove towards our destination. Especially Swati, who had just booked a hatchback. 

Over the past few weeks, I've grown to like the car. And, that's primarily because the Xcent is an excellent product. It has the right engine for our cities, a bunch of relevant features and it offers a pretty decent ride too. The 82bhp Kappa2 engine is a quiet, refined customer that delivers linear power and is always game to dart in and out of traffic. I particularly love the five-speed gearbox that slots in slickly and effectively, and all of those features that Swati loved: reverse parking sensors, keyless entry, push-button start, and the audio system with Bluetooth. Plus, it's composed and confidence inspiring on the highway as well. As is the case with most Hyundais, especially the top end models, the car feel like it belongs to a segment above it. 

Published by: Top Gear