Thursday 17 April 2014

Honda Amaze vs Maruti Swift DZire vs Hyundai Xcent : Comparison Of Sedans

Maruti Suzuki Swift DZire vs Hyundai Xcent vs Honda Amaze

The Indian automobile market may very well be dominated by hatchbacks but with the Maruti Suzuki Swift DZire holding the third highest selling spot in the market and the Honda Amaze claiming the 11th place on the sales charts, the relevance of the compact sedan cannot be ignored. India’s second largest car maker is now here to have a share of the segment with it’s new Xcent compact sedan. And on the face of it, Hyundai seems to have given its competition a lot to worry about in the segment as the Xcent seems to tick all the right boxes, atleast on paper. Keeping rising fuel prices in mind, we take the diesel avatars of these three compact sedans to tell you how the new Hyundai Xcent compares against it's well established rivals.

Maruti Suzuki Swift DZire vs Hyundai Xcent vs Honda Amaze
 

Exterior The Hyundai Xcent is based on the Grand i10 hatchback platform and retains the same front profile as the hatchback. The bonnet has a downward sloping design with the A-pillars flowing onto the corners. The car has swept back headlamps and sleek single slat chrome grille. The front bumper of the Xcent has a hexagonal air dam that now gets a chrome lining on the sedan while the angular fog lamps recess are the same as those on the hatch. The side profile too remains identical right up to the C-pillar that has been blended into the boot line well indeed. A sharp shoulder line stands out as it runs from over the centre section of the front wheel arch, along the door handles, all the way to the tail light. The slight kink in the lower section of the doors is fitted with thick black plastic beading just like the hatchback. The dual tone diamond cut alloy wheels look pretty snazzy too and adds to the visual appeal of the car. At the back, the Hyundai Xcent has a trapezoid shaped license plate housing with chrome lining on the top. The rear bumper has a protruding centre section with a nice recess in the lower centre section housing reflectors on either side. The bottom of the bumper has a black centre section with the tow hook located in the centre. The Honda Amaze like it's hatchback sibling has a very meek looking front end with its small double slat grille and relatively small headlamps. The bonnet of the Amaze has a V-shaped power dome to lend a nice visual break. The front bumper with it's sharp lines comes to the rescue of the front end of the car by lending plenty of design lines and the subtle fog lamp housings lends a nice sharp look to the car. The side profile of the Amaze has a sharp lines that give it a somewhat busy look with lines flowing backwards from the headlamps, one stretching from the front apron to the rear door and another from the rear door to the the tail light. The lower section of the doors has a sharp kink to keep the visual appeal of the car intact. The C-pillar of the Honda Amaze has a sharp line flowing down from the roof, (something that reminds you of sedans from the 90s) and onto the boot lid that looks like it was always meant to be a part of the car.


Honda Amaze Maruti Suzuki Swift DZire Hyundai Xcent

The rear profile of the Amaze is the best looking amongst the three cars here with nicely carved large tail lights, a boot lid with plenty of curves and crests, and a thick strip of chrome running between the tail lights. The large rear bumper of the car like the rest of the car has sharp lines that give it plenty of visual distinctions. The Maruti Suzuki Swift DZire is the oldest car here but has aged well. While not many agree with me, I actually feel that this second generation DZire with it's swept back headlamps, downward sloping bonnet, long grille and large front bumper looks nice even today. To me, it is better looking than its predecessor. The side profile of the car has a window line that slopes downwards to the rear and the blacked out A and B pillars do give it a sporty look. Unlike the Amaze, the Swift DZire has mild design cues in the form of a shoulder like running from the front apron to the tail lights, a kink in the lower section of the doors and flared wheel arches. The C pillar of the car sharply blends onto the boot, that is a short one to keep the car’s length under four meters. In the process, the short rear over hang of the Swift DZire does give it a sporty rear end design. The example of the Maruti Suzuki Swift DZire we have here is the mid-level VDi variant of the car that misses out on alloy wheels. Around the back, the Swift DZire has nice angular tail lamps, a U-shaped license plate housing and a thick strip of chrome running between the tail lamps. The large rear bumper has a protruding centre section and a recess in the lower centre section of the car with a rear fog lamp housed in the centre.

Honda Amaze Maruti Suzuki Swift DZire Hyundai Xcent
Honda Amaze Maruti Suzuki Swift DZire Hyundai Xcent

Kanika Sood’s opinion: I think that the Amaze wins my heart when it comes to looks in this segment. Specially love how the boot is integrated. Design is a high point of Honda. The Xcent looks a little plain and the Dzire looks old. Honda has done a good job with the design. Bunny Punia's opinion: I like the way the Xcent looks apart from its unconventional tail lamps. Gorgeous alloys add to the appeal and coming a close second, for me, is the Amaze. It looks the most proportioned of the lot and finally, the Dzire needs a mid-life update now.

Hyundai Xcent interior

Interior It’s here that Hyundai has really upped the game in the compact sedan segment with the Xcent. Everything from the quality of plastics, switchgear, seat fabric, over all fit and finish and the appearance of the dual tone interiors makes you feel welcome. The cabin of the Hyundai Xcent is genuinely a nice place to be in. My previous statement has a two fold reason as the Xcent also comes loaded with a serious amount of equipment in this segment in the top-end SX (O) variant that comes fitted with power steering, tilt adjustable steering, steering mounted audio controls, power windows all around, climate control, electrically adjustable and auto folding ORVMs, auto dimming interior rear view mirror, a height adjustable driver’s seat, a driver information system, front airbags, cooled glove box, keyless entry with engine start/stop button, front fog lamps, rear defogger, rear parking sensors and rear view camera, rear centre armrest and rear air vents.

Hyundai Xcent rear seat

The stereo has 1GB of internal memory, Bluetooth connectivity, and steering mounted audio controls. Sound quality from the unit is the best amongst the three cars and my only complaint here is that I tend to unintentionally switch tracks while taking corners as my palm’s section under the thumb comes into contact with the track change button. Apart from that ergonomic issue, the stereo is a good package indeed.

Hyundai Xcent boot space

On the grounds of space, the Hyundai Xcent is a very accommodating car. The front seats are supportive and the rear seat can easily seat three adults with good leg room to offer. The Xcent furthers practicality with the biggest boot here with 407 litres of space to  offer.

Honda Amaze interior

After the Xcent, moving on to the interiors of the other two cars here feels like going back in time. I say this because both the Honda Amaze and Maruti Suzuki Swift DZire have somewhat dated interiors. True that both cars get beige interiors and double din stereo units but its limited to just that. The inside of the Honda Amaze is the most basic looking here with the dashboard being carried over from the Brio hatchback. While the dual tone colour theme does liven things up and lends an airy ambiance to the large cabin of the Amaze, the quality of plastics and switchgear feel down rent. The stereo has very tacky switchgear and sound quality is not as good as the unit in the Xcent.

Honda Amaze rear seat

On the equipment front too, the Amaze feels spartan in comparison to the Xcent. The top end VX variant comes fitted with power steering with tilt adjustable steering, power windows all around, driver’s seat height adjust, front airbags, a double din stereo with USB compatibility, steering mounted audio controls, manual airconditioning, day/night interior rear view mirror, electrically adjustable and folding ORVMs, remote central locking, front fog lamps, front power outlet, rear defogger and rear centre armrest.

Honda Amaze boot space
The Amaze is rather spacious inside, the rear seats offer plenty of legroom and head room while the front seats are comfortable and have good lower back support. And with 400 litres of boot space, the Amaze is not far behind the Xcent on the overall practicality front.

Maruti Suzuki Swift DZire interior
Maruti Suzuki Swift DZire interior

The Maruti Swift DZire has better looking dual tone interiors than the Amaze and quality of materials, plastic and switchgear are better as well. Although, its nowhere close to the interiors of the Hyundai Xcent, the cabin of the Swift DZire is a pleasant looking one. Where it falls short though is on the practicality as rear headroom is limited for tall passengers and rear legroom is tight even for people of average height. The front seats are better off and offer good upper back support. I also have to mention that with a  boot space of 316 litres the  Swift DZire's space constraint is an all round issue.

Maruti Suzuki Swift DZire

The ZDi variant of the Swift DZire comes loaded with power steering, power windows all around, day/night interior rear view mirror, electrically adjustable and folding ORVMs, remote central locking, climate control, a double din stereo with USB compatibility, steering mounted audio controls, front and rear fog lamps, rear defogger, driver’s seat height adjust, driver information display, front power outlet and a rear centre arm rest. I also have to mention that sound quality from the stereo is rather poor.

Maruti Suzuki Swift DZire rear seat

Kanika’s opinion: Xcent wins hands down in this. The quality of the cabin, the plastic, the buttons all are far superior than competition. Feature list is very impressive and I love the thought behind things like rear a/c vents, cooled glove box. Off-late Hyundai have focussed a lot on comfort and quality with their Verna and Elantra and Sonata. The Xcent is another example of the same.
Bunny’s opinion: A typical buyer in this segment is looking for comfort, quality and features and this is something the Xcent provides easily. The Amaze could do with a better looking fascia while the Dzire lacks both passenger as well as boot space. While the Amaze wins on cabin space, the Xcent seems to cocoon passengers in a nicer way. Further, the limited under-seat space in the Amaze up front means rear passengers can’t push their feet forward as easily as in the Xcent.

Diesel compact sedan engine
Diesel compact sedan engine

Engine and Gearbox Unlike its four cylinder rivals, the Hyundai Xcent diesel is powered by a 1.1 litre three cylinder oil burner that develops 72PS of power @ 4,000 rpm and 180Nm of torque between 1,750 rpm and 2,500 rpm, which is 1PS and 20Nm more than the motor produces in the Grand i10 hatchback. The engine is claimed to return a fuel efficiency figure of 24.4 km/l as per ARAI. The engine is mated to a five-speed manual gearbox that has very smooth shift quality and reverse is engaged by lifting the gear lever and moving it into the first gear slot. The clutch is light and progressive and is a joy to use under heavy traffic conditions.

Diesel compact sedans
Diesel compact sedans

Right from the moment you fire up the motor, it has to be said that Hyundai has done a great job at containing noise, vibration and harshness (NVH) of the diesel engine and has made it feel very refined for a small capacity diesel motor. There is obviously a bit of initial turbo lag but once you hit the 1,750 rpm mark the engine pulls cleanly to 2,500 rpm with very linear acceleration. At this point you can hear the turbo spooling and it overrides some of the diesel engine clatter from the engine. The surge of acceleration starts fading as the speed climbs, beyond the 110 km/h mark, the Xcent feels out of breath and you can sense that the car is out of its comfort zone. Its also worth mentioning that the Xcent feels underpowered under full load in traffic conditions and sometimes will require you to shift to first gear to get going.

Diesel compact sedan comparo
Diesel compact sedan comparo

The Honda Amaze diesel on the other hand packs in a much larger 1.5 litre diesel engine that generates 100PS of power @ 3,600 rpm and 200Nm of torque @ 1,750 rpm. This makes it significantly more powerful, and right from the get up and go you can make this out. The engine is mated to a five speed manual gearbox that is notchy and is linked to a heavy clutch, as a result, the Amaze does require some effort to be driven about. True, that the surge of power is more throughout the rev band, but its poor NVH levels mean that you are constantly aware of the rough engine note at all times and the heavy clutch and notchy gearshift do not help. These are the only let downs of what is otherwise a brilliant powertrain and that is responsive to driver inputs and can get a move on when you want it to. Pushing the Honda Amaze diesel will get you to an indicated top speed of 145 km/h at which point it feels like the car has been limited and could have gone a tad faster.

Diesel compact sedan engine review
Diesel compact sedan engine review

The Maruti Suzuki Swift DZire diesel ofcourse comes fitted with the famed 1.3 litre multi-jet diesel engine that develops 75PS of power @ 4,000 rpm and 190Nm of torque @ 2,000 rpm. The Swift DZire has an ARAI claimed efficiency figure of 23.4 km/l. The engine is mated to a five speed manual gearbox that is not as notchy as the unit in the Amaze but is not as light and smooth as the Hyundai Xcent’s either. The clutch pedal is nice and progressive but not as light as the one in the Xcent. On the performance front, the Maruti Swift DZire is in between the Amaze and the Xcent as it is a lively motor that is responsive once past the 2,000 rpm mark. It is closer to the Amaze in terms of power delivery though not as punchy. The car hits the 110 km/h mark in relative ease and is a capable highway cruiser. There is a fair amount of engine noise inside the cabin right from the start, though not as pronounced as the 1.5 litre i-DTEC motor in the Amaze. Kanika’s opinion: The Amaze is my pick in this for a simple reason that 1.5 litre i-DTEC motor is peppy and responds very well. 100 PS of power is evident when you are in a mood to push the car beyond the usual limits of commute. In pulls up nicely in the city and is fast and efficient. When the speedometer shows you more than 24 km/litre display, the happiness is amazing Bunny’s opinion: A perfect match would have been a car with Xcent’s NVH levels combined with performance of the Amaze. While Hyundai’s offering impressed me with its light clutch, smooth gearshift and best in class noise levels, I simply couldn’t ignore the power delivery of the Amaze. Best in class fuel economy from the Amaze, inspite of such a big engine, is the icing on the cake.

Hyundai Xcent side profile
Hyundai Xcent side profile

Ride and Handling All the cars here come with a McPherson Strut type suspension up front and a torsion beam setup at the rear. And all three cars also come with disc brakes at the front and drums at the rear. That said all three of them have different ride and handling traits and one of them is more apart from the other two. The ride and handling department is where the Hyundai Xcent falls short of its rivals. With its light steering, gearshifts and clutch the Hyundai Xcent may very well be tireless and comfortable to drive. But its when you begin push it that the shortcomings of the chassis and suspension begin to show. The Xcent just does not like to go fast around a bend and hits its limit of balance and grip quite soon. Now, I do agree that compact sedans are not about outright driving pleasure but my problem with the Hyundai on the handling department is from a safety stand point. If you enter a corner a little too fast or say, have to swerve in order to avoid a cow on the road, the Xcent can be unsettled very quickly. And feedback from the light steering unit should be better as well to keep the driver aware of whats going on at all times.

Hyundai Xcent rear
Hyundai Xcent rear

For this segment, the Xcent’s ride comfort and cushioning over broken roads is good and on par with its rivals, there is a bit of road noise over coarse surfaces and broken tarmac sections. Another concern with the Hyundai Xcent is braking. While there is adequate braking force and the ABS system kicks in nicely, there is absolutely no feedback from the pedal and the only time you feel anything is when the anti-lock brakes intervene to stop the wheels from locking up under hard braking.

Honda Amaze front action
Honda Amaze front action

The Honda Amaze is clearly the car with the best handling traits here. The steering offers some amount of feedback and the car responds well to sudden driver inputs in the form of directional changes. The chassis and suspension give the driver good confidence to push the car to the limit of grip at which point you are constantly aware of how much grip all the wheels have at all points of time. This makes it a very rewarding car to drive at the limit. The brakes provide good feedback too for this segment and the ABS kicks in late providing good braking performance over different surfaces. Ride comfort is similar to the Xcent when it comes to comfort and cushioning over poor road surfaces. And again like the Xcent, plenty of road noise filters inside the cabin, in fact a little more so. This combined with the high NVH levels inside the cabin makes it fairly unpleasant to drive over coarse tarmac surfaces.

Maruti Suzuki Swift DZire front
Maruti Suzuki Swift DZire front

The Maruti Suzuki Swift DZire on the ride and handling front is a toned down version of the Amaze. The steering unit does not provide as much feedback as the unit in the Amaze but you have a fair idea of whats going on. Pushing it around corners gives the driver a good idea of what the car is doing and keeps you aware about its limit of grip, which is a little less than what the Amaze is capable of. The brakes have good bite, a little less so over loose surfaces. Ride comfort is good in the Swift DZire and the suspension cushions bumps in an almost identical manner as the other two cars here. Road noise though is less than in the Amaze over rough roads. Kanika’s opinion: Ride quality and handling is my only issue with the Xcent. The Dzire is good at both but once you drive the Amaze is when you realize how mature the car is. It is fast and yet handles great. The brake feel, the handling of the car is superb. Plus, the base variant of the Amaze comes with ABS too. That’s where I would want to put my money because after all, if a car does not drive well then what’s the point. The NVH levels are sure poor but I can make peace with that. Bunny’s opinion: Standard ABS across all diesel versions of the Amaze is something that has impressed us a lot. It handles well for city (great visibility) and rides well too. On that account, even the Dzire fares well but drive the Xcent and you know it’s tuned so well for comfort – again something a typical buyer would want. However, offering ABS only on the top end model, that too as an option surprises me a lot.

Diesel compact sedan comparision
Diesel compact sedan comparision

Verdict Having considered all aspects for the Hyundai Xcent, Honda Amaze and the Maruti Suzuki Swift DZire, its now time to reach a conclusion as to which of these cars makes for that right compact sedan purchase. The Hyundai Xcent SX (O) unquestionably makes for a rather attractive option in this segment with its upmarket interiors, feature packed equipment list and value for money proposition, as it is roughly Rs 12,000 more affordable than the Honda Amaze VX. The Xcent is also much nicer to drive with its light controls and lower NVH levels. True that it lacks the outright punch of its rivals, but this is a car you don’t mind driving slowly as its so much more refined than its rivals and does the job of an urban run about well. That said, the Honda Amaze makes a strong case for itself as a more powerful and economical car, coupled with spacious interiors and positive drive dynamics that indeed make it a safer and more fun to drive car. But its spartan interiors, high NVH levels, notchy gearbox and heavy clutch let it down, something that definitely will add to fatigue levels over long journeys. You do have to remember though, that this is a Honda and comes with the brand’s bullet proof reliability and good resale value.

Best diesel compact sedan
Best diesel compact sedan
The Maruti Suzuki Swift DZire is beginning to show it's age. It’s a nice car to drive, a more balanced package between the Xcent and Amaze. It is also the most affordable car here as the ZDi variant is around Rs 9,000 more affordable than the SX (O) variant of the Xcent. Although, the cramped rear seat along with a limited equipment list in relation to the Xcent makes it fall short of its competition. The Swift DZire though continues to and will continue to sell in high numbers due to Maruti’s low maintenance costs, brand image and crucially, accessibility to service centers, especially outside metro cities, something that makes people choose a Maruti with their eyes closed. However, I feel the time for the Swift DZire is over in wake of more modern, powerful and economical offerings from Hyundai and Honda. It all then boils down to a brawl between the Xcent and the Amaze. I’ am heavily inclined towards the Xcent. It’s a nicer car to drive, albeit slowly. It packs in way more features than the Honda and is more modern in almost every aspect. Handling and enthusiastic driving is surely not a forte of these cars, but the nervous high speed manners of the Xcent makes me take a step back. Nevertheless, the Honda’s crude nature is something that can’t be overlooked - despite its performance, efficiency and safe road manners.

Honda Amaze Maruti Swift DZire Hyundai Xcent
Honda Amaze Maruti Swift DZire Hyundai Xcent

As a result, the Hyundai Xcent takes the prize here, but just about. It offers the most bang for your buck. It’s a comfortable urban run about so long as you keep the speeds in check, it’s more in tune with the times with respect to refinement, interiors and creature comforts. It’s a car that will appeal to value conscious buyers and Hyundai has to be credited for the new Xcent, not to forget that the entry level diesel model is a 21,000 cheaper than the base diesel Dzire and Rs 40,000 less than the base diesel Amaze! Kanika’s opinion- It’s a difficult choice. All three of them are good and not-so-good in their own ways. Maruti offers you the most service stations across the country and hassle free ownership, Hyundai comes a close second in the service accessibility front with the added advantage of offering a lengthy equipment list, while Honda has more brand value and best in class fuel efficiency. It is a tough call, the Xcent is new, refreshing, feature packed and a very good overall package. Swift DZire, though outdated still leads the segment for reasons like good engine and the fact that it is a Maruti. But, my vote goes to the Honda Amaze. I value safety, handling, confidence and drive/ride quality over other things in a car. Amaze is amazing at all of the above. For me the best value for money offering here is the Honda Amaze. PS: I already own the current generation DZire. Bunny’s opinion: Let me start my opinion by stating that I too own a Dzire, the previous generation one. Its done 1.2 lac km on the odo and is 5 years old but even today, mechanically, it’s a perfect companion. This is one of the reasons why the DZire will always continue to sell in big numbers – that’s a Maruti for you. That said, Hyundai has upped the game by offering the most comfortable and feature loaded car in the segment at a terrific price point. The Xcent never feels built to a price, something that is apparent in the Amaze. Talking of which, you can’t ignore the sheer space, performance and brand value that comes attached with the Amaze. Both these cars are winners for me here, each satisfying a different owner completely. Photography by: Kanupriya Bhatnagar

Source: gaadi.com

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