Hyundai Xcent SX CRDi (O) long term review: After 5,450km and four months

Rishabh Bhaskar Updated: September 14, 2017, 11:45 AM IST

Peace of mind. That's what I feel every time I've dared to drive the Hyundai Xcent in the torrential rains that have wreaked havoc all over Mumbai. The roads, as is the case annually, are in a state of disrepair but the Xcent seems to be unfazed. Hyundai has done a pretty good job of tuning the suspension, and I'm quite happy with the ride quality of the car.
The automatic climate control also works very well, keeping me comfortable at all times. The system adjusts the fan speed and temperature perfectly, and I've never had to use the manual controls to set the AC.

Torrential rains in Mumbai have had no effect on our Hyundai Xcent

The rains also affect the flow of traffic in Mumbai, and usually, traffic movement is thrown out of gear due to waterlogging. In times like these, where traffic snarls result in me spending over two hours to cover 20km, I've begun to appreciate the cabin of the Xcent. There is a multitude of cubby holes and thoughtful storage spaces, like the cupholders or the slot to store my wallet. Music is an integral part of my commute in a car, and the Xcent's system is a pretty good one.

The headrests on the Hyundai Xcent are fixed. I would have liked them to be adjustable.

The seats are comfortable too, and long hours behind the wheel don't result in annoying buttaches. That said, I have a gripe with the headrests on the front seats. They are fixed, which means it is only tall enough to reach the base of my head. I would have liked adjustable headrests, especially since only two rear passengers get one.
Besides this niggle, I'm quite happy with the way the Xcent has fared so far. It is quite frugal too and I usually cover over 500km between tank fill ups. I feel relaxed while driving it, aware of the fact that the Xcent will be up to the task of ferrying me in comfort.