By: IOL Motoring Staff
New Delhi, India - Miniature sedans are all the rage in India at the moment, judging by the flood of A-segment four-doors unveiled at India's Auto Expo this week.
The latest in the series is Hyundai's Xcent, which is based on the Hyundai Grand i10 and shares its 61kW 1.2 petrol and 52kW 1.1 diesel engines.
Naturally, the Xcent adds a decently-sized boot to the equation and some segment-first features like rear air conditioning and a reverse camera.
Natural rivals include the Honda Brio Amaze , Tata Zest and upcoming Ford Figo sedan .
But why are these dinky four-doors so popular in India? For starters, that nation just loves four-door sedans - there's a sense of status attached to them. Secondly, cars in this size bracket enjoy significant tax breaks.
We're awaiting word on whether the Xcent will be coming to South Africa, but it is well known that its hatch cousin - the Grand i10 - is set for our shores, where hatchbacks have the upper hand at the compact end of the market.