War Of The Compact Sedans: Comparison Of Amaze, Swift Dzire And Xcent

By Kennedy

Do we have a challenger to the dominant Maruti Swift Dzire? Let us compare some of the sub-four-metre compact sedans available in India.

honda-amaze-2016-vs-swift-dzire-vs-hyundai-xcent

Design

The new 2016 Honda Amaze facelift looks sharper and the chrome accents are bold and there is premium feel to the entire package. The company has thought it out well when it comes to the overall looks of the car.

Maruti Suzuki's Swift Dzire is not the very sharper looking car, and it is well rounded and has a good appeal, however, if you want a good looking car compared to the others in the same segment, Dzire does not convince enough.

Hyundai's Xcent, which uses the platform of the Grand i10, does justice to the name of the compact sub-four-metre sedan's design language. There is an obvious feel that it has been built based on a small car and adjusted to give the compact sedan feel.

On the design front, Honda's new 2016 Amaze scores better from its competitors.

Overall Design Rating

  • Honda Amaze 8/10
  • Maruti Dzire 7.5/10
  • Hyundai Xcent 7.5/10

Engine & Gearbox

The New Honda Amaze is powered by 1.2 litre petrol i-VTEC engine mated to a 5-speed manual and automatic gearbox. The diesel will be powered by 1.5 litre i-DTEC and only a 5-speed manual transmission is available.

The CVT (Continuously Variable Transmission) of the petrol engine for the Amaze runs for 18.1kmpl and 17.8kmpl for the manual transmission. The diesel runs for 25.8kmpl for the manual transmission.

Maruti Suzuki Swift Dzire is powered by 1.2 litre petrol VVT engine mated to a 5-speed manual and 4-speed Automatic transmission. The diesel will be powered by the 1.3 litre DDiS engine mated to a 5-speed manual and AGS (Auto Gear Shift).

The AT (Automatic Transmission) of the petrol runs for 18.5kmpl and 20.85kmpl for the manual transmission. The diesel heart will run for 26.59kmpl for the manual transmission and AGS (Auto Gear Shift).

Hyundai Xcent is powered by 1.2 litre VTVT petrol engine mated to a 4-speed automatic and 5-speed manual gearbox. The diesel is powered by 1.1 CRDi engine and is mated onto a 4-speed automatic and 5-speed manual.

The petrol runs for 19.1kmpl and the diesel for 24.4kmpl for both the automatic and the manual transmission.

On papers, the Xcent scores better in mileage, however, this can differ when driven on our congested road.

Overall Engine Rating

  • Honda Amaze 7.5/10
  • Maruti Dzire 8/10
  • Hyundai Xcent 7.5/10

Features

The Amaze will feature Automatic Climate Control from the base variant itself and sports heat absorbing front windscreen which keeps the car cooler.

The Maruti Swift Dzire sports an engine start-stop button for ease of starting your car, the automatic air-con comes in the top of the variant, also, it does not sport the heated windscreen if that is a requirement for you.

The Hyundai Xcent provides an air-con vent to the glove box to your drinks cool. The automatic climate control is seen on the top of the variant model.

On the features, the Amaze scores big due to its standard features on the base variant.

Overal Features Rating

  • Honda Amaze 8/10
  • Maruti Dzire 7.5/10
  • Hyundai Xcent 7.5/10

Safety

Honda uses their in-house safety ACE (Advanced Compatibility Engineering) for the body structure to hold it together. Dual Airbags are standard for the base variant in their new 2016 Amaze.

Maruti Swift Dzire comes with Dual Airbags and ABS with EBD for the top of the variant. Also, reverse camera for your parking assistance.

Hyundai's Xcent is designed with structural being built with anti-corrosive steel, ring structure and special welding techniques. Also, the top of the variant will come with dual airbags and ABS.

Again, the Amaze has bettered its rivals.

Overall Safety Rating

  • Honda Amaze 8/10
  • Maruti Dzire 7.5/10
  • Hyundai Xcent 7.5/10

Pricing

New Honda Amaze Maruti Suzuki Swift DZire Hyundai Xcent
Rs. 5,29,900 Rs. 5,16,074 Rs. 5,01,489

*All Prices are ex-showroom (Delhi) for the base variant.

Verdict

The new Honda Amaze is the better looking, and with the current standard features like dual airbags and automatic climate control, the sedan is well positioned for a good buy.

As for the Maruti's Dzire, the car is the best-selling compact sedan in the country and Maruti's well-established network of service centres and dealers will help grab your attention if you are not going by the 'looks' of it.

The Hyundai Xcent is the cheaper buy comparatively and the company has the second best in dealers and service centres when compared to Maruti.

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Article Published On: Saturday, March 5, 2016, 10:21 [IST]
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