Hyundai Motor India has just launched its sub-four metre- Xcent aimed at the compact sedan market and with its price, clearly intends to grab market share from the biggies – Maruti Suzuki’s Dzire and the latest entrant, the Honda Amaze.

The Xcent starts at R 4.66 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi), about Rs 20,000 less than the Dzire and about Rs 30,000 less than the Amaze.

With a strong brand and a diesel and petrol engines, the Amaze has been an unqualified success. Many buyers from Tier 2 and 3 cities like its fuel efficiency – the Amaze offers 25kpl which is a big draw. Add to that the powerful Honda brand and you have a killer combination.

Now enter the Korean warrior. Hyundai has not been in the news the way it was back in the days of the Santro, or even the Sonata. But that does not mean it doesn’t have a formidable line-up.

Last September, it brought in the Grand i10, and the vehicle has just taken off. One dealer told me that the company had finally got the price right. Over 60,000 Grand i10s are on India’s roads now.

With the just-launched Xcent, Hyundai will want to build on that and bring in the numbers. Here’s why I think the Xcent will likely make a splash:

Great service: Hyundai’s reputation as a great sales service provider will give it the best possible back-up as it pushes sales of the new car. Good numbers for the Grand help as the sales folk push the sedan version.   

Pure passenger: Maruti’s Dzire has been a hit but it has a taxi aspect to it which may fob off buyers. With its fluidic design, the Xcent is a lot better looking than the Dzire, and will certainly grab a potential buyer’s attention.

Diesel repute: No one doubts the power of the Amaze but it’s still early days on the diesel. It offers 24.4kpl which is just a bit less than the Amaze but buyers may not mind.

The Xcent only adds to the excitement in the compact segment and with three formidable players slugging it out, this is an interesting battle to watch.