Hyundai's Xcent

HYUNDAI'S XCENT

THE ACCENT WAS HYUNDAI'S 2ND OFFERING IN INDIA AND WAS LAUNCHED ON 14TH OCTOBER, 1999. THAT MAKES FOR A PRODUCT LIFE CYCLE OF A WHOPPING 14 YEARS! THE VERNA IS ACTUALLY THE NEXT-GENERATION ACCENT INTERNATIONALLY; HYUNDAI INDIA CHOSE TO SELL THE TWO SIDE BY SIDE, WITH THE VERNA POSITIONED A FULL SEGMENT HIGHER. IN THESE 14 YEARS, THE ACCENT WENT THROUGH NUMEROUS UPGRADES, VARIANTS AND A DIFFERENT BODY STYLE TOO (THE VIVA). THE MOST NOTEWORTHY WAS THE ACCENT CRDI, THE 1ST COMMON-RAIL DIESEL THIS SIDE OF THE MERCEDES E-CLASS.

INGENIOUSLY NAMED XCENT TAKES OVER FROM ITS PREDECESSOR AS HYUNDAI'S NEW ENTRY-LEVEL SEDAN. GOING WITH THE NAME XCENT IS HYUNDAI'S WAY OF PLAYING SAFE WITH CUSTOMER PERCEPTIONS. RATHER THAN COMING OUT WITH AN ALL-NEW BADGE, THE KOREAN COMPANY WANTS TO CASH IN ON THE ACCENT CONNECT. UNLIKE THE ACCENT HOWEVER, THE XCENT IS A SUB-4 METER SEDAN, THEREBY ENJOYING THE LOWEST EXCISE DUTY SLAB OF 8%. IT HAS BEEN USED TO PRICE THE XCENT COMPETITIVELY, WITH A LOWER STARTING PRICE THAN CHIEF COMPETITORS, THE MARUTI DZIRE & HONDA AMAZE (AND THE ERSTWHILE ACCENT TOO). OF COURSE, THERE ARE LARGER ENTRY-LEVEL SEDANS PRICED NOT SO FAR AWAY (SAIL, ETIOS, MANZA), YET THE GAME IS IN THE HANDS OF THE DZIRE AND AMAZE. THE XCENT WANTS A PIECE OF THAT HIGH-VOLUME CAKE. WHILE THE DZIRE HAS TREMENDOUS BRAND EQUITY AND MARUTI'S MUSCLE BEHIND IT, WEAKER CARS LIKE THE SAIL, ETIOS ETC. WILL TAKE THE HARDEST HIT. THEY CANNOT MATCH HYUNDAI'S SHEER QUALITY, MARKETING MUSCLE OR DEALER STRENGTH. IN THE TOUGH MARKET CONDITIONS OF CURRENT TIME, WEAK PRODUCTS ARE THE FIRST TO SUFFER.