Hyundai’s famed C-segment sedan, the Verna is set to welcome its new generation avatar by sometime next year as recently, a camouflaged test mule of the sedan had been spotted testing on the roads of Hyderabad. We expect the Korean automaker to heavily update Verna’s feature list while also refreshing its exterior looks according to the brand’s new design philosophy.
Design
As the test mule was spotted at night, we could make out that the Verna will come with a connected tail lamp design. This design element comes inspired by other products from Hyundai’s stable, i.e., the facelifted Venue & new-gen Tucson. This gives the new Verna a premium appearance as the tail lamps look up-market and attractive. With the connected tail lamps, the Verna now appears wider and grown-up. Verna will be the first sedan in Hyundai’s Indian lineup to feature it.
Moving on to additions to its interior, we can expect Hyundai to equip the new-gen Verna with ADAS features, a 360-degree parking camera, powered seats, a digital instrument cluster, and a 10.25-inch touchscreen infotainment system from the Creta.
Expected Drivetrain & Features
Features like 6 airbags, a sunroof, steering-mounted controls, ventilated front seats, and keyless entry with a start/stop button would also be present like in the existing car. Even the engine & gearbox combinations will get carried forward with the addition of an iMT along with the existing 7-speed DCT to its 1.0-liter, turbo-petrol variant in place of the manual gearbox version; similar to the i20 & Venue. Although Hyundai will have to upgrade its 1.5-liter diesel engine to help it meet the upcoming RDE norms (Real Driving Emission) which could make the diesel variants all the more expensive while taking a toll on the engine’s performance as well as efficiency.
We expect the new Verna’s market launch to happen by April 2023 and it should come with an expected starting price of Rs 10 lakh (ex-showroom). The updated Verna will continue to rival the Honda City, Maruti Ciaz, Volkswagen Virtus, and Skoda Slavia.