Hyundai has launched the 2020 Verna facelift in India for a starting price of Rs 9.31 lakh for the base petrol variant and it goes up to Rs 15.10 lakh for the top-end diesel automatic variant. The updated Verna gets revised exterior styling and offers four trim levels and five engine-gearbox combinations for buyers to choose from.
The Verna facelift gets three new BS6-compliant engine options – two petrol and one diesel. The 115hp, 1.5-litre naturally aspirated petrol unit is shared with the new Creta and can be mated to either a 6-speed manual or a CVT automatic gearbox. The second petrol unit is the 120hp, 1.0-litre turbo-petrol engine from the Venue that is exclusively paired with a 7-speed DCT gearbox. The diesel on offer is a 115hp, 1.5-litre unit coupled to a 6-speed manual gearbox as standard. It also comes with the option of a 6-speed torque converter automatic gearbox.
In terms of design, it gets a large cascading grille upfront with a chrome honeycomb pattern, flanked by new sharp-looking LED headlamps. At the rear, the tail lamps feature some changes, while the bumper gets a new skid plate with a twin-muffler design. However, there is a sharp price jump from the previous version, therefore Hyundai has justified it with a host of segment-first unique features. Here are the top 5 unique features offered in the new Verna facelift:
Fully digital Instrument Cluster
The Verna facelift is the only sedan in its class to feature a fully-digital instrument console. In addition, it also gets a 4.2-inch driver information display (MID) that displays a multitude of data to the driver. The same unit is also shared with the next-gen i20, although the unit on the new Creta is slightly different.
Also READ: Hyundai Aura Video Review – BS6 Diesel Manual & 1.0-Litre Turbo Petrol
Front Ventilated Seats
Just like the pre-facelift Verna was the only car in the segment to come with ventilated seats, the new Verna facelift continues to edge ahead with the novel feature. No other sedan in this segment is offered with ventilated seats. Ventilated seats are a very underrated feature but they are particularly very useful in the hot sub-tropical Indian climate.
BlueLink Telematics System
Hyundai is one of the few manufacturers to offer connected car technology in mass-market cars other than Kia, MG and Tata. But none of these automakers has offered the feature in a sedan. The Verna becomes the first sedan in the country to be offered connected car technology, BlueLink, which is offered in Venue and the newly launched 2nd generation Creta. It comes with 45 features, including remote engine and air-con operation (automatic only), voice commands for in-car functions and more. It also lets the owner access in-car functions with the help of their smartwatches.
Wireless Phone Charging
A feature which is becoming extremely popular in the Indian market is wireless phone charging. Hyundai recently offered wireless charging in its new compact sedan Aura and now it offers in the new Verna Facelift, both of which make it unique in their respective segments. The wireless charging pad is placed neatly in the space ahead of the gear lever.
Smart/Hands-Free Boot opening
Hyundai has equipped the Verna with a hands-free boot opening feature that will come handy when your hands are full and you need to pop the trunk open. Dubbed the ‘Smart Trunk’ feature by Hyundai, this feature allows the user to automatically open the tailgate by standing in close proximity to the boot, provided you have the key fob with you. Like its predecessor, the new Verna continues to rival the likes of the Hona City, Maruti-Suzuki Ciaz, Volkswagen Vento and Skoda Rapid.