One of the best sedans in the segment finally comes in its latest avatar to India after its first reveal back in China last year, the new Hyundai Verna.
This fifth generation Verna is built on the company’s K2 platform, with half of the new body structure built out of Advanced High Strenght Steel. All of that culminates in making it lighter while improving body rigidity and passenger safety. The new build is also meant to improve the overall driving experience by offering more feedback, more stability at high speeds, improved ride and better cornering.
On the surface, the new Verna gets a new look which makes it look more like its big brother, the new Elantra. It’s got the big horizontal grille and the pretty LED taillights, the overall silhouette resembling an evolution of the Fluidic design language. The new Verna also gets diamond cut 16-inch alloys. Under the hood, Hyundai has launched it in India only with the 1.6-litre engines, no 1.4-litre units on offer just yet though reports suggest they will make an appearance later on. The petrol engine is good for 121bhp and 151Nm of torque while the oil burner makes a maximum of 126bhp and 260Nm of twist. Both engines are available with a choice of a 6-speed manual as well as automatic transmission.
Inside, there is the usual tech and feature fest one has come to expect from the Korean manufacturer over the years. The list includes cruise control, smartphone connectivity with the 7-inch touchscreen infotainment unit, rear AC vents, a smart electric sunroof and voice command as well. The pleasant surprise on the Verna’s feature list for us is the ventilated seats, which should come in handy in the Indian weather and traffic. It also gets six airbags, cornering lamps and impact-sensing auto-door unlock safety features.
Hyundai has armed the latest Verna quite well to take on its most direct rivals in its segment like the Honda City, Skoda Rapid, Maruti Suzuki Ciaz and the Volkswagen Vento. The petrol variant gets a starting price of INR 8 lakh while the diesel variant starts from INR 9.43 lakh (all prices are ex-showroom Delhi).
Here’s a complete breakup of the price and variants for your convenience:
Petrol
E MT – INR 8 lakh
EX MT – INR 9.3 lakh
EX AT – INR 10.49 lakh
SX MT – INR 9.69 lakh
SX(O) MT – INR 11.35 lakh
SX(O) AT – INR 12.49 lakh
Diesel
E MT – INR 9.43 lakh
EX MT – INR 10.25 lakh
EX AT – INR 11.68 lakh
SX MT – INR 11.38 lakh
SX(O) MT – INR 12.69 lakh
SX+ AT – INR 12.88 lakh
The Auto Loons 