Preview: All-new Hyundai Verna promises to be a game changer in India

It's been almost seven years since the current-gen Hyundai Verna has been on sale in India. While globally the Verna or Accent name plate may have been in existence from the last four generations, India has got only three - the Accent, Verna and the Fluidic Verna. Showcased last year at the Beijing Auto Show, the all-new or the fifth-generation Hyundai Verna will make it to our shores soon. The launch is expected to happen this August. Here is what we know so far about the C-segment sedan.

Mini-Elantra?

Precisely that's how the Fluidic Sculpture 2.0 design language renders the new Verna. It isn't a bad thing by any standard. The new Hyundai Verna sports the same grille as seen on the Elantra and now even the Xcent. The sloping and long bonnet line too is new and so are the bumpers. Hyundai also have a new set of headlamps on the Verna. These include LED DRL elements while the fog lamps are similar to the one on the Elantra. The 16-inch alloys also get a new design. The rear has an integrated spoiler and is a familiar scene considering it looks like the one from the new Xcent. The tail lamps themselves though seem inspired from the new Elantra.

Story inside

While the dashboard layout looks similar to the older Verna, the quality of materials seems better than before. Hyundai has always stayed away from the clutter of buttons on the dashboard. The new Hyundai Verna is no different. The fonts on the meter console are now blue in colour while the steering wheel too is new. The infotainment system seems to be same unit from the Elantra/Tucson and has Apple CarPlay, Android Auto as well as MirrorLink features. The seat upholstery too is new.

Chauffeur driven?

With the new-gen Verna, Hyundai have increased the length and width of the new Verna but decreased the height by 6mm. However, whether the height stays the same for eh Indian market or not remains to be seen. The wheelbase too has gone up by 10mm. This is expected to liberate more room inside the cabin. However, given the sloping roofline at the rear, those above 6ft in the boots might find it a tad too cramped. The boot space too has marginally gone up by 15 litres. From the look of the cabin, the amount of storage spaces looks the same as the current-gen car.

New engines?

Sadly not. The engines are the same 1.4-litre/1.6-litre petrol as well as the 1.4-litre/1.6-litre diesel engines from before. While the power and torque figures stay the same, expect the efficiency to go up a bit. Hyundai could have also tuned the engines for more driveability. In the process, the CO2 emissions too would have gone down. The transmission too will be a choice of 5- and 6-speed manuals whereas the automatics are expected to be the same 6-speed torque converters.

Will this one handle better?

Predictably so. The height as we discussed earlier has been lowered while the ground clearance too is lower than before at 160mm. This means a lower centre of gravity and given how new-age Hyundais handle, it will be no surprise that the Verna too will be a decent handler. The steering feel too is claimed to have been improved. All-wheel disc brakes are standard and so will be ABS. Dual airbags should ideally be available from one above the base variant while six airbags will be there on the top-spec trims.