The all-new Hyundai Verna is finally here. It made its global debut yesterday in India. The midsize sedan will retail with a starting sticker price of INR 10.90 lakh and goes up to INR 17.38 lakh for the top-spec trim (ex-showroom, all-India). The sedan now gets four petrol-only powertrain options and ADAS features.
With the new Verna Hyundai is aiming to double Verna’s sales with its new-generation model. The key competition to the Verna is the Honda City. Hyundai claims that it has already received over 8,000 bookings of the sixth-generation Verna since February 13 when bookings opened.
At the launch event itself, Hyundai talked about achieving twice the volume for this new-generation car. The carmaker is quite confident about the car. All of this is happening amidst the increasingly growing popularity of SUVs in the market.
As it stands, Hyundai Motor India has sold over 19,000 units of the outgoing Verna in CY2022. And thus with its plan of doubling sales, Hyundai will target to sell close to 36,000 to 38,000 units annually.
The launch of the updated Verna’s main task is to take away the most sold C-segment sedan crown from the Honda City. This is not the first time, but in the past too, Hyundai had high hopes of clinching the No. 1 position. But Honda City has established itself as the benchmark in this segment. In fact, the City brand has also become an aspirational product for a lot of Indians. The all-new Verna’s other chief rivals include Skoda Slavia and Volkswagen Virtus.
The new Verna gets two petrol engine options – a 1.5-litre naturally aspirated unit and a 1.5-litre turbo-petrol variant. The naturally aspirated motor is available with both manual and CVT automatic gearboxes. Meanwhile, the customers can have turbo-charged engines with manual and DCT transmission options.
As far as the standout features go, the Verna, like the City, now comes equipped with Level-2 ADAS. Other key safety features of the Verna include standardised six airbags and three-point seatbelts for all passengers.
Also Read: 2023 Hyundai Verna Turbo Vs. Skoda Slavia Vs. Volkswagen Virtus – Engine Comparison.