The much-awaited seventh-generation Elantra was internationally revealed in 2020 but is yet to arrive in India. Although we did see its counterpart, Tucson, make its way onto our streets. But the arrival of Elantra has no confirmed dates just as of yet. As per some sources, Hyundai is currently prioritising the launch of the new Verna, which makes sense.
The Verna has a larger fan base and adds significant sales to Hyundai’s stable. Moreover, it has been a long time waiting. The current Verna on sale has seen quite a number of years now. Furthermore, Hyundai has hinted that the new Verna will be significantly larger and more spacious than the outgoing model. Thus there is a chance that it could cover both the mid-size and executive sedan segments.
The new Verna, with its bigger size and high levels of equipment, has the capability to eliminate the need for a separate executive sedan. Furthermore, Verna’s grown-up characteristics will also feel comfortable competing against its rivals in the mid-size sedan segment. Currently, the top-selling products in this segment include Honda City, Volkswagen Virtus and Skoda Slavia.
As of now, there’s not much demand for sedans. And even more so for the executive sedan segment. Currently, in India, we have just one model – the Skoda Octavia. Thus, Hyundai bringing in a new model to the executive segment does not seem like a very good idea. Moreover, the brand Elantra is one of the least popular titles for Hyundai India.
For the Indian market, the new Verna will most likely continue with the 1.5-litre petrol and 1.5-litre diesel engines. However, Hyundai could also add the more powerful 1.4-litre turbo-petrol engine from the Creta. Given the European twins, i.e. Slavia and Virtus, going berserk with their 1.5-litre turbo-petrol engines, Hyundai could opt for the 1.4-litre turbo engine. Gearbox options, too, will most likely remain unchanged. The new Verna is likely to make its global debut sometime this year, and an India launch will happen sometime in 2023. Furthermore, there are talks about Hyundai offering ADAS with the Verna, which could further spice up the overall package.
Also Read: New Hyundai Verna & Creta could borrow ADAS features from Tucson.