With increased competition from new rivals such as Skoda Slavia and Volkswagen Virtus, Hyundai will be looking to regain lost ground with all-new 2023 Verna
Hyundai Verna was the third bestselling mid-size sedan in 2022, trailing behind Honda City and Skoda Slavia. Before Slavia entered the scene, Verna was usually placed at second spot. It’s apparent that Verna needs to catch up.
Next-gen Verna can swing things around, as it packs in a comprehensive range of updates. Test mules reveal improved styling, new features and enhanced safety with ADAS. The sedan also gets a new, more powerful turbo petrol motor. ADAS features are likely to be offered with top-spec variants of new-gen 2023 Verna. Hat tip to automotive enthusiasts Vijay Bharathwaj and Mithil Hariharan for sharing exclusive spy shots of new Verna ADAS.
Verna ADAS spotted in action
Recent sightings of a test mule confirm this, as the blind spot indication could be seen on the ORVM. In addition to blind spot monitoring, other ADAS features could include forward collision warning, forward collision avoidance assist, lane keep assist, lane departure warning, driver attention warning and rear cross-traffic collision warning and avoidance assist.
In mid-size sedan segment, ADAS features are currently available with only Honda City Hybrid. New ADAS-equipped Verna can emerge as a preferred choice for folks looking for advanced safety features. In Hyundai’s India portfolio, ADAS is offered with cars like Tucson and recently launched Ioniq 5.
Other safety features onboard new Verna will include electronic stability control, vehicle stability management, hill start assist control, reverse parking sensors and camera, front, side and curtain airbags, tyre pressure monitoring system, automatic headlamps and immobilizer. Some new features could be introduced with Bluelink connectivity platform.
New Verna performance
In its current form, Verna is offered with a 1.5-litre petrol, a 1.5-litre diesel and a 1.0-litre turbo petrol motor. New Verna will be getting a 1.5-litre turbo petrol motor in place of the 1.0-litre turbo unit. The former is an updated version of the 1.4-litre turbo unit seen with Hyundai cars like Creta. The new 1.5-litre turbo petrol motor will eventually replace all 1.4-litre engines across Hyundai-Kia line-up.
Verna’s 1.5-litre NA petrol motor will be continued in its current form. It generates 115 PS of max power and 143.8 Nm of peak torque. Transmission options include 6-speed manual and IVT. The 1.5-litre diesel motor generates 115 PS and 250 Nm. It is mated to either a 6-speed manual or 6-speed automatic transmission.
Diesel variants contribute a significant chunk of Verna’s overall sales. So, it is likely that Hyundai will upgrade this motor to meet upcoming RDE norms. Apart from Verna, only Honda City has diesel option in mid-size sedan segment. Skoda Slavia, Maruti Suzuki Ciaz and Volkswagen Virtus are petrol-only cars.
Hyundai will commence production of new-gen Verna from March. Launch is expected in second quarter of 2023. With the updates, a price hike is likely for new Verna. The current model is available at a starting price of Rs 9.64 lakh (ex-showroom, New Delhi).
