Details on the India-bound 2017 Hyundai Verna revealed

The C-segment of sedan in India has been witnessing a lot of updates of late. It started with Maruti Suzuki making Isofix mounts for child seats a standard feature. This was followed by recent the launch of the Honda City facelift. And now Hyundai has unveiled the new-gen India-bound Verna at the Toronto Motor Show. The Verna is sold as the Accent in the global markets.

Back in the day when Hyundai transformed the Verna with its fluidic design, it was one of the best looking sedans in the country. However, the same has started looking dated. Hyundai did offer tweaks in the design but still couldn't enhance its appeal. The new-gen Hyundai Verna gets wrap-around headlights with LED daytime running lights. A feature that will be standard only in the top spec variant unless Hyundai goes the Honda was in India. It gets a sweeping roof profile, and a sharp character line running along the length all the way to the rear combination lamps. The rear bumper too has been tweaked but gladly Hyundai has not gone overboard by adding too many fluidic lines. It instead features a smarter profile. Hyundai also states that the higher trims will be offered with 17-inch alloy wheels and side mirror LED turn signal indicators

In terms of dimensions, the new-gen Hyundai Verna measures 70mm longer and 29mm wider than the previous iteration. The wheelbase has been increased by 10mm. THe height of the sedan has been left unchanged.

The cabin of the 2017 Hyundai Verna has been updated with a fresh design and additional features. Hyundai adds that the cabin of the 2017 Verna is more driver centric than before. It comes with either a five- or seven-inch color TFT LCD instrument display depending on the variant. Additionally, it also offers Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. The CIaz only gets Car Play for now while the City comes with an android based Mirror Link setup.

Powering the 2017 Hyundai Verna is a revised version of the 1.6-liter Gamma four-cylinder Gasoline Direct Injected (GDI) engine. This motor now puts out 132PS and estimated 161Nm of torque. The engine's powerband has improved with a 4.6 per cent increase in torque. Hyundai also states that the acceleration performance for 40-80 kmph and 80-120 kmph has been improved over the previous model by 0.2 and 1.3 seconds

In addition to the usual safety options that are offered in the Verna, the new-gen model also comes with Autonomous Emergency Braking. With the help of a front forward-facing radar, the system detects a vehicle in the front and warns the driver of a potential collision. With the ongoing limitations on the radar frequency bands, it will be difficult for Hyundai to bring in the same tech in the India-spec model. Moreover, it will also add a premium to the Verna's price in India.

The Hyundai Verna primarily competes with the the likes of Honda City, Maruti Suzuki Ciaz, Skoda Rapid and the Volkswagen Vento. We expect Hyundai to bring the new-gen Verna to India in the next few months