Like every other carmaker in India, Hyundai is working on coming out with BS6 versions of their current engines. The Hyundai Verna is going to be one of the first recipients of a BS6-spec engine – a 1.5-litre petrol unit – which should arrive in showrooms before Auto Expo 2020.
The current Verna is expected to be powered same 1.5-litre, four-cylinder naturally aspirated petrol engine that’s available on sister brand Kia’s Seltos. In the SUV, the unit is tuned to produce 115hp and 144Nm of torque and comes paired with either a 6-speed manual or a CVT automatic gearbox. This new engine will replace the current BS4-compliant 100hp, 1.4-litre and 123hp, 1.6-litre petrol engines.
However, a BS6-compliant diesel engine is not likely to make it to the current version of the midsize sedan. In fact, the BS6 diesel unit – expected to be the same 115hp, 1.5-litre diesel mill that sits under the hood of the Seltos – will only be made available after the mid-cycle facelift for the Verna arrives in India. As the Verna facelift is expected to launch by March 2020 and the BS6 diesel Verna is only expected after April 2020 (the deadline for the more stringent emission norms), Hyundai’s midsize sedan may be a petrol-only model for a short period. Like with the Seltos, the diesel engine will come paired to either a 6-speed manual or a 6-speed torque convertor automatic.
Already revealed for the Chinese market, the India-spec refreshed Verna is expected to get a significant number of changes – in terms of exterior design and interior quality – to better suit the Indian consumer. For instance, we can confirm that the Hyundai Verna for India will get different alloy wheel and grille designs, which should help provide some distinction. The cabin of the Verna facelift is also expected to be a more upmarket affair as quality of materials is said to have been improved and there will be even more equipment on offer than the current, pre-facelift model (which is already segment leading in the features department).
Viraaj Bhatnagar
Uday Singh
Suraj Viswanathan
