New Hyundai Verna Has Its Sights On Segment Leadership

The new generation of the sedan is not just a reminder of its former glory, but a wake-up call for its rivals

• New Verna is projected to sell twice as many units as its predecessor.

• A projected monthly sales tally of around 4,000 plus units would easily put it ahead of the Honda City.

• Packs the most powerful and efficient turbo-petrol engine in the segment.

• Gets segment-leading features like heated front seats and integrated dual displays.

• Aggressive introductory pricing from Rs 10.90 lakh to Rs 17.38 lakh (ex-showroom) will help.

The Hyundai Verna has been given a much needed generational update and it has arrived just in time to respond to its segment rivals that have impressed the industry with their performance and feature lists. During the launch event, Tarun Garg, COO Hyundai India, revealed the brand expects this new-generation Verna to enjoy double the sales of its predecessor.

While the Verna did not have the best sales in the past 12 months, it has enjoyed an average monthly sales of around 2,000 units over its time in the market. Meanwhile, the Honda City has dominated the segment with average sales of just under 3,000 units per month. If the Verna does manage to achieve its target, it can expect monthly sales of around 4,000 units, which would be plenty to take the top spot from its Japanese rival.

How Does The Verna Plan To Do It?

On paper, the latest generation of the Hyundai sedan has the ingredients to meet its sales ambitions. It has the choice of two petrol engines, both with choice of manual and automatic transmissions. The turbocharged option is the most powerful in the segment, rated at 160PS, and claims higher fuel economy figures than all non-electrified rivals.

In terms of features, it has caught up with the City by being offered with ADAS. It then adds more premium tech over all rivals. That includes the heated and ventilated front seats, switchable control panel for auto AC and infotainment hot keys, and an integrated dual display setup.

Also read: Discover The Variant-wise Features Of All-new Hyundai Verna

While the new Verna’s design is not to everyone’s taste, the market response has mostly been positive. Those LED light strips front and rear give it a premium and modern road presence, while the larger proportions should also make for a spacious cabin.

What Do The Prices Say?

In terms of introductory pricing, the new Hyundai Verna undercuts all its premium rivals. The prices range between Rs 10.90 lakh and Rs 17.38 lakh (ex-showroom pan-India). Even before the prices were out, the sedan had received over 8,000 pre-order bookings in just over a month.

Related: 2023 Hyundai Verna vs Rivals: Price Talk

It takes on the Honda City, Volkswagen Virtus and Skoda Slavia while being a step above the likes of the Maruti Ciaz.

Read More on : Hyundai Verna on road price