Spied - Hyundai Verna facelift caught testing in Chennai, launches in Q1 2015

The Verna will get an all-new front fascia.

Hyundai Motor India Limited (HMIL) has started testing the refreshed Verna, which is reported to have its market launch early next year (within the first quarter). The Verna was the sales leader in its segment until the new Honda City took away its crown early this year. Competition from other manufacturers has been equally strong, with VW and Skoda having launched updated versions of the Vento and Rapid, and Maruti introduced the Ciaz at competitive prices.

The first major facelift for the Verna will see a brand new front fascia with a dual-slat chrome grille and larger headlights. Like the current model, the top-end Verna will continue to get projector headlights, and keeping in mind the competition, Hyundai may want to extend this feature down to lower variants as well.

The front and rear bumpers get subtle design changes. The front bumper will now house the LED daytime running lights (on the current Verna, they are located within the headlight clusters), and the rear bumper gets new reflectors and a black underlip. Further, the brake lights of the Verna facelift would get LED elements.

Also read: 2015 Hyundai i20 (Euro-spec) unveiled at the Paris Motor Show

Based on the Verna facelift that launched in Russia this year (where its called the Solaris), we don't expect to see any interior changes. However, mechanically, the 4-speed automatic transmission could be upgraded to a more efficient 6-speed unit.

Competitors: Honda City, Maruti Ciaz, Ford Fiesta, VW Vento, Skoda Rapid, Fiat Linea
Expected Price: INR 7.5-11 lakhs, ex-Showroom
Launch date: Q1 2015

[Source - Gaadi]