Last week when we did a price comparison of C-Segment sedans like the Hyundai Verna, Honda City, Volkswagen Vento and Skoda Rapid, we mentioned that even though the auto industry is facing a slowdown, the mid-size sedan segment is like a battleground among all major companies. The City was at the top but it was overtaken by the Verna and Vento owing to the fact that the third-generation City didn’t come with a diesel powerplant. Honda has now launched the fourth-generation City and planted a diesel engine in it with a hope to regain its lost position at the top.
Hyundai doesn’t want to be left behind and hence the company has now launched a new variant of the Verna. The Verna, which was originally launched in 2006, has sold more than 2.37 lakh units and the fluidic Verna launched in 2011 has had a significant hand in taking Hyundai a step forward. The new variant is called SX (O) and it comes with goodies like projector headlamps, 16-inch diamond alloy wheels, illuminated power window switches and safety escort lamps (also known as take-me-home lamps). Hyundai will also launch a new CX variant. However, the CX variant will only be offered with the 1.4-litre diesel engine and it will be slotted between EX and SX variants.
The new CX diesel variant will carry goodies like driver-side airbag, ABS, electric ORVMs with turn indicators, automatic climate control, rear parking camera with two sensors, electro-chromatic mirrors and a 2 DIN music system with Bluetooth and steering-mounted audio controls. All these features make the CX variant of the Verna decently loaded and if Hyundai prices this new variant properly then it would surely garner a lot of interest from buyers. We are expecting Hyundai to price the Verna CRDI CX slightly lower than the Honda City i-DTEC SV variant.
Even though the City and Verna are major rivals, this segment will soon see a plethora of options ranging from the new Maruti YL1 SX4 replacement sedan to the Volkswagen Vento and Skoda Rapid facelifts coming this year. Everyone wants the top position and going by Honda’s history we are heavily betting on the fourth-generation City since it has already received 10,000 bookings while the Verna manages to sell around 4000-odd units a month. Currently, the Hyundai Verna is priced between Rs. 7.40-11.69 lakhs (ex-showroom, Delhi)
