Hyundai put the refreshed Verna (Solaris) on sale in the Russian market earlier this week. This is the first major facelift for the Verna, as the the previous update (which was rolled out in India earlier this year) merely saw the inclusion of LED daytime running lights, projector headlights and diamond-cut alloy wheels.
The refreshed Verna gets larger headlights which are seemingly inspired by new-age Hyundai vehicles such as the Genesis and Mistra. The trapezoidal shape of the grille and airdam give way to a dual-slat chrome grille and a wider airdam positioned lower in the bumper. The foglights are redesigned as well and are now integrated with LED daytime running lights.
At the rear, the changes can easily go unnoticed. The taillights of the facelifted sedan sport LEDs and the bumper gets new reflectors. Apart from these, and a black lower lip, there are no other changes to the rear. The interiors too continue unchanged.
When the Verna facelift is launched in India, we expect the engine options - 1.4- and 1.6-liter petrol and diesel units - to continue unchanged. However, the automatic gearboxes which are currently 4-speed units can be upgraded to 6-speed units, seen in the larger Elantra.
The Verna lost its market leadership position to the new Honda City this year, though sales of the sedan continue to remain strong at an average of 3,440 units/month. A cosmetic update would ensure continued sales momentum for the next 2-3 years, after which a next generation model will be introduced.
