UPDATE: 2018 Hyundai Verna with 1.4L petrol engine launched; priced at Rs 7.79 lakh

South Korean carmaker Hyundai plans to introduce 1.4-litre petrol engine for its Verna line-up in India. The dealers of the company are reportedly accepting bookings for the new 1.4 litre version of the Verna and the model is expected to be launched in the country on January 10.

The new Hyundai Verna, which was launched in India in August 2017, is offered 1.6-litre petrol and diesel mill options. The addition of the lower-displacement petrol engine will help the company to price the sedan competitively in the highly competitive Indian market. The 1.4 litre petrol engine in the Verna is likely to churn out 98.6 hp of power and 134 Nm of torque, mated to five-speed manual gearbox.

Also read: 2018 Hyundai Elite i20 facelift to debut 1.2L petrol CVT at Auto Expo

The Verna's 1.6-litre petrol engine churns out 121 bhp and 151 Nm of peak torque while the diesel engine makes 126 bhp and 260 Nm of torque. Both the engines come mated to either a six-speed manual transmission or a six-speed automatic torque converter unit.

2017 Hyundai Verna, 2017 Hyundai Verna India
2017 Hyundai VernaPR Handout

Based on the K2 platform, the Verna packs a slew of goodies. At the front, it gets cascade grille with horizontal chrome slats and chrome surround along with swept back projector headlamps with LED DRL and projector fog lamps with chrome surround.

Verna features split type LED tail lamps with LED guides at the rear while the side profile of the new sedan gives a sense of coupe-like silhouette. It runs on 5-spoke diamond cut 16-inch alloy wheels and comes with chrome side window line. The Verna includes features like front ventilated seat, smart trunk, electric sunroof, rear AC vents, cruise control and rear curtain.

Also read: Honda City is highest selling mid-size sedan in 2017; Maruti Suzuki Ciaz, Hyundai Verna trail behind

There will be no other change in the new petrol engine model of the Verna. According to AutocarIndia, the Verna 1.4 litre petrol model will get a price tag starting at Rs 7.29 lakh. Currently the sedan is priced in the range of Rs 7.99 lakh to 12.69 lakh (ex-showroom Delhi).

Hyundai sold 30,000 units of the Verna in 2017. In five months since its launch in the country, the new Verna had over 24,000 bookings in its kitty by December 2017. During this time, it has also managed to get over 1,75,000 enquiries.

In September, the second month of its launch in the country, Verna made it to the top chart in sales and outnumbered its arch-rivals Honda City and Maruti Suzuki Ciaz in sales. New Hyundai Verna found 6,054 takers in September, while Honda City finished close behind with sale of 6,010 units.