Comparison: 2015 Hyundai Verna Facelift - New vs Old

New vs Old Hyundai Verna

Hyundai Verna known as Solaris or Accent internationally has been appreciated for its fluidic looks and feature-rich cabin. It ruled the C+ segment of India auto market till the all new Honda City was launched in 2014. Now it plans to reclaim its top position with a new 2015 facelifted version. Here we will try and find how deep the changes are by comparing 2011 Verna with 2015 Verna facelift.

Looking at the front fascia comparison photo, it is clear that refreshed Verna gets a 2015 Sonata inspired face. It now comes with projector headlamps which seem to go deeper into the all-new front bumper. The trapezoidal front grille is replaced with a dual-slat chrome grille. Even the airdam is wider and lower now. The LED daytime running lights(DRL) are now missing from the headlamps and the fog lights get a boomerang shape.

The side profile of the car continues unchanged with same glasshouse. On comparing the rear we found very minimal changes. Facelifted Verna comes with similar shaped taillight but now sport LED like effect as seen in the Elite i20. Rear bumper has been redesigned with new contours, black lower lip and new reflectors.

This cosmetic update will help Hyundai Verna get over its mid-life crisis to reclaim top position and would ensure revived sales momentum for few years till the all new next generation model takes over.

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Hyundai Sonata Leaves India

Hyundai Sonata Discontinued

Hyundai has decided to withdraw it's best bet from the luxury D segment of Indian car space - the 3rd generation fluidic Sonata. According to Autocar the main reason behind discontinuing the model has been its almost non existent sales which averaged to about 10 cars per month. Hyundai Sonata is a wonderful sedan but it never really managed to secure a place in the hearts of the luxury car buyers.

For past many years Hyundai has been try to give itself an image makeover by trying to make a mark in the Indian luxury market. It launched some wonderful cars in D+ segment over the years to compete against established players like Honda, Toyota, Volkswagen but somehow Indian market continues to associate Hyundai with cheaper, value for money products. Hyundai will continue to sell Sonata outside India where in many places its giving hard time to its competitors with its bold looks, top notch quality and reasonable pricing.

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New Hyundai i20 Facelift Spied: Reveal Four Changes

Upcoming 2012 Hyundai i20 Spied

Hyundai i20 hatchback is soon going to officially reveal its new face once the facelift operation completes but we are an impatient bunch of people who hate to wait. So what you see here is a barely camouflaged side spy shot of i20's revised version. It’s not going to be a major upgrade though, so don’t expect any fludic elements on the sheetmetal like that of the new Hyundai Verna and Sonata. The changes will be more like what we saw on the updated i10 with Hyundai’s now trademark headlamps well integrated on the front fascia.

Comparing the existing model of i20 with the spy photo mailed by our anonymous reader, we noticed four major differences in design and have marked them as 1, 2, 3 & 4 (see the photo below). First is the bonnet line which seems to go deeper into the front fenders indicating a larger size of hood cover and thus giving it visually a wider stance. Second is the new headlamp design which is the most visible change on the front. Third is the modified front bumper and lastly the redesigned fog lamp surrounds with chrome inserts.

There are some more changes expected on the new 2012 Hyundai i20 but are not visible on the current spy pic. It includes refreshed interiors with updated dashboard, redesigned backlight cluster, new Eon like hexagonal front grille layout and addition of few new features in the top end model. But no mechanical change is likely to happen under the skin and the facelifted Hyundai i20 will continue to be powered by 1.2L petrol, 1.4L petrol and 1.4L diesel engines.

Launched in December 2008, the i20 has been a massive success for Hyundai and we hope it gets upgraded to a level where it gives even stronger competition to its growing number of rivals like the new Maruti Swift, Ford Figo, Volkswagen Polo, Honda Jazz, Nissan Micra and so on. The new version of Hyundai i20 hatch is expected to hit the Indian roads by the second quarter of 2012.

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Photo Gallery: New 2012 Hyundai i20 Facelift Spy Shot & Comparison

Upcoming New Hyundai i20 Facelift Spied

2008 vs 2012 Hyundai i20: 4-Point Design Comparison

Upcoming vs Current Hyundai i20 Model Compared

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Video: SRK drives new Hyundai Sonata in Don 2

Don Shahrukh Khan has done some breathtaking stunts while driving the new fluidic 2012 Hyundai Sonata in an action packed high-speed car chase scene of Don 2. The movie is a sequel to Farhan Akhtar’s super hit 2006 movie Don. This scene involves Priyanka Chopra aggressively chasing SRK in a Hyundai Santa Fe and is shot in the busy streets of Berlin. By the time the climax of the car chase sequence completed there were about 67 badly destroyed high profile cars like BMW 5-Series and Alfa Romeo Mito lying all around the shoot location.

While promoting his movie, SRK said, “Don 2 chase sequence brings the wow factor to the entire film. It is one the best sequence to be shot on Indian celluloid. Its grandeur and scale just mesmerizes audience.”

We found the video clip of this high profile car chase in Don 2 on YouTube but are not sure if its an official trailer or not. You can see it here.

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Don 2 Official Trailer

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Truth Be Revealed : Maruti Suzuki Alto vs Hyundai Eon Comparison

The Korean car maker Hyundai is known for sculpting beautiful shapes out of raw metal. But with launch of its new baby hatchback Eon, Hyundai has set a new benchmark in low cost car design. Now with the presence of Hyundai Eon in the Indian entry level car segment the other budget hatchbacks like Maruti Suzuki Alto, Alto k10, Maruti 800, Chevy Spark, Tata Nano etc suddenly seems to look boring and ancient in comparison. But does that mean all these cars will lose their market share overnight just because a smart looking car has been launched?

It is wake up time. In the Indian car market scene looks of a car is an important factor in its success but the deciding factors have always been: KKH- Kitne Ki Hai (Price), KDH – Kitna Deti Hai (Fuel economy/efficiency), product reliability plus ease and cost of maintenance and service. So no doubt Hyundai’s Eon can win fashion contests but can it crack the code of our unique small car space is yet to be seen.

Lots of reviewers are giving over importance to looks of new Eon as if it’s all that’s required. But as they say ‘looks don’t win battles’, here we will try and look at comparison between the ageless Maruti Suzuki Alto/Alto K10 versus new fluidic Hyundai Eon from a more practical, real life point of view.

Fuel Economy Comparison: Eon vs Alto: Kitna Deti Hai?

Mileage Comparison	Local (kmpl)	Highway (kmpl)	Overall (kmpl)	Fuel Tank (litre)
Hyundai Eon	15.6	24.3	17.7	32
Maruti Alto K10	16.3	26.3	18.8	35

All seem to be talking about how fuel efficient Hyundai Eon is, considering the official ARAI mileage figure of 21.1kmpl and Suzuki Alto K10’s 20.2kmpl. But as we all know ARAI gives only the ideal test condition figures and not the real world fuel efficiency numbers. So to know what average fuel consumption we can expect in our day to day driving, guys at Overdrive tested and found some actual figures which differs a lot from ARAI published mileage of Eon and Alto. Considering these figures (mentioned in above table) we note Alto has superior fuel efficiency over Eon in local as well as highway drive. Now taking into account the overall (local + highway) fuel economy and fuel tank size of both the cars we can get a usable result. In one tank full of petrol Eon can be driven 566.4 kilometers whereas Alto will keep running for 658 kilometers i.e. almost 91 km more that Eon.

Speed Test: Eon vs Alto: Who’s faster?

Performance Comparison	0-100 kmph (sec)	Top Speed (kmph)
Hyundai Eon	19.08	131
Maruti Suzuki Alto K10	15.2	153

Alto’s higher fuel efficiency has not been achieved by compromising on performance. In Overdrive’s 0 to 100 acceleration test Eon reached ton in a lazy 19.08 seconds whereas Alto reached 100 in just 15.2 seconds. Plus on an open highway run Hyundai’s small fluidic gives up on touching 131 kmph whereas Maruti’s old workhorse keep galloping till 153 kmph. In short Alto is more like a pocket rocket- small and fast.

Engine Comparison: Eon vs Alto: Who’s powerful?

Powertrain Comparison	Engine (CC)	Power (PS)	Torque (Nm)
Hyundai Eon	814	56	76.5
Maruti Suzuki Alto K10	998	68	90

Engine is said to be the soul of an automobile. Japanese have always been great at making amazing engines and Suzuki is no different. If you drive Eon and Alto back to back you’ll notice two prominent things immediately. One- Alto has way more powerful and refined engine and second- due to Eon’s narrower power-band you need change gears much more frequently than in Alto. Moreover in Alto you feel very less engine/transmission vibrations on control levers like accelerator, gear shift etc. than Eon. K10’s 998cc, 68bhp twin-cam engine is one of the best in this segment and goes on to show just how good a three-cylinder can be. Along with a precise-shifting gearbox it makes Alto an ideal car for people who love to drive.

Design and Ergonomics Comparison: Eon vs Alto.
Alto has been designed keeping in mind the practical needs and requirements for its user’s comfort whereas Eon’s shape has been crafted to make a style statement. Due to its rising shoulder line Eon has a small glass area at rear and thus limiting the amount of light coming in from the sides and making it claustrophobic. Further, the thick A-pillar decreases the overall frontal visibility. Also due to longer back seat base your legs may hit against the B-pillar while getting in and out of Eon. In contrast, Alto has much better all-round visibility with large window area, slimmer pillars and more ergonomic ingress & egress.

Price Comparison: Eon vs Alto: Kitne Ki Hai?

Price Comparison (KKH)	Price (ex-showroom, Delhi)
Maruti Suzuki Alto	2,32,000
Hyundai Eon	2,70,000
Maruti Suzuki Alto K10	3,04,000

Hyundai Eon starts from base price of 2.7 lakhs and goes upto 3.75 lakhs whereas Alto can be bought for 2.32 lakhs and Alto K10 for 3.04 lakhs. So you need to cough up atleast 38,000 rupees more to buy Eon base over Alto base. Also since Alto is not a new launch so you can expect to get some discounts at dealer level as well. In contrast Hyundai has already announced that it’s going to increase car prices in a months’ time thereby further diluting Eon’s value for money image.

Sales Comparison: Eon vs Alto: Who sells more?

Car Sales Comparison	Sept. 2011	Oct. 2011	Nov. 2011
Hyundai Eon	7188	6315	7418
Maruti Suzuki Alto	21198	15197	24422

A new car garners maximum sales in first 2-3 months of its launch after which the number of units being sold comes down to a comparatively lower but stable figure. Being a recent launch Hyundai has been managing to sell on average about 7000 units of Eon for the past three months which by any standard is a very health number till you compare it with Alto who has been getting 25,000 new customers month on month for past many years. Recent downfall in Alto’s sale has nothing to do with Eon but with production shutdowns and labour issues at Maruti’s factory for the past many months and it has been resolved now. Rather than making a dent in Maruti Alto’s market share, Eon has been eating into sales number of its elder sibling Santro Xing.

Another reason for Alto’s superstar performance all these year has been low cost of maintenance and service provided by Maruti throughout India. Even though Hyundai has been building a decent pan India dealer network but it pales in comparison to Maruti Suzuki's network. Also the average cost incurred on maintaining and servicing a Hyundai product in comparison to Maruti has always been higher.

Maruti Suzuki Alto/Alto K10 has been ruling the Indian automobile market for almost 11 years now and it’s no mean task to fulfill needs and meet expectations of generations of Indian masses. Ask Tata (‘Nano’) how difficult it is to earn trust of people no matter how good your product is. So it will never be easy for a new ‘fluidic’ boy to dethrone the King of Indian small car market in a hurry.

Disclaimer: This comparative analysis is done to remind and highlight the true positive aspects of Alto which seem to have be been ignored by one and all since the launch of Eon. It does not in any way intend to undermine the qualities and potential of Eon being a wonderful hatchback.

Read More On: Maruti-Suzuki | Hyundai

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Refreshed Hyundai i10 Coming This Diwali

This diwali Hyundai is planning to launch new i10 and you may get to see it at the upcoming Paris motor show. Now its not going to be a new car altogether but will be more of a mid-life facelift. Its not that we are bored looking at Hyundai's little baby but giving it a refreshed look will definately improve its road presence. Upcoming i10 has recently being captured on camera undergoing trial run under camouflage by guys at IndianCarsBikes.

Lets now see what changes can be expected in the upcoming Hyundai i10. Firstly the 1.1-litre iRDE engine that powers the current i10 is expected to be replaced by this new 1.0-litre, VTVT engine whereas 1.2-litre Kappa is expected to remain unchanged for now. From the spy shots its clear that new car gets redesigned set of headlamps which look similar to what we saw on new Hyundai Elantra released abroad. And going by the same design theme we believe i10's grille, the fog lamps and the lower air dam position will also take cue from the bigger sibling. Look at the comparison picture below to know what we are talking about.

On the rear, the most important change will be the new tail lamps which are expected to be much more appealing. Interiors too gets a facelift with blue back-lit for music player and maybe a different theme colour for dash. Overall the i10 facelift is said to have 86 new parts.

Source: IndianCarsBikes
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New 2009 Hyundai i800 Minivan For Europe Launched

Hyundai has unveiled the Hyundai i800, its full-size 8-seater diesel powered minivan for Europe. i800 had made its debut last year as Hyundai H1 Starex in Korean home market. It will go on sale in UK from 20th June 2008 onwards with a base price tag of £19,495 ($38,000).

Tony Whitehorn, managing director of Hyundai UK said: “anyone wanting to carry eight people in car-like comfort currently has to take two cars – or spend a lot more than £20,000. We think the i800 will prove massively popular with families and businesses who need to move people in style.”

The 2009 model Hyundai i800 features three rows of seats with the two last rows capable of a 60:40 split-fold and recline while the centre row can slide forwards or backwards. It comes with a pair of sliding doors which allow easy access to all the rear seats. i800 has an ability to carry 8 adults comfortably with 851 liters of boot space remaining, which is almost double of what you get in an average estate wagon. Now this miracle happens due to large exterior size with length measuring 5.125 metres and the width of 1.920 metres.

The Euro spec i800 is powered by Hyundai’s new 2.5-liter four-cylinder CRDi diesel engine which is intercooled and features a variable-geometry turbo. It develops 170 hp of horsepower and 392Nm of torque and the power is transferred to the rear-wheels via a 5-speed manual gearbox. A lower powered, lower spec version for more industrial usage will come later at a cheaper price.

Safety features in the new Hyundai van includes rear-wheel-drive handling backed up by ESP and traction control systems plus dual airbags. In addition, it comes with electronic reversing sensors as standard and three-point seatbelts for all occupants. According to Hyundai, its i800 is capable of achieving a combined fuel economy of 33.2 mpg. Thanks to a 75 litre tank, it means the i800 driver could go more than 560 miles between fill ups.

Euro Spec 09 Model Hyundai i800: Photos & Pictures.

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Hyundai To Phase Out Tiburon & Get Veloster Based Car

This year is the last for the Tiburon two-door hatch as it won't be produced for the 2009 model year. But the rear-wheel drive Genesis is not a replacement for the long-serving (since 1997) Tiburon coupe is what Hyundai points out. New Genesis coupe is due to hit dealerships in early 2009 as 2010 model, a time when Tiburon won't be around.

John Krafcik, product development vice president for Hyundai Motor America said,“We are seriously looking at a small front-wheel-drive coupe to replace the Tiburon, but I can’t say when that will happen,”. Adding further, Krafcik said the replacement likely would be similar to the Veloster coupe concept first shown at the Seoul auto show in April 2007. Bearing a bit of a resemblance to Kia’s Cee’d the fwd Veloster coupe was powered by a 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine and a five-speed manual transmission.

So now it can be safely concluded that the new Veloster-based car would be the spiritual heir to the Tiburon legacy.

Hyundai Tiburon & Veloster Coupe Concept Photos & pictures

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2009 Hyundai Elantra Debut At China Auto Show

The 09 Hyundai Elantra sedan will debut at 2008 Beijing Auto Show in China. At this 9 day motor show begining April 20, Hyundai will show the new facelifted version of Chinese Elantra to the world. Lets checkout the 'BUZZ Around The Web' for the unveiling of latest Elantra sedan.

2009 Hyundai Elantra Sedan to Debut in China
Compared to the U.S. market model, the Chinese Elantra features a completely restyled front end inspired from the i30 / Elantra Touring models while changes in the rear-end include the new bumper, taillights and the slightly redesigned trunk. Although it sounds quite logical for these styling changes to pass onto the North American market Elantra, Hyundai has not made any announcement of the kind.
source carscoop

Beijing '08 Preview: 2009 Hyundai Elantra to debut with new face
If the visual updates to the Hyundai Elantra you see here are carried over to all markets, which we imagine they will be, the sedan is going to make potential Civic and Lancer shoppers take a long, hard look. Not unattractive in its current form by any means, the Elantra's facelift being unveiled at Auto China next week incorporates a more upscale look in front than the current car.
source autoblog

2009 Hyundai Elantra Sedan To Debut At Auto China
The new Elantra maintains the design language of the rest of the cars in the lineup that aren't the Genesis. That means an evolution of the front end treatment to something more resembling a late model Acura.
source jalopnik

2009 Hyundai Elantra Sedan Facelift
The Hyundai Elantra Sedan Facelift for the Chinese market features new front fascia inspired by Hyundai Elantra Touring models, new rear bumper and new taillights.
source revmonds


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