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Hyundai is likely to offer an automatic transmission option on the lower trim variants of the Verna 1.6 diesel; at present, the four-speed automatic is available only on the top-end SX (O) trim. The company says dealers have been getting many enquiries from prospective Verna customers for a cheaper diesel automatic.
The automatic Verna diesel accounts for 10 percent of the Verna’s overall sales, and Hyundai wants to increase this to as much as 25 percent after the new variant is introduced. The price difference between the top-end automatic and manual variants of the 1.6 diesel Verna is approximately Rs 75,000, and we expect a similar price difference between the respective lower variants.
The Verna is still the only car in its segment to offer a diesel engine with an automatic gearbox, and the addition of cheaper auto variants will only increase its popularity among buyers looking for an affordable diesel automatic saloon. The Korean carmaker has also recently started offering a reversing camera as a standard fitment on the Verna, even on the base variants, to push sales. It is currently the best-selling car in its segment with sales figures having touched 27,533 units in the last six months.