Hyundai will be taking the wraps off its new Aura compact sedan on December 19, 2019. Being a global model, the car will replace the Xcent compact sedan in some markets as well. The Aura is based on the Grand i10 Nios premium hatchback that made its India debut earlier this year and is already on sale in many countries.
Hyundai’s new compact sedan shares its underpinnings, most of its exterior body panels and interior bits with the Nios hatchback. The Korean carmaker has begun road-testing the Aura compact sedan in India and it has already been spotted multiple times. The new model gets a typical three-box silhouette, despite its compact dimensions.
Though the model will share its front styling with the Nios, there will be subtle tweaks to make it look more premium than its hatchback cousin. Just like the Nios, the Aura will get the latest iteration of Hyundai’s ‘cascading grille’, but it is expected to get honeycomb inserts instead of the simple slats seen on the hatchback. It will also get the new-look boomerang LED lamps like on the Nios but expect Hyundai to offer better quality headlamps on the Aura. At the back, the Aura sedan comes with large wraparound tail-lamps, with LED elements that will extend on the boot lid. The new car is expected to follow styling direction of newer Hyundai sedans, like the Elantra facelift, and will get the number plate placed on its rear bumper instead of the boot lid.
On the inside, it gets a large 8.0-inch touchscreen infotainment system that’s replete with features including Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Higher variants will also get a wireless charging option. The Grand i10 Nios does not get Hyundai's BlueLink connectivity system, but it remains to be seen if the carmaker provides this service in the Aura sedan.
Hyundai will market the Aura sedan with three BS6-compliant engine options. A 1.2-litre three-cylinder diesel will be offered on the compact sedan along with a 1.2-litre petrol that is already available on the Nios. However, the big news is an inclusion of a1.0-litre turbo petrol engine in the Aura sedan’s line-up. This is the same unit that made its debut in the Venue compact SUV but is expected to deliver slightly less power than the Venue, mostly in the range of up to 100hp, instead of 120hp in the compact SUV. As far as gearbox options go, a 5-speed manual will be available on the 1.2-litre petrol and diesel variants, along with an AMT gearbox. The sportier 1.0-litreturbo-petrol engine option will only come with a 5-speed manual gearbox.
Hyundai is expected to announce the pricing and further details of the Aura compact sedan in January 2020. The Aura’s key rivals include the Maruti Suzuki Dzire, the Honda Amaze, Ford Aspire, Tata Tigor and the Renault LBA compact sedan, which will launch late next year.
The Hyundai Xcent sedan will continue to be sold in India as the Xcent Prime and will be targeted at cab aggregators and fleet operators. It will be upgraded with BS6-compliant petrol and diesel engines.
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