Hyundai to launch Verna Transform in India

Hyundai is soon going to launch a facelifted version of the existing drab looking Verna in the next two days, that’s 23rd of June. The new car, although mechanically unaltered, will feature cosmetic upgrades and more features inside the cabin. Christened Verna Transform, the car was launched in South Korea a few months back, and will try and bump up the sales for Hyundai with its launch in the Indian market.

The new car, in an attempt to achieve turnaround for its sedately selling sibling, will sport new swept back and elongated headlpams, new grille, new tail-lamps, new bumpers (both front and rear) and most likely a pair of exhaust pipes. We think that the price of the face-lifted car will largely be unchanged.

In the Transform version of the car offered in Korea, the centre console has been upgraded for a more modern look, and the music system is compatible with USB / Aux inputs. The new system will also have Bluetooth connectivity. The backlight of the instrument cluster will change from green to blue. Apparently the fuel efficiency will go slightly up as well, owing to some fine tuning to the engine.

Currently there aren’t many alternatives to the diesel powered Swift Dzire which offeres exceptional value. The Verna Transform can really challenge Maruti’s dominance in the segment by offering freshened up looks. The only thing that can possibly stop the car from achieving the feat is it’s engine which works on the philosophy of ‘double or nothing’ wherein there hardly is any power on tap below 2000rpm, after which all hell breaks loose – creating driveability issues within the city. We hope Hyundai have addressed the issue in the new car with a bit of fine tuning of the turbo. Ogle on the pictures as we get on to the job of digging out some more details for you.

Tata Nano may cost more

We told you a few days back that the Nano is going to be available directly off the shelf without the need for a prior booking. However, the car may not cost the same anymore. This is because Tata Motors seems to be contemplating a price hike for the Nano. If incorporated, the hike will range between Rs. 5000 to Rs. 15,000 depending on the variant. This comes in as no surprise, since Tata, during the launch of the Nano, had hinted towards a probable price hike once they deliver the initial one lakh orders. With the deliveries of these bookings likely to be completed by July end, the Nano may boast of a higher sticker price in order to increase the earnings for the component manufacturers.

The Nano was undoubtedly a challenge for the OE industry which the succeeded in achieving but it barely gives them any margins. As Tata puts it, ‘though the vehicle manufacturer manages its cash flow well, its the supply chain that takes a big hit’. Also add to this the fact that the raw material prices have gone up yet again, forcing most carmakers to hike their pricetags for the fourth time this year! In fact, Maruti Suzuki, Ford Motor India, Toyota Kirloskar and Mahindra & Mahindra are all set to announce a price hike for their vehicles in the coming week.

So you see, the common man’s vegetables like onions and potatoes are not the only ones going through a price hike, its the common man’s car that will face the brunt too. Probably Tata should indeed chop off the Nano’s roof to save metal costs and launch a cheap convertible version of the Nano.