2020 Hyundai Verna (Solaris) Facelift Unveiled In Russia

• The facelifted Hyundai Solaris looks similar to the recently spied Verna facelift.
• Expected features include BlueLink connected car technology and a sunroof.
• Could be powered by two petrol engines: a 1.4-litre unit and 1.6-litre motor.
• India-spec facelifted Verna launch by mid-2020.

The Hyundai Solaris, known as the Verna in India, has just received a facelift in the Russian market. Hyundai India is also working on the facelifted Verna and a spied test mule looks similar to the Solaris. 

The Solaris comes with Hyundai’s cascading grille in a honeycomb mesh finish, flanked by projector headlamps.  Below it sit the projector fog lamps in a triangular housing. Moving on to the sides, changes are limited to new alloy wheels which now come in a gunmetal finish. At the rear, the Solaris comes with revised LED tail lamps and a new rear bumper. 

Inside, the Solaris’ dashboard layout is similar to the existing model, although with mild updates. The touchscreen infotainment has grown in size and the central console has been redesigned to accommodate it. And while the Russia-spec model comes with an all-black dashboard, we expect the India-spec Verna to feature a black-beige finish. 

Though Hyundai Russia hasn’t revealed the Solaris’ feature list, we expect it to come with BlueLink connected car technology, Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, climate control, keyless entry with push-button start, cruise control, steering-mounted audio controls, a wireless phone charger and a sunroof. Expected safety features include 6 airbags, ABS with EBD, rear parking sensors, a rear view camera and electronic stability control. 

Under the hood, the Solaris will most probably be offered with two petrol engines: a 90PS 1.4-litre unit and a 123PS 1.6-litre motor. For India, the facelifted Verna will utilise the Seltos’ 1.5-litre diesel and petrol engines. We expect the diesel engine to develop 115PS and 250Nm while the petrol motor could develop 115PS and 144Nm. Transmission options for the diesel model include a 6-speed manual and automatic while the petrol could be offered with a 6-speed manual and CVT. 

The facelifted Hyundai Solaris will go on sale on February 18. Meanwhile, we expect Hyundai to launch the updated Verna by mid-2020. Expect it to be priced more  than the existing model which starts from Rs 8.18 lakh (ex-showroom). The facelifted Verna will rival the Maruti Suzuki Ciaz, Toyota Yaris and the upcoming Honda City 2020, Skoda Rapid TSI, Volkswagen Vento BS6.