Hyundai India is working on a compact sedan that will replace the Hyundai Xcent in India. This sedan has been given a name. It will be called the Hyundai Aura. It is the sedan version of the Hyundai Grand i10 Nios that the company launched a few months ago.
The Hyundai Aura has been spotted testing with heavy camouflage near Chennai. It will measure under 4 metres in length as it is a compact sedan. Similar to the changes in the Grand i10 Nios over the regular Grand i10, the Aura will also have the same kind of equipment.
The Aura is likely to get the same feature set that the Grand i10 Nios has. The trademark boomerang shape daytime running lamps on the grille are expected to be carried over. The bumper though would be different to differentiate the cars. At the rear, as seen in spy shots, the number plate is in the bumper, while the tail-lamps will wrap on to the boot lid and are expected to be LED units.
Inside, it is likely to look similar to the Grand i10 Nios with the all-new dashboard design. The car will come with BS-6 compliant 1.2 litre petrol and 1.2 litre diesel engines as is the case with the Grand i10 Nios. It will also have manual and automated manual transmission options.
With Maruti likely to discontinue the Maruti Dzire diesel in April 2020, Hyundai is looking to grab market share in the fleet market. Not only with the Aura have a diesel engine, but the existing Xcent will continue to be produced and sold mainly for commercial use.
It will compete with the Maruti Dzire, Honda Amaze, Ford Aspire and Volkswagen Ameo in this market space.
(At The Quint, we are answerable only to our audience. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member. Because the truth is worth it.)