After a long anticipation with many teasers of the car making their way to the Internet, Hyundai has unveiled its new compact sedan - Aura. The global premiere of the successor to Hyundai Xcent showcased what the company has on offer next in the segment, poised to rival the likes of Maruti Suzuki Dzire, Honda Amaze, Tata Tigor and others.
As many sightings of the vehicle had suggested earlier, Hyundai Aura is based on the company¡¯s Grand i10 Nios and carries its design language as well as elements. Hyundai Aura will make sure that Hyundai has a different offering for the consumers from what it sells to fleet operators, a category which Xcent will play in from now on.
The sub-four-metre Aura has many similarities to the Grand i10 Nios in terms of design. Some updates, however, include dual LED DRLs that are shaped as a boomerang. In comparison, the Grand i10 Nios only carried one of these on either side. Hyundai¡¯s 'cascading grille' remains the same here.
Though this resemblance tends to fade away as we move from the front to the back, as the compact sedan eventually transcends to reveal a neatly integrated boot with a fresh design at the back. That is partly because of the wraparound taillights with LED inserts at the back as well as a sculpted boot-lid that matches the recent Hyundai offerings.
Over the Xcent, Hyundai Aura is also slightly larger, with 20mm more width (1,680mm) and a 25mm longer wheelbase (2,450mm).
The Aura will come in three engine variants, all of them BS-VI compliant. There is a 1.2-litre Kappa petrol engine that promises 83hp and 113Nm of torque and will also be available in a factory-fit CNG option. Meanwhile, the 1.2-litre diesel engine claims 75hp and 190Nm and interestingly comes as the company¡¯s first BS6-compliant diesel engine.
Then there is a 1.0-litre turbo-petrol unit that has earlier been featured in the Hyundai Venue compact SUV. Slightly more performance oriented, the engine produces 100hp and 172Nm of torque. Both the 1.2-litre engines are available with either a 5-speed manual or an AMT transmission while the turbo-petrol one will only have the manual option on offer.
Hyundai has not yet revealed the interiors of the Aura though it is expected that the car will take its cues from the Grand i10 Nios and offer features like Apple CarPlay, Android Auto and wireless charging. It will be interesting to see if Hyundai brings its BlueLink connectivity to the compact sedan.