Facelifted Hyundai Solaris aka Accent & Verna revealed, will the PH get it?

MANILA: It was December 2018 when Hyundai launched the fifth-generation Accent in the Philippines. Since then, the South Korean automaker has revealed the 2020 Verna aka Accent in China. However, the China-spec Verna won't be making it to the Philippines. So, when will a new Accent land on the Philippine shores? The answer is rather positive and welcoming for the Filipinos as Hyundai has revealed the next-gen Solaris in Russia.

The Russian Solaris is the same sedan that retails as Accent in the Philippines and Verna in India. And, with the refreshed sedan out in the flesh, we might see it hit the Indian and Philippine dealerships and roads soon enough. As for the updates, the exterior of the Russian-spec Hyundai Solaris incorporates a pair of sharp and edgy LED headlamps with LED DRLs flanking a cascading grille. Just like the new Elantra, this updated Accent also gets triangular fog lamp housings. The rear and side profiles of the refreshed sedan remain more or less the same with a few changes here and there, especially on the rear bumper and taillights.

Hop inside the revamped Accent and you are greeted by a mildly updated interior with redesigned centre console, new floating touchscreen infotainment system, redesigned air-con vents, and connected features similar to the Venue, new Creta aka iX25, and Elantra. Other prominent features inside the sedan are automatic climate control, sunroof, ventilated front seats, leather upholstery, and others.

The Indian-spec Verna will come housing Kia Seltos' 1.5-litre petrol engine making 115 PS of maximum power and a peak torque of 144 Nm. Also, the diesel motor found on the Kia Seltos will be offered as well. This diesel-fed mill generates 115 PS of maximum power and a peak torque of 250 Nm. While the petrol engine will be available with either a six-speed MT or a CVT, the diesel mill, on the other hand, will come with the choice of a six-speed MT and a six-speed AT. The Indian launch of the new Verna is expected to transpire in April 2020, and the sedan will rival the likes of the upcoming fifth-gen Honda City, Skoda Rapid, Volkswagen Vento, Toyota Yaris, and the Maruti Suzuki Ciaz in the Indian market.

As for the Philippine launch, we hope that Hyundai will bring the refreshed sedan to the Pearl of the Orient soon after the Indian launch.

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