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2023 Hyundai Aura Facelift : A Close Look

4th March 2023, 10:42 by Aditya Nadkarni

Hyundai is offering a 3 years / 1,00,000 km warranty package with the Aura. Extended warranty for up to 7 years can be purchased additionally.

The 2023 Hyundai Aura Facelift has been launched in India with a price tag between Rs. 6.30 - Rs. 8.87 lakhs (ex-showroom, Delhi).

Introduction

The Hyundai Aura was launched back in January 2020. It was based on the Grand i10 Nios and was positioned as the entry-level sedan in the company's model line-up. It looked more modern than the ageing Xcent, which it would eventually replace; the interiors were among the best in its segment, both in terms of design and quality. Hyundai gave the car some muscle by introducing a turbo-petrol engine. This unit made the Aura a fast sub-4 m sedan. In terms of sales, the Aura has been an average performer in its segment and regularly sells more than 4,000 units per month. It is locked in a battle for second place with the Honda Amaze, far behind the Maruti Dzire - the segment leader.

Now, along with the Grand i10 Nios facelift, Hyundai has launched an updated version of the Aura. Let's have a look at some of the prominent changes made to the car.

First up, there is no turbo-petrol engine available any more. This is a big disappointment for enthusiasts looking for a fun-to-drive little sedan. Engine options now include the same 1.2L Kappa naturally aspirated petrol motor with 5-speed MT & AMT options and a 1.2L Kappa petrol + CNG with a 5-speed MT. What is noteworthy is that these engines are RDE compliant. RDE emission norms are set to be introduced in April 2023. These require a vehicle to emit less than a certain amount of carbon dioxide in realistic driving situations. The 1.2L petrol engine is also E20 fuel ready, which means it can run on petrol blended with 20% ethanol.

Hyundai has given the Aura some cosmetic changes to the exterior and some additional features. It has also introduced some more safety features. The Aura is available in 6 single-tone colour options: Polar White, Titan Grey, Typhoon Silver, Teal Blue, Fiery Red and a new Starry Night shade. Unlike the Grand i10 Nios, no dual-tone colour options are available.

Coming to the interior, the cabin design remains unchanged. However, there is a new instrument cluster, the seats get new upholstery and the front footwells get ambient lighting - just like the 2023 Grand i10 Nios facelift.

In terms of features, the Aura gets cruise control, LED tail lamps, automatic headlamps with escort function, rear A/C vents, an 8-inch touchscreen head-unit with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay compatibility and navigation through smartphone, voice recognition, wireless smartphone charging (first in segment) and fast USB charger (Type-C) among others.

The car gets over 30 safety features including 4 airbags as standard (first-in-segment) and 6 airbags (in the top variant), an emergency stop signal (first in segment), a tyre pressure monitoring system (first-in-segment), hill-start assist control (HAC), electronic stability control, vehicle stability management, parking assist with rear parking sensors and rear camera, ISOFIX child seat anchors and more. A burglar alarm has also been added to the equipment list.

The Aura is offered in E, S, SX, SX+ and SX(O) variants. These are priced between Rs. 6.30 - Rs. 8.87 lakhs.

Hyundai is offering a 3 years / 1,00,000 km warranty package. Extended warranty for up to 7 years can be purchased additionally. We strongly recommend this extension if your usage is high. Hyundai is further offering 3 Years Road Side Assistance with the Aura. You can also get a Shield of Trust repair running package for up to 5 years and a Shield of Trust Super maintenance package for up to 5 years.

2023 Hyundai Aura Facelift Exterior Review

Front end features a new radiator grille, bumper with a large air dam and redesigned LED DRLs:

No changes at the rear, except the reintroduction of the boot-mounted spoiler in the S, SX and SX(O) variants:

No changes to the sides either. Dimensions remain unchanged:

Halogen projector headlamps get automatic and escort functions:

Radiator grille is now split into a slim section above the bumper and a large air dam below. Upper section is completely blanked off:

Redesigned bumper gets a large air dam with a glossy black honeycomb mesh grille. Fog lamps have been deleted and restyled LED DRLs take their place:

DRLs are bright and prominent:

Boot-mounted rear spoiler gets an integrated stop lamp. Interestingly, this spoiler was first introduced in April 2021 and deleted in September 2021:

Refined 1.2L, 4-cylinder Kappa petrol engine is retained. It produces 82 BHP (@ 6,000 rpm) and 114 Nm max torque (@ 4,000 rpm), which is identical to the outgoing car. However, now it is RDE compliant, which means it will emit less than a certain amount of carbon dioxide in realistic driving conditions. It is also E20 fuel ready, which means it can run on petrol blended with 20% ethanol: