At a show featuring the pop star Leehom Wang, Beijing Hyundai today officially released "Verna," the latest version of the Accent subcompact that has been developed specifically to suite the Chinese taste and was debuted at the Beijing Auto Fair earlier this year.

Compared with the third generation Accent, which will remain in production, Verna gets more curves outside and more power and room inside. The wheelbase is extended from 2500mm to 2570, mainly to create more space for back-seat passengers. Two γ -series engines, a 1.4-liter and a 1.6-liter, were employed to boost power output to 78.7kW (from 70 kW) and 90.4 kW (from 81kW), respectively.

Six 1.4-liter trims and one 1.6-liter are available, priced between 73,900 and 106,900 Yuan, slightly higher than the third gen Accent. Notable is the "Blue" 1.4-liter trim. It comes with a gas-saving package comprising such things as a fuel-economy monitor, silica-reinforced tires, air deflectors, a variable-speed AC compressor, etc.

Main rivals of Verna in China include Volkswagen Polo, Ford Fiesta, Honda City, Toyota Vios, Chevy Lova.

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