It was in October last year when Hyundai Motor India Ltd. (HMIL) introduced the Elantra facelift. The model, which became the first of its kind in the D-segment sedan space to gain BS6 (Bharat Stage 6) compliance, has had just one engine on offer – 2.0-litre petrol. Soon, however, another engine option will join the Elantra’s portfolio. The 1.5-litre diesel motor that does duty in the new Creta will also be available with the sedan.

Presently, we don’t have the prices. What we do have is that the engine, which produces 113bhp/250Nm, will be available in two trim levels – SX and SX (O). In the former derivative, the motor will come mated to a 6-speed manual gearbox, whereas in the latter a 6-speed automatic will handle transmission duties. For the record, Hyundai has axed the S trim level for the sedan. In other words, only the trims, as mentioned earlier, remain. Here’s how the revised variant list looks like:

In case you are wondering how much of a difference is there between the two trim levels, the one-word answer is noteworthy. The SX (O) trim level towers above the SX with additional gizmos such as front parking sensors, tyre pressure monitoring system, LED quad projector headlamps, wireless mobile charger, USB charger, sliding front armrest, ventilated front seats and 10-way electrically-adjustable driver’s seat. The rest of the package, covering features like Hyundai BlueLink connected-car tech, an 8.0-inch touchscreen infotainment system with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, an 8-speaker sound system, electric sunroof and auto headlamps, is shared between the two trims.

With the Toyota Corolla Altis now gone, the Skoda Octavia and the Honda Civic remain as the Elantra’s direct rivals. That said, their real fight comes from similarly-priced SUVs which have not only lured customers away but also brought the D-segment sedan space down to its knees. Do you think these sedans stand a chance against SUVs like the MG Hector, Tata Harrier and the Jeep Compass?