In a bid to spice-up the subcompact sedan space, Hyundai has created this – the Aura. In essence, it is to Xcent what Nios is to Grand i10. In other words, the Aura will find space above Hyundai’s other sub-4 metre sedan in the hierarchy. It will launch in the first quarter of next year. Expect Hyundai to commence accepting bookings for the car a few weeks before the D-day.

Aura’s resemblance to the Grand i10 Nios is unsurprising. However, the sedan does have some bespoke styling cues, such as the DRL count goes up to four, which is twice than the Nios’. As you’d expect, the most notable difference is at the rear. The Aura’s three-box layout means a separate luggage compartment. The rear end design is far from conventional. Those C-shaped taillamps boast LED elements and the rear bumper dials-in some sporty feel.

Hyundai hasn’t released images of the Aura’s interior. In all probability, it will be a copy-and-paste job from the Nios. And the same applies to the list of features. That includes an 8.0-inch touchscreen infotainment system with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, wireless mobile charger, automatic climate control, push-button start/stop, cooled glove box and two power outlets. On the outside, the Aura boasts projector headlamps and fog lamps, electrically adjustable and foldable ORVMs, 15-inch alloy wheels, rear parking sensors and a rear-view camera.

In the powertrains department, the Aura gets both the 1.2-litre diesel and the 1.2-litre petrol engines from the Nios, with the option of a 5-speed manual and an AMT. Even their power/torque figures are identical, with the petrol churning out 82bhp/114Nm and the diesel producing 74bhp/190Nm. The main difference, however, is that both those engines are BS6-compliant in the Aura. In the Nios, only the petrol mill comes with a BS6 badge.

The main highlight, however, is the third engine option – the 1.0-litre, 3-cylinder, turbo-petrol. Like the other two, this too meets the stricter emission norms. And although it isn’t the most frugal of three, it does pack a punch – 100bhp/172Nm. The only transmission on offer will be a 5-speed manual. Compared to the Venue, where the same engine produces 118bhp/172Nm, the Aura has 18bhp less. However, the turbo-petrol motor has yet to become BS6-ready in the SUV.

Aura does bring a lot to the party. But is it enough to shrug off the pressure from rivals like the Honda Amaze, Maruti Suzuki Dzire and the Figo Aspire? Only time will tell.