The French car manufacturer, Renault first entered Indian automobile market in a partnership with Mahindra & Mahindra (M&M) to launch a C-segment sedan, Logan. The car did generate moderate sales volumes for the alliance before both the car makers decided to split within two years of signing the deal. Renault went solo and started afresh in the country by introducing some new premium models. Mahindra retained all the rights of Logan and re-introduced it in the market as Mahindra Verito. Verito did receive some upgrades before being relaunched by the maker; however, M&M is planning to further upgrade the model, which is now dated.
Recently, a camouflaged test model of the facelifted variant of the Verito sedan was spotted. The car was seen with paddings on the front and at the rear end. According to speculations, the sedan, which is sold as Dacia Logan abroad was expected to receive a facelift and thereafter, make its debut in India. However, it is now confirmed that the facelift car will be arriving in the country with refreshed bumper, headlamps, Xylo-inspired grille and fog-lamp housings. M&M has also incorporated changes in the boot lid and rear bumper as well as tail lights. Taking a look at the side profile, the new facelifted Verito features blackened B-pillars and also new mountings for its Outside Rear View Mirrors (ORVMs).
On the powertrain front, M&M will continue to install the existing 1.4 MPFI petrol unit and the 1.5 Common Rail Direct Injection (CRDi) diesel motor in the refreshed variants. The latter variant offers an Automotive Research Association of India (ARAI) tested mileage of 21.03 kmpl. If rumours are to be believed, Mahindra may officially debut the facelifted Verito sedan on July 25, 2012.
Currently, the existing Verito has not been performing up to the mark in the Indian automotive market and has been reporting a constantly dipping sales volume. The new facelifted Verito may not bring about major changes in the sales volumes; however, it may make the sedan more relevant. The C-segment sedan, which boasts of widest back-seat in the segment, offers top notch safety features like Anti-lock Braking System (ABS), Electronic Brake-force distribution (EBD), Supplemental Restraint System (SRS) air-bags and side-impact beams. With the new facelifted Verito, Mahindra is hoping to revive its sales volume in the country.
