New Hyundai Celesta sedan spied, will sit between Verna and Elantra

It is called the Hyundai 'Celesta' and it will slot between the Hyundai Verna and Hyundai Elantra. As it looks production ready, expect a launch to take place in China next year. The Celesta is likely to be reserved for the Chinese market, where sedans are yet to cede their appeal to crossovers.

The exterior design is influenced by Hyundai's Fluidic Sculpture 2.0, and seems to combine cues from the new Hyundai Verna and Elantra. Lower variants will have a black mesh grille with silver garnish flanked by regular headlamps, while top-end models feature horizontal chrome slats on the grille, projector headlamps with LED DRLs, chrome garnish around the grille and foglamps and 16-inch alloy wheels.

The Celesta's rear-end looks similar the new Verna, although the former features sleeker LED taillamps and a new bumper design. It measures 4,510 mm long, 1,756 mm wide, 1,470 mm high and has a wheelbase of 2,650 mm wheelbase. This makes it 50 mm longer than the new Verna and 25 mm shorter than the Elantra.

Under the hood is, reportedly, a 1.6L naturally aspirated four cylinder petrol engine that outputs 120 hp and 155 Nm of torque. It could be paired with a 6-speed manual or 6-speed automatic gearbox.

This would be Hyundai's second China-only sedan, following the Hyundai Mistra that launched in 2013, sandwiching the Elantra and Sonata.