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Posted on: Aug 18 2007

Hyundai-Verna

Hyundai has dived head first into the heart of the mid-size segment with the new Verna and the importance of this all-new saloon cannot be underestimated. It comes from a company that has earned a reputation for reaching out to Indian customers and all Hyundai models come with a sales and service back-up that underscores the Korean company’s commitment to the Indian market.

Design, Engineering and Interiors:  
The Verna’s nose is clearly the most attractive and distinctive part of what is otherwise a bland design. The Corolla-like grille, sweptback headlamps and elongated fog lamps which follow the stretched, wraparound contours of the air-intake in the bumper are what give the Verna its identity. That apart, nothing really stands out in terms of design.

It’s a well-rounded car with smooth lines, the pull-out door handles feel good and are a classy touch. The short, stubby boot which gives the Verna hatchback proportions deceives you into thinking that it’s smaller than it actually is. The rear, however, looks quite ordinary. The high boot and Optra-like tail-lights fail to elicit any interest.

The new chassis is much stiffer than the Accent's and the build feels tougher too. The MacPherson strut front suspension sits on a rubber-mounted, insulated sub-frame and uses a lengthy lower arm for better control of wheel and suspension movements. Hyundai, however, has ditched the independent rear suspension setup and the Verna comes with a torsion beam axle. This type of suspension is more practical in terms of packaging, cost and durability.

Sadly, ABS is not offered as standard on any of the models but is available as an option along with four-wheel disc brakes for Rs 20,000. The Verna’s long wheelbase has liberated huge amounts of cabin space and this is the first thing that strikes you when you slip inside the cabin. The Fiesta and Aveo are cramped in comparison and the Verna’s dimensions are in the league of the space-efficient Honda City.

Front seat passengers will be impressed by the cabin’s width, the seats have a lot of travel and in the XXi model which has seat height adjusters, a very comfortable driving position can be found. Comfort and space on the rear seats is also good. although you sit relatively lower, you don’t get that sitting-on-the-floor feeling like in the Accent and Elantra. The backrest is well inclined but taller passengers in the rear might find the roof too close for comfort. The seats, however, are very soft and though they are comfortable over short periods, longer stints in them are likely to cause some discomfort.

The light, two-tone interiors, finished in beige and dark brown, are pleasing and complement the cabin’s airy atmosphere. The seat fabrics have an upmarket feel and the plastic quality of the dashboard and door pads matches the more expensive City. It’s only the centre console with its hard-looking plastic finish and small storage box that has a tacky feel to it. In terms of equipment levels, it’s the top-of-the-line petrol that gets all the bells and whistles like height-adjustable seats, rear head restraints, alloy wheels, a music system, power mirrors and remote locking.

What is shocking is that the diesel Verna in comparison to the petrol lacks these features, despite being Rs 44,000 more expensive. That’s making owners pay a huge premium just for the diesel engine.

Performance, Fuel Economy and Handling: 
The Verna’s 1.6 petrol hails from the ‘Gamma’ engine family and is one of the more modern motors from Hyundai. This twin-cam, 16-valve motor has continuous variable valve timing and puts out a decent 103bhp.

But, the petrol’s performance was pretty lacklustre. Low-down grunt is not impressive and throttle response is quite dull. Full-bore acceleration is average for a car in this class and a 0-100kph time of 12.33 seconds puts it in the league of the Aveo. In-gear acceleration is pretty average too and in the 20-80kph third gear slog, the Honda City with 26 fewer horses manages to do better. The petrol has a decent mid-range and as a result the Verna petrol revels in steady-speed cruising down the highway or ambling along in traffic. However, this engine’s real strength is its refinement. In comparison, the Fiesta petrol makes a racket and even the City’s motor doesn’t idle as quietly as the Verna.

In comparison to the petrol motor, the diesel feels brutal. With its shorter gearing, massive torque and 110bhp on tap, the Verna diesel loves to gallop. It has the much- spoken about Variable Geometry Turbo (VGT) that is meant to improve low engine speed performance, but Hyundai has tuned it to deliver even stronger top-end performance. As a result there is noticeable turbo-lag and it is only when you get past 2000rpm that the motor kicks in with petrol-busting performance. Between 2000 and 4500rpm, there is an explosive surge of power which tempts you to floor the throttle. Flat-out acceleration is among the strongest in the segment, stronger than all the petrol cars too, the Verna only losing to the Honda City VTEC.

The Verna, for instance, takes a brisk 21.8 seconds to get to 140kph while the Fiesta takes a seemingly endless 42.5 seconds. But, the wide gap between second and third gear means you have to change down more often and hence it’s not as good an urban commuter. After the Accent CRDI, which felt like an earthquake every time you switched it on, the Verna diesel is far more refined and a good example of the strides made in diesel engine technology.

The diesel Verna gave 12.6kpl in the city and 16.8kpl on the highway. The petrol didn’t impress us greatly either. City and highway figures of 9.2kpl and 13.8kpl peg it below the Aveo and Fiesta.

With its light steering, the Verna feels impressively agile and easy to drive in city traffic. Riding on its raised-for-India 170mm high suspension, the softly-sprung Verna takes well to poor roads. Few bumps filter into the silent, well insulated cabin and clearly its low-speed ride is the best in class — a small but important victory over its rivals.

The stiff and rigid chassis of the new car helps here and so do the tall 70 profile tyres we tested the car on. At speed, the Verna continues to handle bad roads with aplomb but you can feel the relatively soft suspension bobbing up and down. On undulating surfaces, the front-heavy Verna begins to pitch forward and what’s clear is that its high-speed composure is nowhere as good as the Fiesta’s. At speed, the long wheelbase offers a decent ride but stability is not great. The light steering doesn’t give you the intimate contact with the road that you get in the Fiesta. There’s a fair amount of torque steer as well, especially in the diesel, and if you floor it on a loose surface the steering tugs from side to side.

Enthusiasts will be disappointed by the Verna’s benign handling, which has body roll and huge amounts of kill-joy understeer. If you need to stop in a hurry, the combination of narrow tyres and grabby brakes make it a challenge to get a good, clean stop. You can get wider tyres and ABS and we think you should.

Verdict:
The Verna petrol comes across as a sensible midsizer offering good comfort, space and refinement delivered in a fuss-free manner which the average motorist is sure to appreciate. Throw in Hyundai’s reputation for good service and the attractive price which ranges from Rs 6.52 lakh for the base model to Rs 7.27 lakh for the top-end XXi and clearly this is a car that the head agrees with. But if you’re buying with your heart, you might be disappointed.

Performance isn’t sparkling and the dynamics aren’t entertaining either. In fact, it’s the diesel which has a greater fun-to-drive factor. While it is not as refined nor as fuel-efficient as the Fiesta, the margin is not that great. Also priced at a higher Rs 7.71 lakh, it lacks certain essential equipment. But Hyundai thinks that for a car which can outperform most petrols in its class, the Verna is worth the extra cash. And so do we. While our star rating for the petrol version is 8, the diesel version gets a 9.
Source: autocarindia.com