Tuesday 18 December 2012

From the "Land of Gangnam Style" : Hyundai's Verna


This is the redesigned Verna which is selling like hotcakes. It's from the "land of Gangnam Style". Made by South Korean motor company Hyundai, this is truly a car worthy checking out if you're in the sub 10 lakh sedan market. It's available with two petrol engines (1.4 and 1.6) and two diesel engines (1.4 and 1.6). It's taken the market by a storm and seems to be one of Hyundai's most successful cars in the Indian Market. The previous Verna may have received a "ho hum" reaction. But this Verna's here to change all of that.

The "+" ve's:

- The new "Fluidic" styling looks a class apart. 
- Powerful petrol and diesel engines.
- An automatic transmission available on the 1.6 petrol and diesel variants.
- Comes with 6 Airbags, ABS and EBD on the top of the line variants.

The "-" ve's:

- The automatic transmissions are just 4 speed units. 
- Pricing on the higher end. Range starts from 7.5 lakhs EX SHOWROOM MUMBAI.
- Base model comes with no Airbags, no ABD and no EBD !

Interior:


The Verna's interior is miles ahead of that of the competition - I preferred it over the Honda City's as well as the SX4's cabin. In fact, it's a vast improvement over the previous gen Verna's interior. I really despised the previous gen Verna's interior job. But, with this Verna, Hyundai seems to have done it all right. Everything is evidently well built and the dashboard design looks pretty good !


Look at the Verna's steering and, there's a sensation of Deja - Vu. There seems to be part sharing going on here - the i20, the Eon as well as the Verna all have identical steering wheels, except for varying steering mounted button positioning. I'm not complaining at all - this design looks quite stylish and sporty. But, I still like the Honda City's steering design more.

The faux wood trim on the doors looks elegant, and infact impressive. In this car, Hyundai seems to have paid attention to tiny details which ends up giving the Verna's interior a spacious, airy and luxurious feel.

The OEM unit's design wasn't to my liking. Hyundai has done better designs. Plus, I felt that the sound lacked in bass. But, if you won't be listening to loads of music with heavy beats, the OEM unit is good enough for you.

The whole dashboard seems to have this ribbed black texture to it which gives it an anti skid mat like feel. It is truly a nice addition.

The rear seat is low, a tad too low. When I sat at the back, I found the seat to be unusually low, and the window seemed too small. This may not go down well if you're having elders sitting at the back - they might find it tough to bend low to sit down and they will find it uncomfortable for sure. 

However, leg room was satisfactory. Both at the front as well as the rear, I felt that there was more than sufficient leg room.

The boot is large enough for carrying luggage for occasional airport runs. If you're a family of three or four, you could easily fit in your luggage for a weekend escapade in this boot.

Exterior:

 The Verna with it's "Fluidic" styling looks quite stylish and sporty. There's an aggressive flare to the Verna's design which just adds to the car's fabulous looks.
The rear swoops down in a sporty, coupe like manner. The chrome handles in line with the swerve line on the cars side look stunning. The alloy wheel design too is good looking. The windows when looked at from outside look good and well proportioned. But when inside the car, I felt that the windows were a tad too small and could have been larger. Larger windows would have given the Verna's cabin an airier feel.

The front has radical changes. When looked at first, you may not like it, especially the sharp headlamps. But, when looked at for a longer while, you can actually start liking it ! It kind of grows on you. The OVRM design is similar to that of the Sonata. Plus, the L shaped foglamps look nice.

Final Verdict:

The Verna is a pretty good package for it's price. At first, I did under estimate the amount the Verna would sell. But, it seems to have been one of Hyundai's best selling cars in India. You can see Vernas in most nooks and corners in Mumbai. The reason - good value for money. I would surely recommend this over the Honda City, or the SX4. But, I'd also recommend that you check out Skoda's Rapid before buying. If the Rapid isn't what you like, the only other car you should check out is the Verna. Period.

- Naayl Humza,
14 Year old Car Enthusiast.

1 comment:

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