All-new 2017 Hyundai Verna sedan in CarToq’s Road Test Review

The Hyundai Verna has always been one of the highlighted cars in the Indian car market. The car has been around for a long time now in the market and Hyundai has finally launched the fourth generation (Accent included) of the Verna in the market. The all-new 4th generation Verna carries a lot of changes to the exterior, interior and as well as the chassis. It is available with both diesel and petrol engine options, and we took out the petrol manual out for a spin to see how it has become better.

Looks better?

Yes, the Hyundai Verna has become a much more mature looking car and it still follows the Fluidic design philosophy. The all-new Verna now mimics the looks of the Hyundai Elantra. It gets a cascade trapezoidal grille up front, which is quite big and takes up all the attention at the front. The new Verna can be mistaken as the all-new Elantra at a glance. It looks quite different in the segment, which also sees the presence of Honda City and Maruti Ciaz.

The grille gets sleek looking headlamps on either side. The LED DRLs are integrated into the headlamps and give it a distinct look. The bumper also has an inbuilt splitter adding an aggressive look to the Verna. Chrome is generously used on the grille and the fog lamp housings.

It gets 16-inch diamond cut alloy wheels that looks really nice. The car gets a sleek profile. At the rear, the Verna gets split LED tail lamps and a clean look. The bumper gets a lower lip adding an aggressive character to the vehicle.

Interiors

Hyundai has always been known for their feature-rich cars and the Verna is no different. The car gets a dual tone dashboard of blue and beige, that continues to be on the seats. The dashboard uses hard plastic like all the other offerings in the segment but Hyundai has made sure that there are no sharp corners and have used the top-notch plastic quality.

In the middle of the dashboard, a 7-inch touch-sensitive infotainment system is placed in the top-end variant. It gets loaded with features like Apple CarPlay, Android Auto and Mirror Link, Navigation and it also acts as a screen for the rearview camera. The screen is sharp and the user interface is smooth. The speakers are quite good for the segment and have a deep bass.

The seats are contoured to make sure that your body stays in place, even while taking hard corners. The top of the line model also gets a sunroof, first-in-segment perforated leatherette seats with ventilation. It really helps during the sticky summer season. There is an automatic boot opening mechanism, which is also a first-in-class feature. This allows the boot to open automatically when one stands near the boot with the key in the pocket. We can easily say that the car gets the longest feature list in the segment.

The Verna also feels quite premium from the inside, thanks to all the chrome finished parts like the AC vent surrounds, steering wheel inserts, door handles and more. The Verna feels robust and the fit and no complaints about the fit and finish.

The car has become spacious than before too. The rear seats now offer a bit more space than the outgoing version but still, you will find more space in the main rivals of the Verna. To add further to the comfort, the car also gets rear AC vent that gets the air flowing from the automatic climate control system for quicker cooling. There is a 12V outlet at the rear. At the front, you get an USB-in, Aux-in and 12V socket.

How safe?

Hyundai is offering dual airbags and ABS as standard across the variants of the Verna. The top end version gets 6-airbags, ABS, Electronic Stability Control (ESC) and hill climb hold with the automatic variants.

How is it to drive?

The new Verna is only available with 1.6-litre petrol and diesel engines. We drove the petrol powered vehicle. It is powered by the dual variable valve timing equipped four-cylinder engine that generates the same 123hp of max power as before but at a higher rpm of 6,400rpm rather than the earlier Verna’s 6,300rpm. It developes 151 Nm of torque, 2 Nm lower than the older engine.

Well, the Verna has always been criticised for the way it handles. It has enough power but true enthusiasts stay away from the Verna because of the soft suspension set-up. The new K2 platform eliminates that to an extent.

The new Verna has improved leap and forth from the last generation of the vehicle. At high speed, the vehicle will not scare you while changing lanes or taking corners. It is much more settled down than the last version of the vehicle.

Subsequently, the body roll has also improved a lot. The occupants do not shift from left to right while taking clover leaves. The steering feedback has also improved but at a lower speed, the steering feels quite heavy though.

The brakes are quite progressive and induce confidence while braking hard. However, some may have to get used to the ABS kicking in early. The ABS is quite sensitive and braking hard on gravel or sand surfaces make you feel the brake judders.

Should you buy one?

We only drove the petrol manual variant of the vehicle and it is extremely smooth. The vehicle offers a long list of equipment when compared to the rivals and has a good built and quality finish. Yes, you do miss on stuff like LED headlamps and automatic door locks but you do get used to them over time. Driving wise, the vehicle has improved a lot and the enthusiasts who loved the way it looked liked and performed will surely like this model. If you are out in the market looking for a petrol vehicle and want a long list of features, this is the one for go for. The Verna is priced at Rs. 7.96 lakh, ex-showroom, Delhi, which is quite attractive given the long list of features it comes with.

Image Courtesy – Studio Shubh