<p>I have been a fan of Hyundai Motors ever since it launched its first car Santro in India although many car connoisseurs do not place the South Korean company in the same league of the leading car makers in the world. I have also driven all cars the company makes in India but to lay my hands on Hyundai’s new Verna I had to wait for nearly two months.<br /><br />Last week when I finally got the opportunity to drive the new Fluidic Verna, which has already become a hit with the car buyers, it turned out to be a pleasurable experience. I had set out on a daylong drive on a cloudy Sunday morning after Bangalore’s Advaith Hyundai arranged for a diesel Verna with automatic transmission. <br /><br />Let’s first talk about the refreshingly new looks of Fluidic Verna which has premium and futuristic design elements based on the Fluidic Sculpture Design Philosophy. The car’s design sports a coupe like side profile which is further refined by continuous character lines. On the front Verna displays the next generation hexagonal grille, eagle eye headlamps with wide air dam and distinctive ‘L’ shaped fog lamps enhancing the overall look of the car. At the rear, it has chrome plated 2 tone stylish tail lamp cluster. The 16-inch alloy wheels and rear bumper (with reflectors) add on to the sporty look of the car.<br /><br />Power on reserve<br /><br />Though, like most car enthusiasts, I prefer a manual transmission against automatic to have a full command over the engine’s power, the automatic transmission in Verna with a 1.6 litre diesel CRDi engine debunked the apprehension. The four speed H-Matic auto transmission in Verna AT was synchronized well to make the engine extremely peppy and responsive. I enjoyed the reserve power of the car offering a sporty acceleration, like that of a manual transmission, making overtaking easy and quick on a highway. (The ex-showroom price of this top end automatic Verna diesel is around Rs 10.50 lakh in Bangalore.) The AC works perfectly without any loss of power and wider wheel base, broad tyres and good suspension allow comfortable cornering on a winding road. <br /><br />The new Verna comes with four engine configurations: 1.4 litre petrol, 1.6 litre petrol, 1.4 litre diesel and 1.6 litre diesel. The 1.4 litre VTVT petrol delivers 107PS@6300rpm of maximum power and 13.8Kgm@5000rpm of peak torque. The petrol 1.6 litre VTVT engine is with 123PS@6300rpm maximum power and 15.8@4200rpm peak torque. The common rail diesel 1.4 litre delivers 90PS@4000rpm of max power and 22.43kgm@1750 – 2750rpm of peak torque while the diesel 1.6 litre VGT CRDi, gives maximum power of 128@4000rpm and peak torque of 26.50@1900-2750rpm. Auto transmission option is available in both the 1.6 litre petrol and the diesel engines while the manual transmission option is available with all the four engine options. The company claimed that the1.4 litre petrol engine gives a mileage of 17.43 km (according to ARAI data) while the 1.4 litre diesel version clocks 23.5 km. The petrol versions have 5-speed gear box while the diesel versions have 6-speed. <br /><br />Comfort zone<br /><br />The new Verna boasts of features which are specially developed for India. The interiors have luxurious elements and textures including two-tone beige and black high gloss interiors with wood finish. One of the unique features of the car is the cluster ionizer which improves the quality of air inside the cabin by producing ion-plasma that traps bacteria and other impurities and comes into operation automatically as the AC is switched on. <br /><br />The longer wheelbase (2570mm) generates ample leg space and the wide seats offer comfortable seating. But while going over road humps one must move really slow to avoid the under-chassis touching them. <br /><br />Since the new Verna is packed with an array safety features, it was awarded a Five Star Safety Rating by C-NCAP (China- New Car Assessment Program) making it one of the safest mid-size sedan, the company claimed. The car is equipped with 6 airbags for occupant protection as a passive safety feature while the EBD (Electronic Brake force distribution and ABS (anti lock braking system) provide the much needed active safety systems to help the driver control the car better. The body is built with high strength steel and external features like a ring type structure in the centre pillar area provides more strength and protection against side impacts.<br /><br />New features<br /><br />Along with the reverse parking sensors, Verna also comes with a very useful feature of rear parking camera which displays the road behind the car on the inside rearview mirror. Another safety feature is the automatic unlocking of the door on collision which facilitates quick exit of the occupants. The car is also equipped with a clutch lock system which adds to the safety of the car when parked.<br /><br />Yet another interesting feature is the on board driver information system that gives you useful driving information such as journey time, ‘distance to empty’ and the realtime mileage. <br /><br />The car also comes with an ‘ECO Drive’ option to help save fuel and ultimately, the environment. The Alternator Management System in the new Verna controls the power supply to the battery to relieve engine workload, reducing fuel consumption and emissions while decelerating and idling, and enhances performance while accelerating.<br />It also has a gear shift-indicator (in manual transmission) which prompts the driver to change gears efficiently. <br /></p>
<p>I have been a fan of Hyundai Motors ever since it launched its first car Santro in India although many car connoisseurs do not place the South Korean company in the same league of the leading car makers in the world. I have also driven all cars the company makes in India but to lay my hands on Hyundai’s new Verna I had to wait for nearly two months.<br /><br />Last week when I finally got the opportunity to drive the new Fluidic Verna, which has already become a hit with the car buyers, it turned out to be a pleasurable experience. I had set out on a daylong drive on a cloudy Sunday morning after Bangalore’s Advaith Hyundai arranged for a diesel Verna with automatic transmission. <br /><br />Let’s first talk about the refreshingly new looks of Fluidic Verna which has premium and futuristic design elements based on the Fluidic Sculpture Design Philosophy. The car’s design sports a coupe like side profile which is further refined by continuous character lines. On the front Verna displays the next generation hexagonal grille, eagle eye headlamps with wide air dam and distinctive ‘L’ shaped fog lamps enhancing the overall look of the car. At the rear, it has chrome plated 2 tone stylish tail lamp cluster. The 16-inch alloy wheels and rear bumper (with reflectors) add on to the sporty look of the car.<br /><br />Power on reserve<br /><br />Though, like most car enthusiasts, I prefer a manual transmission against automatic to have a full command over the engine’s power, the automatic transmission in Verna with a 1.6 litre diesel CRDi engine debunked the apprehension. The four speed H-Matic auto transmission in Verna AT was synchronized well to make the engine extremely peppy and responsive. I enjoyed the reserve power of the car offering a sporty acceleration, like that of a manual transmission, making overtaking easy and quick on a highway. (The ex-showroom price of this top end automatic Verna diesel is around Rs 10.50 lakh in Bangalore.) The AC works perfectly without any loss of power and wider wheel base, broad tyres and good suspension allow comfortable cornering on a winding road. <br /><br />The new Verna comes with four engine configurations: 1.4 litre petrol, 1.6 litre petrol, 1.4 litre diesel and 1.6 litre diesel. The 1.4 litre VTVT petrol delivers 107PS@6300rpm of maximum power and 13.8Kgm@5000rpm of peak torque. The petrol 1.6 litre VTVT engine is with 123PS@6300rpm maximum power and 15.8@4200rpm peak torque. The common rail diesel 1.4 litre delivers 90PS@4000rpm of max power and 22.43kgm@1750 – 2750rpm of peak torque while the diesel 1.6 litre VGT CRDi, gives maximum power of 128@4000rpm and peak torque of 26.50@1900-2750rpm. Auto transmission option is available in both the 1.6 litre petrol and the diesel engines while the manual transmission option is available with all the four engine options. The company claimed that the1.4 litre petrol engine gives a mileage of 17.43 km (according to ARAI data) while the 1.4 litre diesel version clocks 23.5 km. The petrol versions have 5-speed gear box while the diesel versions have 6-speed. <br /><br />Comfort zone<br /><br />The new Verna boasts of features which are specially developed for India. The interiors have luxurious elements and textures including two-tone beige and black high gloss interiors with wood finish. One of the unique features of the car is the cluster ionizer which improves the quality of air inside the cabin by producing ion-plasma that traps bacteria and other impurities and comes into operation automatically as the AC is switched on. <br /><br />The longer wheelbase (2570mm) generates ample leg space and the wide seats offer comfortable seating. But while going over road humps one must move really slow to avoid the under-chassis touching them. <br /><br />Since the new Verna is packed with an array safety features, it was awarded a Five Star Safety Rating by C-NCAP (China- New Car Assessment Program) making it one of the safest mid-size sedan, the company claimed. The car is equipped with 6 airbags for occupant protection as a passive safety feature while the EBD (Electronic Brake force distribution and ABS (anti lock braking system) provide the much needed active safety systems to help the driver control the car better. The body is built with high strength steel and external features like a ring type structure in the centre pillar area provides more strength and protection against side impacts.<br /><br />New features<br /><br />Along with the reverse parking sensors, Verna also comes with a very useful feature of rear parking camera which displays the road behind the car on the inside rearview mirror. Another safety feature is the automatic unlocking of the door on collision which facilitates quick exit of the occupants. The car is also equipped with a clutch lock system which adds to the safety of the car when parked.<br /><br />Yet another interesting feature is the on board driver information system that gives you useful driving information such as journey time, ‘distance to empty’ and the realtime mileage. <br /><br />The car also comes with an ‘ECO Drive’ option to help save fuel and ultimately, the environment. The Alternator Management System in the new Verna controls the power supply to the battery to relieve engine workload, reducing fuel consumption and emissions while decelerating and idling, and enhances performance while accelerating.<br />It also has a gear shift-indicator (in manual transmission) which prompts the driver to change gears efficiently. <br /></p>
