My Predator - Ebony Black Verna CRDI SX ABS - Review at 1 year, 13500 kms

[ScorpMan]

Congrats. The Car looks ferocious in Black. Great Pics. It is certainly very hard to keep her glowing like this.

[djay99]

Nice writeup predator.
Regarding ligts, i would suggest you to fit 90/100W GE/Bosch bulbs with relay and wiring. This will not affect your warranty.

[predatorwheelz]

Thank you everyone for your compliments. It seems all the money and effort I spent in pimping up my ride is worth it now.

Originally Posted by anekho

wow dude, your car looks great!
I'm usually not a fan of the sedate looking verna, but yours has changed my opinion!
Get some tints, it will add to the look of the car

cheers

My car does have tints all around. They're a shade of silver for the side and back windows, and a special clear, anti-glare tint for the front windscreen. The brand is Llumar.

Originally Posted by pras.oct25

@predator Great looking car. I'm jealous! I wanted the black!
What are the tire specifications? And you ve added bumper guards too. How do they work? Are they pasted on or do they drill them in or something? I have no idea how they are installed. The seats look gorgeous. Thats the advantage of a black car. You have all sorts of options for interior colour combinations.

Pras,

The tires are stock 185/65 R14 Bridgestone B250s.

The seat colours were selected after extensive scouting. I sepcifically wanted a double-colour combo, where the lighter colour would be a shade of beige matching the interior, and the other would be some bright shade (hence the vermillion red).

The bumper guards are attached using double sided tape.

Bumper guards are of no use in accident situations. However, in my office area I have to parallel park next to a pavement. The parking guy insists that all cars be left in neutral, so he can shuttle them back and forth to put in/take out other cars. Have this done for a day, and you'll have a number of scratches on your bumper (more so on a black car). Thats why I use the bumper guards, as they prevent small scratches on the bumpers.

And yes, if you have a trained person take them off carefully, they leave no marks.

[pras.oct25]

Originally Posted by predatorwheelz

Pras,

The tires are stock 185/65 R14 Bridgestone B250s.

The seat colours were selected after extensive scouting. I sepcifically wanted a double-colour combo, where the lighter colour would be a shade of beige matching the interior, and the other would be some bright shade (hence the vermillion red).

The bumper guards are attached using double sided tape.

Bumper guards are of no use in accident situations. However, in my office area I have to parallel park next to a pavement. The parking guy insists that all cars be left in neutral, so he can shuttle them back and forth to put in/take out other cars. Have this done for a day, and you'll have a number of scratches on your bumper (more so on a black car). Thats why I use the bumper guards, as they prevent small scratches on the bumpers.

And yes, if you have a trained person take them off carefully, they leave no marks.

Any reasons why you didnt go for larger tires? Maybe the 195s would have looked even better, and also added to the stability. The 185 s look rather thin on the car when viewed from the back, specially since the exhaust is completely hidden from view.
Yes the dual tone looks excellent. Even I really wanted the dual tone one so I went for the dark and light beige combination, cause it went well with the real earth colour. How come you didnt opt for the black and beige combination? And no steering cover? Is that the leather wrapped steering wheel? I felt that rather thin and funny to hold when I saw the new verna the other day at the showroom.
Did you upgrade your headlamps? I am still wondering whether I should upgrade my headlamps from the philips xtreme that I installed a few months back. People have complained of fogging in their getz headlamps with the 100/90 w bulbs. Wondering if I should take the risk.

[predatorwheelz]

Pras,

Your replies in bold:

Originally Posted by pras.oct25

Any reasons why you didnt go for larger tires? Maybe the 195s would have looked even better, and also added to the stability. The 185 s look rather thin on the car when viewed from the back, specially since the exhaust is completely hidden from view.

I agree that the 195s would look better. However, I felt the stock 185/65 B250s were excellent all round tires. They were able to handle even my most spirited driving with ease, besides being extremely silent and cushioned. So decided to save money by sticking to the stock tires. Will look for 195s (Yokohama AD07s maybe?) once it is time to replace them.

Yes the dual tone looks excellent. Even I really wanted the dual tone one so I went for the dark and light beige combination, cause it went well with the real earth colour. How come you didnt opt for the black and beige combination?

As already stated, I was looking for a brighter colour as the 2nd shade, not black!

And no steering cover? Is that the leather wrapped steering wheel? I felt that rather thin and funny to hold when I saw the new verna the other day at the showroom.

Go through one of my replies in your own ownership thread! I remember stating that I had fitted a Stanley Progrip (original leather) cover to my car - in response to one of your queries!

Did you upgrade your headlamps? I am still wondering whether I should upgrade my headlamps from the philips xtreme that I installed a few months back. People have complained of fogging in their getz headlamps with the 100/90 w bulbs. Wondering if I should take the risk.

First get a confirmation from your service centre that it will not void the warranty

Mods, request you to add the words "pics added" to the subject line of this thread.

[dockap]

nice pics car looks great with those alloys but i feel the no plates spoils the look maybe you should get a better ones and is it possible to have the front plate in a single line?

[SS-Traveller]

PW, let's have some red/orange/yellow detailing of your brake calipers and drums. There's too much of oppressive black on the profile view, including the rims.

[pras.oct25]

Ah yes, I remember you mentioning the steering wheel cover. I went in for the thick stitched steering cover cause it gave the wheel a heavier feel and was more comfortable to hold.
I was worried about the warranty, thats why I decided against 100/90 and went for the power xtreme ones. Somehow I"m not happy with them and am contemplating an upgrade.
I'm not entirely sure how much of a difference upgrading from 185 to 195 will make. But I went down to pondicherry for the weekend, with 5 guys in the car. I had a tire pressure of 32 and that meant less grip, though the ride was more comfortable. For the kind of torque generated by the verna, the car really pulls to the right if you accelerate hard without consciously holding the steering, and even with 5 people in the car and 100% AC she was accelerating like crazy. Perhaps a wider tire will help with the grip aspect?
Are you planning on adding a spoiler? I've been on the lookout for one but havent got the budget for it yet. Contemplated a shark fin too (i think thats what it is called? ), butI guess the positioning of the micro antenna means that we cant really add that.
A general question to people out there - How much of a difference does the load in the car make to the ABS system of the verna? Does heavier load mean longer braking distance (going by the laws of inertia), or are the brakes designed to have the same braking distance immaterial of the weight of the car?

[predatorwheelz]

Hey Pras,

Skipped visiting my ownership thread for a few days. Almost had to dig it out of the threads abyss today.

Originally Posted by pras.oct25

Ah yes, I remember you mentioning the steering wheel cover. I went in for the thick stitched steering cover cause it gave the wheel a heavier feel and was more comfortable to hold.

To each his own.

I was worried about the warranty, thats why I decided against 100/90 and went for the power xtreme ones. Somehow I"m not happy with them and am contemplating an upgrade.

Somehow I still want to go for Xenons as and when I upgrade the headlamps. Remember a friend's (newly purchased) Laura pulling up near my house one day, and the beautiful field of blue light its headlights created. Has to be xenons!

I'm not entirely sure how much of a difference upgrading from 185 to 195 will make. But I went down to pondicherry for the weekend, with 5 guys in the car. I had a tire pressure of 32 and that meant less grip, though the ride was more comfortable. For the kind of torque generated by the verna, the car really pulls to the right if you accelerate hard without consciously holding the steering, and even with 5 people in the car and 100% AC she was accelerating like crazy. Perhaps a wider tire will help with the grip aspect?

I'm sure a wider tyre will help with the grip. Even a 205 section will be appropriate considering the power of the car.

As for me, I'm following the "If it aint broke, dont fix it" policy.

Are you planning on adding a spoiler? I've been on the lookout for one but havent got the budget for it yet. Contemplated a shark fin too (i think thats what it is called? ), butI guess the positioning of the micro antenna means that we cant really add that.

Right now I'm contemplating between adding (or not adding) a full body kit. I feel with the alloys and tint I've given the car the right menacing looks, while keeping it quite understated at the same time. A body kit might be overkill! What say, fellow members?

A general question to people out there - How much of a difference does the load in the car make to the ABS system of the verna? Does heavier load mean longer braking distance (going by the laws of inertia), or are the brakes designed to have the same braking distance immaterial of the weight of the car?

As a general principle, the more the weight of the car, the more time (and distance) it will take to stop. This is due to the added momentum. No one can design a braking system (with or without ABS) which will have the same braking distance irrespective of weight!

[pras.oct25]

Originally Posted by predatorwheelz

Hey Pras,

Skipped visiting my ownership thread for a few days. Almost had to dig it out of the threads abyss today.

As a general principle, the more the weight of the car, the more time (and distance) it will take to stop. This is due to the added momentum. No one can design a braking system (with or without ABS) which will have the same braking distance irrespective of weight!

You could have just used your user control panel right?
Yes, it is true what you say about the braking. But its great to see that time and again my choice for going with the ABS has been vindicated. Hats off to hyundai for the design of the verna's braking system.
I remember seeing the snaps of a verna with body kit on that kitup website. It looked awesome. I dont think it would be overkill, the body kits really suit the verna if it is well done.
I wanted a wheel upgrade but didnt have the budget for it. and now I wont be receiving much in return for replacing wheels that have run 5k km, so I may as well wait for the time being and get it done when I have the cash.

[IronWolf]

Predator, very passionate review. Nice cosmetic chances.

Ever thought about the Petes Tuning kit. Thats all you need under the bonnet of your CRDi baby.
http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/modifi...dai-verna.html (New PSI Tuning Box for Hyundai Verna)
Pete's Automotive Products Pvt Limited

[predatorwheelz]

@Ironwolf - Thanks for the compliment. I've researched the Pete's tuning box for quite some time. Their homepage has a nice excel sheet comparing Verna's power & torque ranges, with and without the box. It doesnt involve any major modification in engine or wiring either. So for now, its definitely on the radar.

Only issue is the price. At 37K, I still feel its a bit steep for only a 20BHP increase in power. Lets wait and see.

@ Pras - If you're thinking about going for alloys, here's some advice. Dont bother about selling the steel wheels. There are not many Vernas doing taxi/commercial service, so there's practically no market for second hand steel wheels. You'll get paid a pittance, if anything. (I know this because I scouted the second hand market extensively looking for a decent price, and failed to get any. My wheels were new!!!)

A better idea is to keep the steel wheels stored with you. I did so. They're nicely lying covered in one corner of my garage. In the event (heaven forbid) that your car meets with an accident and your alloys break, the insurance company will not refund their price (since they are aftermarket fitments). In that case, you simply have to put the original wheels back on.

[pras.oct25]

Originally Posted by predatorwheelz

@Ironwolf - Thanks for the compliment. I've researched the Pete's tuning box for quite some time. Their homepage has a nice excel sheet comparing Verna's power & torque ranges, with and without the box. It doesnt involve any major modification in engine or wiring either. So for now, its definitely on the radar.

Only issue is the price. At 37K, I still feel its a bit steep for only a 20BHP increase in power. Lets wait and see.

@ Pras - If you're thinking about going for alloys, here's some advice. Dont bother about selling the steel wheels. There are not many Vernas doing taxi/commercial service, so there's practically no market for second hand steel wheels. You'll get paid a pittance, if anything. (I know this because I scouted the second hand market extensively looking for a decent price, and failed to get any. My wheels were new!!!)

A better idea is to keep the steel wheels stored with you. I did so. They're nicely lying covered in one corner of my garage. In the event (heaven forbid) that your car meets with an accident and your alloys break, the insurance company will not refund their price (since they are aftermarket fitments). In that case, you simply have to put the original wheels back on.

@predator - The pete's box will not onl improve the power of the verna (20 bhp is not that less!), but more importantly I believe it will improve your pick up at lower gears, and do away with the incessant gear shifts.
And I wasnt planning to invest on alloys anyway. I was thinking about just the tire upgrade, and that itself is relatively expensive.

[IronWolf]

Originally Posted by predatorwheelz

Only issue is the price. At 37K, I still feel its a bit steep for only a 20BHP increase in power. Lets wait and see.

WOW ~ sorry that I did not know. I always figured it was in the low 20s range.

[predatorwheelz]

A sad upgrade to my ownership thread:

The Accident

Yesterday I had gone to City Centre (its a mall in Kolkata). As anyone who's been there would know, the parking area has a broad lane with cars parked perpendicular to it on both sides. At about 8 PM I returned to my car, and had just nosed it out a few inches from the slot.

At the same time an Indica was zooming in from the right. Its owner/driver was looking down, checking something on his music system, oblivous to the fact that his car was hurtling along at a fair pace STRAIGHT AT RIGHT ANGLES TO MY CAR!

I honked a few times, then finally tried reversing back. But it was too late. With a WHAM, the Indica ploughed into my car's front bumper from the right. The impact mangled part of the bumper, and broke the front numberplate from its mounting (It had to be extricated from HIS front bumper later). By the time the owner realized this, he had gone ahead a few metres. Thankfully the security guards on duty stopped him almost immediately.

I ran to the car and took the guy out, shouting like mad. He was a guy in his late 20s (about my age) with his shocked wife sitting next to him. He seemed extremely apologetic as I showed him what he had done to my car. He kept saying sorry. He gave me his phone number and promised to make good whatever damages were incurred. After 5 mins of raving and ranting, I too realized that the situation was not going anywhere. It was only the other drivers in the parking lot who were having an amusing time.

It felt really bitter as I brought the car back home. Tomorrow seemed to be a long wait.

The Service Centre

Today I took the car to the Spring Hyundai service centre. The service advisor looked at the damage and immediately said that the bumper would need replacement. Total costs would be about 2200 for the bumper and 4000 for the painting. They confirmed that insurance would pay for the paint entirely, but only 50pct of the bumper cost (as per policy) as it is a PVC (non-metal) item. That means I would have to pay around 1-1.5K out of my own pocket.

As for the Indica owner, everyone in my family told me that I should have seized his DL or car reg papers yesterday, so that he doesnt just run away after the incident and shirk responsibility. Luckily, he turned out to be a sport. Not only did he pick up my calls today, he agreed to pay the difference amount as well once I showed him the bill. We are due to meet this Friday.

What now?

For starters, the car will be in the Service centre for the rest of this week. That means I am back to using my Indica (relegating my Kamikaze mom to using dad's office car/taxi - tough job) for these few days. Hey, maybe its a good chance to do an ownership review of my old plagued horse now!

On a serious note, the accident also got me thinking. It was entirely the fault of the Indica owner, as he also agrees. Its a different story that he turned out to be a nice guy and agreed to pay me damages. But what of his ignorance which caused the accident in the first place? What if it wasnt a parking lot (but a road) and he was zooming at 80 while adjusting his music volume? How many times do each of us take our eyes off the road, unaware that a human/car/object is lurking metres away from us?

If anything, it has taught me to be more mindful on the road, and never, never to take my eyes off it.