Hyundai Verna CRDI (SXI) with ABS - Team-BHP

rippergeo · 26th November 2007, 19:05

Just took delivery of our family's Verna yesterday from MGF hyundai in Cochin.
Reason for buying car? Dad wants a Diesel car that looks good and can haul some serious rear (I prefer my Swift VDi

)

9.06 lakhs on road in cochin

The SXI comes with Beige interiors, some (fake) wood trim
climate control- I like!!!!
Electrically operated ORVMs
2 DIN kenwood ICE-MP3 capable and also has an aux input in the rear
Fog lamps
Height adjustable driver seat

there's probably more but let's get to the important stuff.

Engine- Not broken in yet. but is very, very, very silent inside the cabin.
I must admit, it does make a serious racket outside (compared to the DDiS)
The insulation is brilliant, which means all the honk happy maniacs with aftermarket horns can beep away to glory and not make me lose my cool. Also, the ICE sounds really nice.

There is no noticeable vibration transmitted to the pedals, steering or gears

Turbo lag is not an issue(unlike the DDiS). pulls well from idling, torque from the boost kicks in at around 1750 and pulls very well upto 3000( have not revved it beyond there-yet) Have to find the power and torque graphs to polish my shifting times.

Brakes- Brilliant! panic stopped from 120 on the highway once. no tail out antics, no squealing, nothing.
Pedals are progressive and can be modulated well. there is no play and the brakes don't bite.

Tried the ABS on a dirt road, and the car stopped pretty well, but I have no frame of reference to compare it with. Will have to wait for some real life situations, Hope I never have to use it though.

Handling- this is where the hyundai gets trounced. The steering has some play in it. The car is happy in wide sweeping corners.
Pronounced understeer is an issue even in these situations.
Put it through a series of twisties and the car will protest and sulk. It will refuse to point its nose where instructed. Again, its the killjoy understeer.Body roll adds to the problems.

Body roll is also a problem irrespective of what kind of corner its in.

Heaven help spirited apex hunters when the road surface is uneven. The car goes all floaty and wallowy and showed an alarming tendency to oversteer straight from a situation of marked understeer.

City Driving- is good, maybe better than the swift, cos of the visibility.
Engine will let you potter around at 1000 rpm peacefully in traffic and pull without complaint fom there if you see an overtaking oppurtunity.

Highways- passing is effortless. all the commercial and taxi vehicles can eat dust how ever hard they rev their engines to try and stop you(is this a purely kerala phenomenon? this never happened to me in TN or mangalore). The brakes help during overtaking maneuvers too letting you out-brake your yellow plated competitors.

Inspite of all my cribbing about the handling- i must say, My wife didnt realise how fast we were going till we reached our destination 20 mins ahead of schedule(distance of 65kms) To put this in perspective, She would have been screaming blue murder if i had driven at these speeds in the swift(while I would have felt much safer driving the better handling Swift)

Note about handling- this car should give absolutely no trouble in bends/ curves at speeds below 100. just that I'm used to the Swift DDiS' corner carving abilities.

Build- seems put together well. sheet metal is confidence inspiring and the doors shut well(not as well as my old Palio 1.2) switchgear is OK. No complaints, but they could use some more feel.

Comfort- Ride is pretty good in both front and back even over very rough roads.(but thats still no excuse for the atrocious handling at high speeds

). Can get choppy in the rear if pushed very hard over rough roads

Plenty of room for everyone in the front and back.

Climate control is a neat gadget to have and is easy to use.

Seats are quite nice

Driver seating position is excellent, nice forward and side visibility. Rear could be better, but the ORVMs are big and do give a good field if used right.

Value for money? Yes
If its Diesel that you want. To me it looks like its the best option among C segment Diesel sedans. If you dont mind splurging on petrol, look for a better handler- there's plenty of choices

Test drive was on sunday morning(6AM) from cochin to thodupuzha and back- total distance of 130 km over mainly twisty roads.

Guys-Please feel free to criticize my writing/observations/language
I'll use that to improve on my next post

gt_bhp · 27th November 2007, 13:20

This is a very comprehensive review and very well written. Will help people who are looking at the Verna CRDI.

vickey_jai · 27th November 2007, 15:46

congrats on your new baby..... and a very comprehensive review.....I have a Verna VGT without ABS.....and i completely agree with you on the handeling part.....I have upgraded the rim/tyre to 15 Inch Alloys and 195/55 Goodyears .....handling has improved a lot....

rippergeo · 27th November 2007, 18:18

Quote:

Originally Posted by vickey_jai

I have upgraded the rim/tyre to 15 Inch Alloys and 195/55 Goodyears .....handling has improved a lot....

Thanks Vickey
The car pulls like a locomotive. and goes like stink in a straight line.
The information on the wheel upgrade is quite helpful. Will try it after I wear out the standard rubber

saabasheer · 27th November 2007, 20:21

Quote:

Originally Posted by rippergeo

Handling- this is where the hyundai gets trounced. The steering has some play in it. The car is happy in wide sweeping corners.
Pronounced understeer is an issue even in these situations.
Put it through a series of twisties and the car will protest and sulk. It will refuse to point its nose where instructed. Again, its the killjoy understeer.Body roll adds to the problems.
Body roll is also a problem irrespective of what kind of corner its in.

You have no idea about verna's handling and body roll problems before buying? or you left with no choice with verna and willingly accepted verna?...

rippergeo · 28th November 2007, 06:28

Quote:

Originally Posted by saabasheer

You have no idea about verna's handling and body roll problems before buying? or you left with no choice with verna and willingly accepted verna?...

I knew the handling was bad, but i didnt mind. The car is still much faster than most other cars over a distance. You cant use it for racing or anything, but it will get you from point A to B without much fuss even if you drive spiritedly. Just that the engine's limits/capabilities are way higher than the chassis' and suspension's. The brakes are excellent, so the car is not unsafe , unless one indulges in kamikaze antics(which can happen with any car)

So in short- I knew about the handling
but I love the engine and straight line performance
AND...It's the best C segment diesel according to me

It is a compromise, but I'm hoping a few suspension and tyre upgrades will solve the problem

skandyhere · 3rd December 2007, 01:42

A TEST-DRIVE over 130 kms??? Can you please clarify?

Anju · 3rd December 2007, 07:33

Handling- I agree.

Verna being best Diesel in C segement - I agree

CrAzY dRiVeR · 3rd December 2007, 07:45

Congrats on the purchase!

Quote:

Originally Posted by rippergeo

Reason for buying car? Dad wants a Diesel car that looks good and can haul some serious rear (I prefer my Swift VDi

)
9.06 lakhs on road in cochin

Did you consider the Magnum? Price is not too different!

rider60 · 3rd December 2007, 07:49

hey how come the car costs 9lacs on road even with the ABS it should not be more than 8.5lacs, and one more question you meant 13 kms right? not 130kms test drive.

rr_zen · 3rd December 2007, 08:08

Quote:

Originally Posted by rippergeo

Test drive was on sunday morning(6AM) from cochin to thodupuzha and back- total distance of 130 km over mainly twisty roads.

Guys-Please feel free to criticize my writing/observations/language
I'll use that to improve on my next post

Congrats on your buy ! Neat and concise review. However, as many out here, am equally surprised that you test dove the car for 130 km. But, if that were true, it is a real good thing that happened and am sure it would have given you enough opportunity and experience to make a firm decision on the purchase.

hellstar · 3rd December 2007, 10:50

Quote:

Originally Posted by rippergeo

Just took delivery of our family's Verna yesterday from MGF hyundai in Cochin.
Reason for buying car? Dad wants a Diesel car that looks good and can haul some serious rear (I prefer my Swift VDi

)

Test drive was on sunday morning(6AM) from cochin to thodupuzha and back- total distance of 130 km over mainly twisty roads.

Guys-Please feel free to criticize my writing/observations/language
I'll use that to improve on my next post

hi rippergeo, thats a nice review.

Quite surprised to find that your car still has the stability issue , i did try out a friends SX and found that the handling has definitely improved especially over 140KMPH. Have you upgraded your tyres ? , What tyres did your car come with ?

I have a CRDI and i regret not having waited for the SX version anyways , good luck with you car and do keep updating the forum about your experience with her

rippergeo · 4th December 2007, 18:09

Quote:

Originally Posted by skandyhere

A TEST-DRIVE over 130 kms??? Can you please clarify?

maybe I should have worded it different. It should be an initial impression. I hada tiny test drive on the NH47 byepass before i bought the car. But didnt like the test drive car, the engine felt too tight, even though it had been driven close to 2000km by then. but I'm yet to drive a TD car that felt good compared to a brand new one.

This drive described above was the drive the morning after we purchased it.

Quote:

Originally Posted by CrAzY dRiVeR

Congrats on the purchase!

Did you consider the Magnum? Price is not too different!

Yes crazy I did consider the magnum, but a fully loaded one costs a lakh more than the verna. Its performance is not that much superior enginewise and the handling I thought was worse. so out went the magnum

Quote:

Originally Posted by rider60

hey how come the car costs 9lacs on road even with the ABS it should not be more than 8.5lacs, and one more question you meant 13 kms right? not 130kms test drive.

Trust me rider, it dos cost 9 lacs on the road in cochin after tax and registration.
I apologise for calling it a test drive. it should be an initial impression / ownership review rather than anything else

rippergeo · 4th December 2007, 18:20

Quote:

Originally Posted by hellstar

hi rippergeo, thats a nice review.

Quite surprised to find that your car still has the stability issue , i did try out a friends SX and found that the handling has definitely improved especially over 140KMPH. Have you upgraded your tyres ? , What tyres did your car come with ?

I have a CRDI and i regret not having waited for the SX version anyways , good luck with you car and do keep updating the forum about your experience with her

If you think the SX's handling has improved, I shudder imagining the handling on the other versions.
I will upgrade the tyres after I wear the OE tyres out, now busy saving for a pete's for my dear Swift VDi.

I did enquire with pete's in cochin about suspension upgrades for the verna. been told that it will cost close to 20000. not something I can afford at the moment.(modding 2 cars at the sametime is for the uber rich)

I was told that stiffer springs on all four corners will solve the problem, I have no reason to doubt that. I've heard of the magic done on a certain Accent CRDI in cochin by pete that turned it into a completely brilliant corner carver.

BUT, dont you think 20000 for 4 springs is a bit much? I might be wrong, I'm a newbie to the whole modding scene.

rippergeo · 7th December 2007, 21:00

returned from calcutta yesterday night and drove back in the verna from cochin international airport to west cochin.

this is the kind of road that the verna thrives on. decently smooth, sweeping curves, with plenty of space to stretch its legs and get away from the crawling traffic.

also the engine is now fully broken in at 1200kms. now...stomping the accelerator is a scary experience, the car takes off down the road at 1700rpm, pulls all the way to 4000rpm(A DIESEL!!!!!)

It's completely silent below 2500rpm with the windows up.
the engine begins to be heard at 3000rpm, and at 4000rpm, I must admit, the engine note is pretty sporty.

the car touches some scary speeds in 2nd 3rd and 4th. didnt have the guts to floor it in 4th or 5th.
the brakes are pretty good. but the rate at which it picks up velocity is frightening enough to make me restrict myself to 100kmph.
maybe I'm getting too old for this boy racer thingy

More detailed handling impression to follow.

also coming up in the travelogue threads...trips to all points of the compass in the swift DDiS and the CRDI VGT over the next 2-3 months(I'm on sort of a vacation)

26th November 2007, 19:05	#1 (permalink)
rippergeo BHPian Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: cochin Posts: 780 View My Garage	Hyundai Verna CRDI (SXI) with ABS Just took delivery of our family's Verna yesterday from MGF hyundai in Cochin. Reason for buying car? Dad wants a Diesel car that looks good and can haul some serious rear (I prefer my Swift VDi) 9.06 lakhs on road in cochin The SXI comes with Beige interiors, some (fake) wood trim climate control- I like!!!! Electrically operated ORVMs 2 DIN kenwood ICE-MP3 capable and also has an aux input in the rear Fog lamps Height adjustable driver seat there's probably more but let's get to the important stuff. Engine- Not broken in yet. but is very, very, very silent inside the cabin. I must admit, it does make a serious racket outside (compared to the DDiS) The insulation is brilliant, which means all the honk happy maniacs with aftermarket horns can beep away to glory and not make me lose my cool. Also, the ICE sounds really nice. There is no noticeable vibration transmitted to the pedals, steering or gears Turbo lag is not an issue(unlike the DDiS). pulls well from idling, torque from the boost kicks in at around 1750 and pulls very well upto 3000( have not revved it beyond there-yet) Have to find the power and torque graphs to polish my shifting times. Brakes- Brilliant! panic stopped from 120 on the highway once. no tail out antics, no squealing, nothing. Pedals are progressive and can be modulated well. there is no play and the brakes don't bite. Tried the ABS on a dirt road, and the car stopped pretty well, but I have no frame of reference to compare it with. Will have to wait for some real life situations, Hope I never have to use it though. Handling- this is where the hyundai gets trounced. The steering has some play in it. The car is happy in wide sweeping corners. Pronounced understeer is an issue even in these situations. Put it through a series of twisties and the car will protest and sulk. It will refuse to point its nose where instructed. Again, its the killjoy understeer.Body roll adds to the problems. Body roll is also a problem irrespective of what kind of corner its in. Heaven help spirited apex hunters when the road surface is uneven. The car goes all floaty and wallowy and showed an alarming tendency to oversteer straight from a situation of marked understeer. City Driving- is good, maybe better than the swift, cos of the visibility. Engine will let you potter around at 1000 rpm peacefully in traffic and pull without complaint fom there if you see an overtaking oppurtunity. Highways- passing is effortless. all the commercial and taxi vehicles can eat dust how ever hard they rev their engines to try and stop you(is this a purely kerala phenomenon? this never happened to me in TN or mangalore). The brakes help during overtaking maneuvers too letting you out-brake your yellow plated competitors. Inspite of all my cribbing about the handling- i must say, My wife didnt realise how fast we were going till we reached our destination 20 mins ahead of schedule(distance of 65kms) To put this in perspective, She would have been screaming blue murder if i had driven at these speeds in the swift(while I would have felt much safer driving the better handling Swift) Note about handling- this car should give absolutely no trouble in bends/ curves at speeds below 100. just that I'm used to the Swift DDiS' corner carving abilities. Build- seems put together well. sheet metal is confidence inspiring and the doors shut well(not as well as my old Palio 1.2) switchgear is OK. No complaints, but they could use some more feel. Comfort- Ride is pretty good in both front and back even over very rough roads.(but thats still no excuse for the atrocious handling at high speeds). Can get choppy in the rear if pushed very hard over rough roads Plenty of room for everyone in the front and back. Climate control is a neat gadget to have and is easy to use. Seats are quite nice Driver seating position is excellent, nice forward and side visibility. Rear could be better, but the ORVMs are big and do give a good field if used right. Value for money? Yes If its Diesel that you want. To me it looks like its the best option among C segment Diesel sedans. If you dont mind splurging on petrol, look for a better handler- there's plenty of choices Test drive was on sunday morning(6AM) from cochin to thodupuzha and back- total distance of 130 km over mainly twisty roads. Guys-Please feel free to criticize my writing/observations/language I'll use that to improve on my next post __________________ Dieselhead DDiS - 19k CRDi VGT- 20k

27th November 2007, 15:46	#3 (permalink)
vickey_jai Newbie Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Delhi Posts: 15	congrats on your new baby..... and a very comprehensive review.....I have a Verna VGT without ABS.....and i completely agree with you on the handeling part.....I have upgraded the rim/tyre to 15 Inch Alloys and 195/55 Goodyears .....handling has improved a lot.... __________________ Verna VGT Oct 2007 Santro XO Dec 2005 Maruti 800 Dec 1998

3rd December 2007, 01:42	#7 (permalink)
skandyhere BHPian Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Bangalore Posts: 205	A TEST-DRIVE over 130 kms??? Can you please clarify? __________________ Sometimes you're the windshield, sometimes you're the bug...

7th December 2007, 21:00	#15 (permalink)
rippergeo BHPian Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: cochin Posts: 780 View My Garage	returned from calcutta yesterday night and drove back in the verna from cochin international airport to west cochin. this is the kind of road that the verna thrives on. decently smooth, sweeping curves, with plenty of space to stretch its legs and get away from the crawling traffic. also the engine is now fully broken in at 1200kms. now...stomping the accelerator is a scary experience, the car takes off down the road at 1700rpm, pulls all the way to 4000rpm(A DIESEL!!!!!) It's completely silent below 2500rpm with the windows up. the engine begins to be heard at 3000rpm, and at 4000rpm, I must admit, the engine note is pretty sporty. the car touches some scary speeds in 2nd 3rd and 4th. didnt have the guts to floor it in 4th or 5th. the brakes are pretty good. but the rate at which it picks up velocity is frightening enough to make me restrict myself to 100kmph. maybe I'm getting too old for this boy racer thingy More detailed handling impression to follow. also coming up in the travelogue threads...trips to all points of the compass in the swift DDiS and the CRDI VGT over the next 2-3 months(I'm on sort of a vacation) __________________ Dieselhead DDiS - 19k CRDi VGT- 20k

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27th November 2007, 13:20	#2 (permalink)
gt_bhp BHPian Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Bangalore Posts: 72 View My Garage	This is a very comprehensive review and very well written. Will help people who are looking at the Verna CRDI.

3rd December 2007, 07:33	#8 (permalink)
Anju BHPian Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Bengalooru Posts: 152	Handling- I agree. Verna being best Diesel in C segement - I agree

3rd December 2007, 07:49	#10 (permalink)
rider60 Senior - BHPian Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Bhagyanagaram. (A.K.A. Hyderabad) Posts: 1,055 View My Garage	hey how come the car costs 9lacs on road even with the ABS it should not be more than 8.5lacs, and one more question you meant 13 kms right? not 130kms test drive.