[KeepItSimple]

Originally Posted by anilkalvani

Just wanted to know that in the LCD display which indicates the driving mode, suppose you are in "D" Mode, does it display the gear which is selected? As in does it display 1,2,3 or 4?

Thank you, anilkalvani.

LCD displays the following modes P - park, R - reverse, N - neutral, D - drive mode, 2 - second mode and L - low mode. A seperate display next to the speed dial indicates whether overdrive mode is off. 'OD off' lights up when OD is switched off on the AT stalk.

No indication of the actual driving gear in the display.

[KeepItSimple]

Have done about 600kms in city traffic.

FE - 11 km/litre. 100 % AC, city driving.

Engine - a gem. After warmup settles to tidy rhythm. Low NVH. Excellant torque beyond 1500 rpm. Relaxed cruiser and relaxed driving after initial warmup. Firm right foot required to keep engine in torque band.

Transmission - very smooth. Decided to keep 'OD' button on at all times. Smoother and more relaxed performance. Now, allowing transmission to do all the work in 'D' mode. A no brainer in the city. Allows one to look around at sourrounding traffic and improves safety.

Interiors - good build quality. Low noise cabin. Good front legroom. Low front seating requiring a cushion to improve driving height and hip point.
AC with auto aircon works well. Music system had excellant clarity. Bass performance not so good. Mid range and upper range of sound quality is good.

[KeepItSimple]

Done 1000+ kms. Driving experience has improved after getting to understand the autobox better.

1st gear change to 2nd is at about 20kms/hour. 2nd to 3rd gear is at about 40kms/hour. 3rd gear to 4th gear change is at about 60kms/hour.

This means that if one is travelling at 30kms/hour one is in 2nd gear and similarly at other speeds.

At gear changes, rpm runs up to 1800 - 2000 followed by gear shifting.

There is a bit of a slow response in gearing and pickup in city speeds of 2nd gear i.e. 20kms/hour to 40km/hour. A firm foot helps. FE does not fall too badly on that count.

Engine responds very well after 40kms/hour in third gear and at higher speeds.

Excellant torque from the motor keeps the car moving cleanly at all speeds. However, a bit of initial sluggishness from turbo lag and slow gear change response at lower speeds.

A firm foot on the gas pedal keeps the motor in the torque band and overtaking is a breeze. Finding gaps in city traffic and moving ahead is easy

Fuel efficiency and driving comfort improves after keeping tyre pressure at 33psi. Braking requires more effort though.

Fuel efficiency in city driving with 100% AC and a firm foot is 11kms/litre. May improve after initial run in period.

Driving in the city is a marked improvement on the manual transmission of the verna.

Would request all dieselheads who do a lot of city driving to certainly do a TD.

My reasons for the verna crdi AT were:

a) ease of driving in the city with AT,
b) diesel torque and FE
c) good A.S.S.
d) good build quality
e) useful features
f) quiet cabin
g) decent ride and handling
h) proven diesel motor in indian conditions
i) proven AT transmission although 4 speed.
(hyundai uses the same AT box worldwide).

No quibbles so far on any of these points.

Would request inputs from other users on t bhp.

[tanwaramit]

wonder how come I missed this thread. Had been waiting for some reports on Auto Verna. Nice car you have chosen and the reasons justify the car amply. Keep on updating this thread with regular pics. I am glued on this one. mileage of 11 for Diesel is not bad, have u driven it on highway, curious to know how much would be the mileage there ?

[anilkalvani]

I have been following your thread as i too am in "Auto" mode ever since i got my i10 AT 3 months ago. I am not concerned much about people saying that the Verna is just a 4 speed AT, for folks like us travelling daily in nightmarish bumper-to-bumper city traffic, AT is heaven sent, and the economy of diesel is the icing on the cake. And for the price you get this car i.e. around 9.5-10L on-road its a no brainer when you consider the next diesel AT is the Laura priced at minimum 16L. Please do update us regularly as you are doing currently & give your inputs.

You're one lucky guy, enjoy it!

P.S.
Will speak to (Read: try to convince) Dad to trade in our 14 month old Logan Diesel for this Diesel Auto.

[KeepItSimple]

Thanks all for your inputs.

Reassuring to know that there are many others with similar requirements.

As there are very few posts on t bhp on the auto verna I had considered my thinking on car choices to be slightly oddball !

Here is more info on the auto verna - source hyundai turkey.

(otm) is for the AT.

[KeepItSimple]

Clocked over 2.3k kms so far.

Long drives outside bangalore city to nandi hills (120kms return trip), and mysore (300kms return trip). Pictures below.

First service done at 1400kms by advaith hyundai. No reported problems except for minor rattling from front dash before warmup and sometimes in slow city traffic. A.S.S. tightened chassis and other bolts/nuts - no issues now. No charges in the first service.

Engine and drivetrain much smoother after first service. City driving much easier with improved FE of 11-12 kms/litre. Keep 33 psi on stock tyres - bridgestones.

Long drives done subsequently.

Auto verna a pleasure on the highway. Effortless torque for overtaking whenever required. Full load with 4/5 adults and a child at all times.

Engine eager to 'go'. Straight line and gentle curves are best due to the front heavy diesel motor. High speed corners require caution.

Kept in drive mode 'D' with OD on at all times on trip to mysore.

40+ hairpin bends at nandi hills required driving in second mode '2' on the initial gentle climb followed by first gear 'L' mode on the upper stretch.

Engine was smooth with a full load load and did not feel strained at all times. Hill climbs are a breeze with the torque available on demand.

Max speed 100 kms/hr on the level highways to mysore on request from passengers.

Many unexpected hazards on highways including speed breakers, wrong side traffic, children playing at roadside and many others.

Cabin is quiet with minimal diesel noise. Diesel motor 'growl' only on fast acceleration.

Auto AC a boon - cools cabin nicely on a hot day.

Turbo lag on slowing down to 1 - 2 nd gear speeds of about 10 to 30kms/hr.

A firm push on the gas pedal or kickdown helps at low speed to push up the rpm into the torque band.

An excellant cruiser on the highway. Cruise control would help if availible as an option.

FE could not be measured due to mixed city and highway driving after diesel fillup. Estimated FE (best guess) about 14 - 15 kms/litre on highway.


No issues with car so far.

Pictures below
(a) at nandi hills - cool and green after drive from the plains.
(b) breathtaking view of bangalore from hilltop at nandi hills,
(c) at mysore palace with elephant ( verna AT quite similar - slow starter but powerful),
(d) hot day at channapatna on way to mysore - auto ac cools well,
(e) at ranganathittu bird sanctuary - cauvery river is full - birds and a few crocodiles were seen in the river.

[rageshgr]

Congrats dude! Now that's a car I would love to own. Because according to me its the perfect combo. Auto 'box for easy driving and diese for fuel economy and low running cost ( fuel wise ).

Regarding manual on auto 'box. I am surprised! because my Santro Xing AT came with the details about how to use the auto 'box.

And regarding the early shifting of the transmission, you can do 3 things:

1. Floor the throttle. The ECU takes throttle input to adjust its shift point a little bit. The softer throttle, the earlier the upshift and vice-versa.
2. If you want even better acceleration, use "L" for City traffic and "2" for highway overtaking and of course switching off the OD in higher speeds. In Santro for ex: It will hold on to 1st gear till 50 kph in "L" mode and 80 kph in 2nd gear in "2" mode, and then the ECU shifts higher after that. All these will hamper your FE
3. ECU modifications to alter the shift points. Less practical

I guess you may be using these techniques already though.

One question, do you think Hyundai is using the same auto 'box on Santro, i10 , i20 and the Verna? with only ECU changes.

Also, could n't help noticing the Turkish Petrol Verna has 11 BHP more than the Indian :(. Obvious given the detuning to suit conditions and fuel here.

[vasudeva]

Originally Posted by KeepItSimple

N
Hyundai provides no additional operation manual or technical data with auto transmission - even on request ! The user has to figure it out.

Congrats on a sensible choice. One really does not need a detailed manual on how to drive an AT car. 2-3 kms or 5 mins is what is needed to get what is needed.

OD normally (at least in a Toyota) should be off, since OD off is usually more fuel efficient. In 2 years, have used OD on only accidentally (ie pushed the wrong buttons).

[Axe77]

I'm surprised other manufacturers haven't latched on to this segment. Before the launch of the Verna I remember thinking that the cheapest Auto Diesel vehicle one could buy was either the Sonata Diesel or the Laura Diesel, both upwards of 15 lakh.

For self driven folks who require diesel efficiency and auto convenience, the Verna Diesel A/T is perfect. I hope its main competitors like Linea, SX4 (when it comes in diesel), Fiesta etc. also consider launching Auto trannies.

In fact, I hope the C segment petrol sedans follow suit as well. The City seems to be the only sedan in that segment offering auto transmission. IMHO this is going to be a growing market for mf'ers to tap.

It'll be nice to have more options when it comes to sub 10 lakh auto trannies.

[sajands]

Hey keepitsimple,

Congrats and welcome to the verna club nice review and good looking car. how is the car under breaking??? you did mention that you touched 100 on the way back from mysore, just wanted to to know the feel of the breaks.

Have you upgraded the headlights or still running on stock bulbs.

All the best with your blue beast and drive safe fellow bhipan.

[rageshgr]

Originally Posted by vasudeva

Congrats on a sensible choice. One really does not need a detailed manual on how to drive an AT car. 2-3 kms or 5 mins is what is needed to get what is needed.

OD normally (at least in a Toyota) should be off, since OD off is usually more fuel efficient. In 2 years, have used OD on only accidentally (ie pushed the wrong buttons).

Ya AT is straight and simple to operate. Btw I think you mean to say Overdrive (OD) should be on and the switch is in OFF position. When overdrive is on, you are using the tallest ratio which means better fuel efficiency. But when the OD is On, the switch is in OFF

[AbhiJ]

I wonder how the Pete's Tuning Box would work with an A/T Transmission...

[4x4addict]

rageshgr:

You don't need to shift gears in an automatic if you need a power surge to overtake. The automatics have what is called a kick down feature. You only need to floor the pedal and the gearbox will down shift to a lower gear. The standard Automatics like Hyundai's are not meant to be shifted on the move. You need something like with a tipronic or paddle shift mechanism for automatics with manual modes. I suggest you refrain from shifting to L or 2 to over take as this will damage your transmission.


KeepItSimple:

Regarding your Nandhi hill climb. There is no need to put it in L gear or 2. The ECU will pick the right gear. You can turn off the overdrive to reduce the heat generated by the transmission by shifting frequently in and out of overdrive.

For day to day driving there is no reason to use L or 2. You can use these gears while coming down steep slopes to enable engine braking similar to how you would come down a steep slope in low gear in a manual transmission.

[KeepItSimple]

Originally Posted by rageshgr

Regarding manual on auto 'box. I am surprised! because my Santro Xing AT came with the details about how to use the auto 'box.

One question, do you think Hyundai is using the same auto 'box on Santro, i10 , i20 and the Verna? with only ECU changes.

Also, could n't help noticing the Turkish Petrol Verna has 11 BHP more than the Indian :(. Obvious given the detuning to suit conditions and fuel here.

Hey, thanks dude for the good wishes and tips.

I am just learning to use the autobox and every tip helps.Will try them out.

Hyundai autobox 4speed appears to be similar by specs across the range and that is mentioned by autocar on their review on the verna AT.

So, i guess what works for you in the santro should work equally well in the verna.

I wonder whether its possible to get a copy of your AT manual by asking hyundai. Dropping the manual seems to be extreme cost cutting.

Turkish specs and interior features appear to better than what HMIL is giving indian customers. I guess we need to be more vocal about it for the situation to improve.