The Gangnam Diaries - Hyundai Fluidic Verna 1.6 CRDi Ownership She's sexy, she's beautiful and her vital statistics will make you go crazy. But don't ask her to dance.
Without being racist, I think we can learn a lot about korean products from the recently viral 'Gangnam Style' video. They look great, have great ideas and can do great things if they choose to. Though dont expect the poise and grace of a ballet dancer.
Pretty much sums it up eh?
My verna has now completed 20k km and I felt it would be a good time to update some service history as well as maintain a record of all the issues I come across with this beautiful korean. This may come in handy for owners/prospective owners to get an idea of what to expect from our friends across the sea.
I won’t be talking about the usual washed and dried topics. I’m sure you will appreciate this. Please feel free to ask questions though. Model: 2011 Fluidic Verna 1.6 CRDi in Crystal White Current ODO: 20650 KM Gallery can be found here. Modifications/Additions: Exterior:- Debadged
- HID Fog Lamps
- 100/90 Headlamp Conversion
- 15X6.5J EVO Wheels
- Chromed Allen Key Lug Nuts
Interior:- Boston Acoustics Components (Front/Rear)
- JBL Amp and 12” Woofer
- Satellite Navigation
- Reverse Camera
- Door scuff plates
- OEM Mats
- My Shaldan Air Freshner (Only Lemon)
Love:- Smooth and Silent CRDi unit
- Acceleration
- Looks and Interiors
- Light Steering
Hate:- Suspension
- Wallowy under spirited driving.
- Scrapes the infamous bangalore humps when fully loaded.
- Reverse Sensors
- Bloody thing has a mind of its own. More of a nuisance than anything else.
- Squeaks from the rear parcel tray. (I think)
Neutral: - Gear Ratios.
- Constant clutch usage in traffic due to the torquey nature of the motor.
- Six speed box is a boon during highway drives. Contributes to the gas economy as well.
- Rear view.
- Very limited rear view due to the coupe-ish design. Hard to judge distance. Makes the camera / sensors a necessity. I used to find it a breeze parking my Lancer. The visibility was great in that car. Average Use:
City: 70%
Highway: 30% Tyre Pressure:
32 psi All Around
36 psi Spare Fuel:
Regular Pump Diesel Average Mileage:
City: 12.5
Highway: 20 Service History:
======================== First Service
Date: 16/07/2011
ODO: 1353
Cost: 0 Parts:
None Comments:- Say no to wiper fluid. It’s a rip-off.
- First Service is nothing but a general look-over.
- They top up all fluids. In my case, nothing required topping up.
- I had complained about the reverse sensors acting up. Checked and resolved.
- Free wash
======================== Second Service
Date:27/01/2012
ODO: 10586
Cost: INR 4192 Parts: - 5.3 Ltr Engine Oil @ INR 1185
- Diesel Filter Cartridge @ INR 1744
- Air Filter @ INR 302
- Oil Filter @ INR 344
- Consumables @ INR 101 (<<< Total Rip off!!)
- Battery Terminal (+) @ INR 0 (Silent warranty replacement due to a
manufacturing defect) Comments:- Say no to Wiper Fluid.
- Say no to Teflon.
- Reverse sensors were acting up again. They would work intermittently. At times they would beep continuously.
======================== Third Service
Date: 12/10/2012
ODO: 20621
Cost: INR 4473 Parts: - 5.3 Ltr Engine Oil @ INR 1180
- Diesel Filter Cartridge @ INR 1736
- Air Filter @ INR 301
- Oil Filter @ INR 363
- Consumables @ INR 177 (<<< Total Rip off!!)
Comments:- Say no to wiper fluid.
- Say no to underbody coating.
- Say no to Teflon / Polish.
- I just noticed that they charged me Rs.150 labour for replacing Diesel Filter. Strange since this was a free service.
- There was a rattle from the steering column. They tightened a nut on the steering rack. The noise is no longer there. (At least for now.)
- All four reverse sensors are being replaced under warranty.
There is a warranty replacement program for the front suspension coil springs. However this raises the GC and hence I wasn’t interested. I’ve asked them to check if they can replace the rear springs though.
======================== Others:- It’s a good idea to get a body touch up and polish done every 18 months. 12 months if you have extensive scratches etc. Not at the A.S.S though. I’ve heard good things about 3M.
- Try not to fall for the Teflon/Underbody argument. It has been discussed extensively on this forum. Search and thou shalt find thy answers.
Overall:
I love the car. Its easy to fall in love with the new Verna. But I hate the feeling in my stomach every time it scrapes a speed hump. Though I must admit that this has more to do with the Bangalore traffic department's complete lack of engineering prowess than anything else. Some of these humps are just a few cm short of a wall!
The suspension does take away from the driving experience. Especially due to the gem of an engine. But I intend to sort this out when its time to replace it. Perhaps at the 40k mark we'll see some stiff competition. Pun intended.
Last edited by Tassem : 14th October 2012 at 14:18.
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