Team-BHP - Hyundai Verna : Official Review

Another lovely and detailed review! Rated 5 stars.

So the Elantra SX(O)AT petrol selling at 2 million+ INR is a more luxurious Verna? Or is there more to it than meets the eye? I see that the Elantra comes with ESC, VSM, HAC, all wheel disc brakes and HID low + Halogen high beams, all of which i do not see on the Verna. This combined with more space and a better cabin ambience is worth the 800,000 INR odd premium over the Verna? Perhaps folks and mods who have experienced both these cars can throw more light on this.

Excellent review as always. Now this is one complete package and the sales thread does show the same. Not a fan of the front grill but that rear is sweet!

Quote:

Originally Posted by Aditya (Post 4314785)

Along with the badges, there is a chrome strip running along the base of the boot lid. We don't like it, but will agree that the chrome treatment isn't overdone at the rear.

Heard this is an accessory now.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Aditya (Post 4314793)

With the high beam engaged, the throw is brilliant!

The lights are brilliant. Verna headlights look a bit cooler than Creta. My car is running on the stock bulbs and it's good enough for me (I used to upgrade my headlights in my previous cars). Here's my stock setup:

Hyundai Verna : Official Review-dsc_0125.jpg

Quote:

Soft foam insulation just behind the radiator grille

You beat Youtuber "Doug DeMuro" in the race of finding the minute details in a car :D. That's one solid find :thumbs up.

Lovely review, thanks for putting this together.

Compared to Verna's bells & whistles, Creta looks barebones at a higher price point. Crazy how urban SUV trend is shadowing rationality.

Also, I want to use this comment to point out how ravishing the Verna looks in red. I mean in this segment or below, I can't think of any car that rocks red like Verna. In fact, Hyundai has managed to make black work for its cars which Maruti does not want to touch with a stick.

Fantastic review ! Rated 5-stars.

Glad to know Hyundai has finally fixed the boat-like ride quality of the Verna, while maintaining the lead in introducing segment first feature like cooled seats. We can also assume that cooled seats and sunroof will be soon introduced in the new Creta facelift just around the corner. Not sure why they keep removing the good parts like rear disc brakes and auto-wipers. Maybe to keep the costs in check ? I hope this story does not pan out when these features are introduced in the Creta.

Saw the new Verna yesterday from the side while going home from office. It was a black color, with the top half of the dashboard in black (could be SX or SX (O) variant). The large touchscreen in the center and overall interior package made it look like a premium sedan. The creases and lines were giving it a rich and classy look. I also mentioned to my wife that if we were in the market for a C-segment sedan now, the new Verna would be my first choice. Team-BHP review just confirmed my intuition clap:

Hi @Aditya, excellent review as usual!

How would you compare the ride/handling/steering of the 2015 facelift with the new one? I see that most of your comparisons are with the 2011/2014 model.

In the 2015 facelift, I didn't find any deal breakers with the suspension even at higher triple digit speeds, though the steering does start to get a little inconsistent and reaches it's limit much before the suspension does. Similarly, the brakes, though they have a bit of initial travel, work without a fuss once you get used to the modulation.

Excellent review as always clap:
I was reading the Ownership Review of RaghuChn when your review comes up and it has been a sea of information for me today.
Hyundai has really upped the ante in the C2 segment with first-in class features like ventilated seats which are a boon in India especially in western regions where summers and humid monsoons take up three quarters of the year. MID is also worth drooling over and the plethora of information that one can see makes you go sensory overload.

It is also good to know that the suspension has improved and 6 speed AT is up the cards but what bothers me is rear drum brakes and no-telescopic steering which would have otherwise made the car 10/10.

I have been driving the previous Gen. Hyundai Verna and it has been an amazing journey especially with the diesel engine, torque, next to nil turbo lag and feature rich car. What has been the sore point was suspension. Thanks to ever talked about Bangalore roads.

While I am on the verge of saying good-bye to the car which I have admired and loved the most - albeit a heavy heart as I do not have resources to keep 2 cars - the launch of Verna has made me think twice before signing the cheque for Creta.
I was near certain over the last 8 months that I am never looking back to Sedans in Bangalore for the single most reason being potholes and almost hooked up on Creta inspite of the latter not having even basic features like adjustable arm rest, auto dimming IRVM and MID feature - just the thought of high ground clearance and SUVish stance convinced me of paying 2 Lac more for Creta until Verna got launched & govt filled some pot holes off late :Frustrati

Its a question between Features, Light on Pocket Vs SUV stance, tight on pocket car.
Hyundai - You have made many a mind rolling back towards C2 segment which was almost pronounced dead few months back
Parting thoughts - High time car manufacturers offer AT in top spec.

I like how the side profile looks. Also that long C pillar at the back looks sorta magnificent. The front is my least favorite part. The overhang is a tad too much and I find the chrome distasteful, though that is a personal choice. I have seen the car on the road and the red looks too bloody to me and would have preferred a slightly less glossy finish. Not a fan of sleek silver either. I feel flame orange really brings out the aggressive look of this car.

As usual fantastic review :thumbs up. Also is it me or it felt more compact than usual? Could also be because Verna seems like a jack of all trades kinda car.

Quote:

Originally Posted by naveen.raju (Post 4314901)

The light throw is excellent. When the low beams are on and when you flash / turn on high beams, they instantly get illuminated almost like LEDs, there is no delay. But when the lights are fully off and when you attempt a flash, it takes a while for the high beams to light up.

One picture from my side

Hyundai Verna : Official Review-psx_20170930_220715.jpg

Hi @Aditya, Excellent review. Read in detail as Verna is in my radar for the new vehicle purchase. Few gripes though
1. No disc brakes at the rear
2. No Telescopic Steering (Only Tilt)
3. No Full sized spare wheel for SX(0) variant (The variant I am looking at)

Thanks for clarifying that ABS+EBD is standard across all variants. Official site does not mention anything about EBD.

I really had to zoom into the image to see the VIN. What stopped them from making it look prominent? cost cutting here too?

Quite a few YouTube reviewers praised the new verna for its handling and steering response. Some even told that its now the 'Best' in the segment and recommended it for all enthusiastic drivers out there. But in Team-bhp review, i see less spoke about the same!
Is it really a good car to drive now? I have driven the previous version and it was not something i would call a driver's car.
Has it's steering response and feedback really been improved? How is it compared to the city and vento?

Wonderful review! Thanks T-BHP.

Coming to the car, Hyundai has just got a sure winner in the segment. Wowed by the list of features offered and they have got it at a mouth watering price. The SX Petrol in Chennai costs 9.69 lakhs which is very competitive for the features offered.

The steering mounted controls do feel a bit cluttered / rather too much. Will take a while to get hands-on with it.

Great review guys! clap: The more I read new car reviews in and around this price range, the more I am amazed at how much they are squeezing in, in terms of features. But mathematics and economics being what they are, for everything that is added, something must be deducted, and I can't help wondering whether these additions are really worth the deductions!

Wouldn't the below features/design additions be important to a sizable (not the majority) portion of the car buying public?

Feature set A
a) seats with good back and under thigh support
b) full underbody protection
c) full wheel cladding
d) 60:40 rear folding seats
e) Full size spare wheel
f) Fully adjustable steering wheel
g) all wheel disc brakes

I personally would anyday choose this over -
Feature set B
1) auto wipers
2) auto headlamps
3) DRLs
4) cruise control
5) auto folding mirrors
6) keyless go
7) the deluxe chrome package :)

Of course, ideally, having it all (both feature sets) would be the best case scenario. But if one has to choose between feature set A vs B, doesn't A have equal if not more marketing appeal? This is also considering the fact that some (not all) items in feature set B can be added as showroom accessories. It doesn't even necessarily translate to more selling effort at the showroom floor - after all, you don't have to be an enthusiast to appreciate the practicality of the rear folding seat, or the fact that that the seats are fantastically comfortable.

This review commands a well-deserved 5-star rating. The car, less so (no offence to all the proud owners out there!)
I was probably expecting Hyundai to pull all stops with this car, since the competition is terribly fierce (Honda City, Maruti-Suzuki Ciaz, VW Vento, Skoda Rapid, Fiat Linea / Eega, upcoming Toyota Vios, etc.), and that the entire segment itself has moved a notch higher in the price bracket. Hyundai, once a segment-leader in providing innovative features has recently begun blatant cost cutting (since the Creta), and I'm sorry to see that the demon has haunted the new Verna as well! Also, the constant variant-to-feature goof-up that Hyundai's product planning has become famous for, irks me no end!

No full-size alloy spare wheel, no rear disc brakes, no telescopic steering adjustment, vanilla sun visors, partial wheel well / boot cladding - these are an indication of Hyundai going in the wrong direction. And these matter while paying one and a half million bucks on a new car. Hyundai is yet to address another time-honoured Verna gripe - the low seating position at the rear! :Frustrati

Pardon me for being too negative, but that said, the car looks swell, the new features are always welcome, and it's great to see Hyundai cars evolving in terms of handling and suspension setup.