[Dr.Naren]

Originally Posted by Maxton07

Whoa!
Found some shoddy job under the doors. This was present in all other Vernas out there in the stockyard. Couldn't get any leads regarding this but owners out here, can u confirm the same.

Originally Posted by Turbohead

Congrats on the new ride! Unique shade I must say!

The coarse paintwork seen below is pretty common in most cars although I don't know the exact purpose. It's actually done by attaching the equivalent of sand paper and then painting over it.

Hoping to hear the real reason why manufacturers do it.

This is not shoddy job or manufacturing defect. It's done intentionally . This area is prone to stone chips, hence the texture is rough / coarse to resist debris and stones

[BudgetFailure]

After test driving all variants of this car, I have made the decision to purchase the MT Turbo variant of the Verna. This will be the first car I've bought entirely on my own, so I've opted for a brand-new vehicle. To make sure I don't put too much financial strain on myself, I had to carefully calculate the costs involved. I took into account the inevitable depreciation of the car's value over time, while still prioritising the enjoyment of driving a high-quality first hand vehicle.

I have carefully assessed the cost of ownership for the car over a 10-year period, taking into account factors such as maintenance, insurance, and fuel expenses. Additionally, I have considered the impact of financing the purchase through a loan, analyzing how the interest payments and loan term would affect my overall cash outflow. This thorough evaluation has helped me make a well-informed decision about buying the Verna MT Turbo. Sharing the same for reference. (Please note I also considered buying the car from NCR and driving it all the way to Karnataka, but it seemed less practical though would have saved 1lac overall)



Purchasing a car is undoubtedly a significant expense, and there are valid reasons why some people recommend buying a pre-owned vehicle. One of the main factors is the substantial depreciation that a new car experiences in its initial years. A pre-owned car has already taken that hit in value, making it a more cost-effective choice for budget-conscious buyers. However, personal preferences and priorities play a role in determining whether a new or used car is the best option for an individual.

Food for thought for others.

[prkothan]

Are you opting for service package ?

I think service expense will be more over the period of time. Break pad / Disc wear and tear, clutch assembly wear & tear , break oil, gear oil changes, timing belt periodical changes, what more ?

Originally Posted by Maxton07

Found some shoddy job under the doors. This was present in all other Vernas out there in the stockyard. Couldn't get any leads regarding this but owners out here, can u confirm the same.

This is not shoddy. This is as per design.

[ndinesh]

Originally Posted by Maxton07

Whoa! Finally vehicle reached the stockyard & done with the PDI
Came with GOODYEAR tyres mfd on 1st week of March.

Congrats on getting the car!!
Test drive and media drive 1.5 Turbo variants had Apollo tyres on them. So it looks Hyundai has gone for Goodyear tyres in production. I hope they are equally good.

[Grand Tourer]

Originally Posted by Maxton07

Whoa! Finally vehicle reached the stockyard & done with the PDI

Spent one good hour inspecting every nook & corner but couldn't decode the VIN as it has just 17 digits instead of traditional 19 digits. Is this the same for all Hyundai cars? or just for the new Verna?

Congrats @Maxton07. Booked my car in March. Did you add any accessories? Could you also let me know how long it took from booking to delivery please?

[Maxton07]

Originally Posted by Grand Tourer

Congrats @Maxton07. Booked my car in March. Did you add any accessories? Could you also let me know how long it took from booking to delivery please?

Hey Grandtourer,
Thanks for your wishes. I prebooked on 20th Feb and initially offered one Titan Grey post launch. But declined the offer & decided to wait for this particular shade. Vehicle got allocated on 11th April, followed by registration & delivery by this weekend. Standard accessories like floor mats & car cover weren't available with the dealer. So got tyre inflator instead & chose to wait for the stocks to arrive.

[vivprasad]

The story begins essentially in 2022 around April itself, a little before my superannuation from work, when I wanted to change my 12-year-old Suzuki SX4 ZXi for a new car, primarily because of a lack of inventory for spares at the service centres, since the SX4 manufacturing had stopped a few years ago. In so far as the running of the SX4 was concerned, I was happy. As I scouted for the possibilities in sedans, I am not an SUV person (no offence to any SUV lover), five cars were available in the price range I was looking at: Honda City, VW Virtus, Skoda Slavia, Suzuki Ciaz and the Hyundai Verna. Ciaz dropped out of the race simply because I had owned two Suzuki cars (the old Maruti 800, and the current SX4), wanted a change, but also didn’t quite like the lack of features. Honda City maintenance, though available in my city, would be expensive. After-sales service, including repairs, of the VAG twins is questionable in most places. Which left the Verna that I had been eyeing since the Verna Fluidic days. While I like the Verna as a car, the previous version was essentially a two-seater for me, the rear seat space being way too cramped! As my decision veered towards the Virtus, I heard this buzz that a fully new-gen Verna, not just a face-lift, was to be released around Diwali of 2022. I decided to wait. The assumed Diwali launch became early 2023. I continued to wait .

The Verna 2023 is a beauty. Pre-booking started on the 12th February, and I booked it on the 16th. Went to the showroom on the 22nd March, a day after the official launch, saw the car in flesh, and posted my two-bits of opinion on the newly launched Verna thread. Took a test drive of the 1.5 Turbo SX(O) MT, the version I was interested in, on 2nd April, opened the same thread to place my impressions, but it had been closed a couple of days ago!

The test drive was with 4 persons in the car. I drove it for a little under 30 mins, and was satisfied. It was driving steady, had very little sound filtering into the cabin, the two spoke steering was not a problem, the surge of power could be felt upon acceleration, rear camera quality etc etc…and with 4 on board the car didn’t graze any speed-breaker. One problem I faced is mentioned later.

Took delivery of the Verna 1.5 Turbo SX(O) MT White colour on 14th April, and brought it home, naturally This report is after driving around 60 kms only, in city.

1. I really like the looks, and the white colour, as most of the contours on the bonnet and the sides are very clearly visible, that were not so on the dark colours. The exterior has been variously described by friends and their children as snazzy, sexy, race car etc. And quite a few heads have turned on the road, believe me.

2. The so-called kit that Dealers offer, seat cover/mud flaps/floor mats/perfume/car cover etc was sort of inconsequential in the sense that the top end version comes with its own mud flaps, and the seats being ventilated, cannot be covered. So, I requested them to do the mats, car cover and the number plate FOC, to which they agreed! The mats are sort of fixed, and have a slightly raised margin to resemble shallow trays. Interesting. The stepney is a non-alloy and smaller than the regular wheels. Annoyingly, this has become standard these days. I asked the Dealer for a 5th alloy along with the tyres, which he said will have to be ordered separately. Have asked him to do so, although he is not very certain when they will be supplied.

3. There was some discussion on the ceramic coat front. I went through a lot of posts on Team-BHP as well as outside the group, but the majority appeared in favour. I talked to the man-in-charge of getting the ceramic coat done at Hyundai. As it turned out, the duration is dependent on the thickness of the coat: they were offering 0.5, 1.0 and 1.5 micron thick coats with a 1, 2 or 3 year warranty respectively along with 1 free check for 3 years at 8 month intervals, to be done at the Hyundai workshop. The manufacturer is WÜRTH. He advised no water for a week and wiping always with a microfibre cloth. In case the layer would begin to get damaged a bit, the water and dust repelling properties would come down somewhat, but the gloss would remain about the same. I got a 1.5 microns coat done. Now, let us wait and see! I also got an anti-rust treatment done to the base, that I have always got done on all my cars.

4. The first drive was with a carload of 5 people, none was skinny. The rear seat and space was found to be very comfortable, with more than adequate leg-room. The front seats are nice, and hug the thighs well. The ventilation system is really fast and levels can be regulated. Did not use the heater, its already very hot in summer! The AC is efficient. The 5-person loaded car also did not graze any speed breaker.

5. The drive is comfortable, the gear transitions smooth. The suspension seems firmly soft, the flexibility of a longer wheel-base was evident. Once I went over rumbling strips at some speed because it was night and they were not painted white, and while we felt the bumps, they were not enough to bother us. The surge in speed upon acceleration was nicely felt by all passengers. Braking too is smooth, no jerks.

6. The dash-board requires getting used to (as opposed to the digital meters with hands). It took just about 2 days. The margin colours can be maintained at one colour, or be selected to change with the drive mode: eco-blue green, normal-blue, sport-red. There are a lot of ADAS related displays that are firsts for me, but they are cool. A box in the central part itself toggles to display overall data like mileage, fuel, or tyre pressure, or a compass etc. The in-cabin light can also be changed out of 64 possibilities. The engine stop function on stopping, and restarting on pressing the clutch is a cool touch. ADAS controls are on the left spoke of the steering wheel, the right has the entertainment controls.

7. The ADAS, in my 3 in-city outings (do not have the number plate yet) seems a helpful tool, but frankly is a bit of a distraction or intrusive if imay. You hear the beeps, and then move your head around to try and see what the ADAS is telling you. On Indian roads, bikes and other such keep coming close randomly, and so warning signs on both the ORVMs light up along with the beep. Lane assist is good, but once again, lane discipline is still a far cry on most roads. Thankfully, it works only above 60 kmph. Since I didn’t go on the highway, have not tested the Cruise function (I am not sure if its adaptive or simple). However, I did get a surprise, in that I was under the impression that the front car depart alert is available only with the SX(O) DCT. At a traffic light I suddenly got the alert. Funnily, the delay was because of the auto engine stop story. As the light went green, I pressed the clutch, the engine restarted, took the gear and moved. This was enough time for the car in front to drive away, leading to the alert. But, it was a welcome surprise.

8. The sound is delightful, with the 8 Bose speakers doing the trick. Have tested on radio, blue tooth music, and music on pendrive. There are some limitations, or maybe they are not and I just don’t know how to go about them, e.g. how to change folders when playing music through a pendrive. I am also intrigued as to why the radio, if playing, changes to media when toggled via the mode switch on the steering wheel, but does not move back to radio when toggled again. This is strange, it cannot (should not) be a one-way move. Anyway, as I discover stuff by and by, will keep posting.

9. Have still not activated the Hyundai Bluelink, somewhere I am not sure whether I should.

10. The one issue that I have is the ability of the car to pick up at low speed when in 2nd gear. There is a shudder, I have to quickly move to 1st to prevent a stall. Guess I will get used to it.

If you all can indulge me, I have moved through a Hindustan 14-Fiat 1100D-Ambassador-Premier Padmini-Maruti 800-Suzuki SX4-Verna 2023 (do throw in a Hyundai i10 Magna 1.2 of 2009, and a i10 Nios Sportz of 2022 belonging to my wife).

This is my most fancy car yet, and I am thrilled. And I have my wife’s approval!

[BudgetFailure]

Originally Posted by vivprasad

10. The one issue that I have is the ability of the car to pick up at low speed when in 2nd gear. There is a shudder, I have to quickly move to 1st to prevent a stall. Guess I will get used to it.

Congratulations on your new car!

MT has a front sensor, what it doesn't have is the adaptive speed control based on leading vehicle during cruise mode.

How inconvenient does it feel when the car shudders at 10-11 kmph in 2nd gear? Is it too much change of gear that you have to do at low speeds ?

I am waiting for my dealer to confirm on the car VIN this week, have booked SX O Manual Turbo. My main intention is to drive this car on highways and mostly i would be switching the intrusive ADAS off, unless on expressways.

[ulag62442]

Folks who have been driving the car for some time now, what's the mileage that you seem to be averaging in the city?

What is the difference between Shield of Trust and Extended Warranty (5Y/60k Kms)? I believe there is a 7Y extended warranty package also right? Which one is recommended amongst these?

[Maxton07]

Originally Posted by ulag62442

What is the difference between Shield of Trust and Extended Warranty (5Y/60k Kms)? I believe there is a 7Y extended warranty package also right? Which one is recommended amongst these?

According to my dealer, SOT covers all wear & tear parts whereas EW covers if there was any manufacturing defect in the vehicle. I don't see any wear or tear among hyundai cars so early in its lifecycle. So EW is recommended IMO.

For your reference: https://www.hyundai.com/in/en/connec...hield-of-trust

[mugen_pinaki27]

Congratulations on the beautiful purchase, Sir. If I may ask, is rust coating really needed? Don't modern-day cars come coated with rust-proof/resistant coating? Otherwise, the car looks smashing. From an SX4 to a Verna will be quite an upgrade. My friend's uncle had a 2010 Verna and sitting in it was an experience I still recount with delight.

[vivprasad]

Originally Posted by BudgetFailure

Congratulations on your new car!

MT has a front sensor, what it doesn't have is the adaptive speed control based on leading vehicle during cruise mode.

How inconvenient does it feel when the car shudders at 10-11 kmph in 2nd gear? Is it too much change of gear that you have to do at low speeds ?

I am waiting for my dealer to confirm on the car VIN this week, have booked SX O Manual Turbo. My main intention is to drive this car on highways and mostly i would be switching the intrusive ADAS off, unless on expressways.

Thank you, I too think this does not have the adaptive cruise control, though the dealer said it does (I didn't believe him anyway!).

The speeds at which I comfortably used the 2nd in the SX4, I cannot do the same here. The discomfort to the engine is translated directly to your hands on the gear shift...you just go to the 1st.

[TN20CQ5187]

Congratulations on your new car, Looks fabulous in white. Happy motoring and many more miles to come!

[imranvl]

I get some rattling noise from behind the rear seat when going over potholes

I have a DCT SXO

I guess it’s the 2 plastic knobs behind the seat

Anyone with the same issue

[gaurav_3000ad]

Hi guys

Two days back I got the chance to drive the Volkswagen Virtus and the Hyundai Verna back to back. The TDs were longish (approx 10kms each) so got a decent grip on what to expect from both of these offerings. For context my vehicle is the S-Cross 1.3L which I’ve been using since 2016 and its got close to 90k on odo but still runs like a charm.

Models driven :-

1. Hyundai Verna 1.5 turbo SX variant (manual)
2. Volkswagen Virtus 1.5 turbo DSG

Exteriors and Looks

I know the verna is supposed to have this futuristic and edgy look but it just doesn’t work for me. The front just looks like a toad face with a unibrow. The same design elements look really elegant on the sonata though. The sportback rear with the lightbar look quite good. The best angle to view the verna is from the rear 3/4th. However I cant help but wince whenever I see that front end.

In contrast the Virtus just smashes it out of the park. The elegant, timeless 3 box design, perfect hints of sportiness with the smoked out lights and black alloys do lend it a whole lot of panache. The strong shoulder line and the proportionate profile are eyecatching and despite having almost 180mm of ground clearance, it doesn’t come across as ungainly.

Build quality

Another area where I feel that the Virtus has an upper hand. The doors and boot felt heavy and closed with a satisfying thud. Although the short time that I spent with both the vehicles doesn’t let me make a assured statement but the knowledge of the GNCAP rating in favour of the Virtus tilts the scales here a bit. Going by their track record I doubt that Hyundai can make a massive gain on the safety front with the verna. (I’d love to be proven wrong though!).

Space

I’m a tall guy (6’5” of humanity) so space really matters a lot. I think both the vehicles are quite spacious with the front seats having acceptable levels of fore and aft travel to accommodate my tall legs. The Verna does have more in-cabin space and has an edge when it comes to rear legroom. But I found the Virtus front seats to be more comfortable especially the squab which offered better under thigh support.

Headroom is lacking in both the vehicles when I compare them with the S-cross and it didn’t help that both variants which I test drove came with a sun-roof. I would gladly sacrifice this for an inch more of headroom. Height adjustable seats do help out though.

Both vehicles had humongous boots, much larger than my S-cross.

Interiors and infotainment unit

Verna is a clear step ahead of the Virtus when it comes to interior feel and ambience. The ambient lighting, the soft touch material on the dash, the meaty steering with the red stitching, the angled infotainment unit, the superb AC vents – the verna oozes opulence and it was a really nice place to be in. The Virtus is let down by the abundance of hard plastics and lack of differentiating elements. It looks quite generic in my opinion. Even my S-cross has soft touch plastics on the dash which lend the interior a touch of premiumness.

The infotainment unit and the digital instrument cluster is another area where the verna scores with a much slicker unit. It is more responsive to inputs and comparable to most current gen smartphones. In contrast there is a perceptible lag on the Virtus HU. Don’t get me wrong, it responds the way you want it to – no missed touches, but just feels a step down from the Verna. I experimented with wireless apple carplay on the Virtus and it was flawless. I think even the Verna has this feature though I didn’t try it out.

I’m not much of an audiophile but both systems got plenty loud. Verna has this party trick wherein it uses the same controls for auto AC and the audio system. Its really ingenious and thoughtful.

Air conditioner

Normally this would not warrant a subheading but the Virtus was so bad that I felt I had to mak a mention. Both TDs were in lucknow summers with outside temperatures in excess of 350C. The Virtus took ages to cool down the cabin and the blower sound at max AC was irritating and annoying. The ventilated seats were on the whole time but I couldn’t feel a thing (It probably needs a cool cabin to be most effective). This could be a dealbreaker for some people. You will have to park in covered parkings or shady areas in summers otherwise the Virtus will extract its pound of flesh when you return. The ownership threads report improvements with software updates. I seriously hope its true.

Verna performed well in this area. Crisp, cool and efficient.

Performance and handling

This is one aspect which confused me. Both cars come with powerful turbo engines. Floor the accelerator and the vehicles sprint forwards with alacrity. The Virtus with the DSG is truly a match made in heaven. Slot it into Sport mode and floor the accelerator. The exhaust rewards you with a booming sound as the vehicle reaches illegal speeds in no time at all. I found myself desperately searching for open gaps in traffic to let the Virtus stretch her long running legs.

Verna was also quite similar with the engine building up speeds in no time at all. The manual gearbox was slick with short throws and a real pleasure to use.

I think what set both the vehicles apart was the handling. At higher speeds the Virtus felt rock solid, with the steering heavy with tactile feel and feedback and the driver in total control. In the Verna, I felt as though I was hanging on for dear life. At higher speeds minor road undulations make the Verna wallow around and this led to a lack of confidence to push the car. The engine deserves a more mature suspension and steering. Probably something Hyundai intends to fix with the N line.

Driving the Virtus and Verna back to back made me appreciate my S-cross a whole lot more. The vehicle remains rock solid at highway speeds with decent heft to the steering and very predictable handling.

Ride quality

I think this goes hand in hand with the handling department. At city speeds verna is a hoot to drive with light steering and a cushy ride. The same elements which prove to be its bane at highway speeds. The bridge joints and minor potholes make the Verna dance about in an unsettling manner. But I think it will be a crowd pleaser. My wife who also drove both the vehicles commented on how easy the Verna feels to drive.

The word to describe the ride quality of Virtus is ‘SOLID’. It has a very mature suspension (pardon my lack of technical) which takes bumps and undulations with ease at both slow and fast speeds. The Virtus does the moonwalk over the same bridge joints where the Verna would break into a tap dance. The additional ground clearance over the verna also helps with peace of mind while tackling bigger speed breakers.

Additional observations by the fairer sex :-

• The colour options on the Virtus are much more classier and appealing.
• The interiors on the Verna just make you go ‘Wow’.
• Verna is really simple to drive in traffic and congested areas.
• Ambient lighting on the Verna is on point.
• Verna is more spacious than the Virtus.

Final observations

An area where the Verna trumps the Virtus is the number of service centres and touchpoints available. Hyundai sells a whole lot more cars than VW but still VW/Skoda group have a disproportionately higher number of horror stories regarding their breakdowns and part availability issues. Being in a transferable job, this point matters a lot.

I am looking at a timeline of mid next year to upgrade my S-cross and at present I am heavily leaning toward the Virtus. My variant of choice would definitely be the 1.5 turbo with manual gearbox. Can’t make myself touch the DSG with a barge pole regardless of how much I enjoyed driving it.

Ending this post with a couple of pictures. The Virtus looks rather dapper in this silver shade accentuating its sharp features.









For Mods - I will be sharing this post in the Official Volkswagen Virtus thread as well. It might be of some use to the readers over there. You can delete it if inappropriate.