Guys I have finally got my all new Hyundai Verna fluidic 1.6 CRDI SX(O) crystal white delivered, and boy am I excited, hell yesssss….!!! She looks like a dream come true; going by the rule and the format suggested by the mods, I would try to fit in everything into the review…..! Please excuse me for my errors in writing as I just can’t get my eyes off this beauty even while writing.
I started car hunting almost a year ago and took a long time in getting one for myself. I Was looking for a hatchback initially and went through lots of test drives from i20’s, Polo, Fabia, Ritz etc, the state of mind at that point of time: “CONFUSED” ……, mind votes for hatchback but the heart shouts for a sedan….the matter was getting worse day by day and then heart took over mind and I pushed on my budget and started looking for sedans, so the following cars came into the picture (Hyundai Verna Fluidic was NOT launched by that time).
Alternatives that were considered, (all diesels purely because of the economy factor and the sheer joy of turbo kick in these modern days’ machines.)
1. Fiat Linea: liked the looks and the exteriors, but the 1.3 MJD just doesn’t seems to be a perfect fit, the engine was noisy and felt out of breath, the low end power delivery was not sufficient, so it’s good bye Fiat.
2. SX4: Space, looks masculine, reliability of maruti, but the no great feature on list and the quality of the interiors were not like a 10Lac car, so dropped again.
3. Skoda Rapid: for some strange reasons I didn’t like the fabia with a boot rapid and it failed to create any rush of blood.
4. VW Vento: the car is amongst the best in the market, engine has a solid feel, the interiors feels classy and are built to last long, ample of space available in the car for the front and the rear bench, but lack of features compared to the Verna ensured its elimination.
Complete booking & delivery experience from the dealership:
I already have a Santro 2005 model which I got from MGF Hyundai,Faiz road Karol bagh showroom Delhi, the staff in the showroom is very polite and have enough information of the products, I got my santro from the sales executive named Lalit, when I went again for the Verna after a good 6ys he still remembered me and immediately came up to me and made me comfortable, so after a cup of tea and some chit chat I asked about the new Verna CRDI and the reply was “ diesel 4-6 months se pahele nahin milega”….!! I asked for a test drive of the 1.6 SX, it was not available but then he asked me to wait and made some phone calls and the car came in 20 mins from there other showroom, we went for the test drive and I was sold on this beauty by then, paid the booking amount of 75K on 11th Sep and decided to wait the wait… being there old customer he promised that he will try for a quick delivery but asked me to expect it in January 2012, but to my surprise I got a call from him in first week of Nov and asked me to deposit the money as he has arranged my Car, I was on top of the world got all finances ready and Loan done from SBI and made the payment on 25th Nov and got the delivery on 27th Nov, so the MGF guys have done a great job on all fronts.
- On-road price, discounts etc.
I asked for discount and he had a grin on his face “Sir Log 10K premium dene ko ready hain aura aap discount ki baat kar rahe ho”, smiles exchanged that is the only discount/free stuff I got from them.
On road Price (Delhi): 11, 91,000 Rs
Teflon and antirust coating: 7K
Total: 11, 98,000 on Road Delhi.
- Engine type & variant
Verna Fluidic 1.6 CRDI SX (O) manual transmission, Crystal White.
- The good and / or bad about its equipment levels
- Equipment level is pretty cool:
- Smart key, no keys needed to enter the cars
- Push button start and stop feature.
- Reverse camera in the rear view mirror.
- Bluetooth and audio controls on the steering.
- 6 Air bags.
- Leather upholstery
- ABS
- ESP
- factory fitted Music system with USB, AUX, and iPod.
The list is just endless….
- kms completed at the time of writing review
have done around 350 Kms till now out of which 60% was on the highway which is only as wide as Delhi roads and had a 5kms of stretch where the road was nonexistent, only potholes ..!
- Comments on the exterior styling & design:
The exteriors are arguably the best in the market and she has a great looking design which is very catchy, I saw people noticing my car (feels great) and driving close to have a look at the interiors and the external design lines, I personally like the rear of the car, it looks so beautiful from the rear. The side profile is also the highlight of the car, she has sharp line which flows beautifully toward the rear and blend seamlessly, everything from the front grill and the amazing L shaped fog lamps looks great and adds to the premium value of the car, this car us surely a stunner from Hyundai.
- Overall build quality and fit & finish:
The overall build and the interior quality is very good and is completely different from what was on offer from Hyundai in their cars, the dashboard has a rubber matt finish to it and that helps to grip things like cell phones and avoid any kind of reflection from the dash, the doors also shuts with a good” Thud” but not like the Europeans may be because Verna is lighter than the other cars in the segment. Overall the quality is topnotch and feels great.
- Interior space and comfort
Space has always been a critical factor for me as I happen to be a 6 footer just like my dad so I wanted a car with spacious interiors, the Verna offers lots of space, the front seat are very comfortable and feels great to sit on, the rear however doesn't have the kind of support the front seats offer but offers decent space at the back even my dad can sit behind me easily which shows how spacious the car is and the best part is the absence of the floor hump at the rear, so the third person can also fit in, but its best and comfortable with only 4.
- Air conditioner, seat support, ergonomics and other noteworthy interior points
The ACC works great and doesn’t affect the car in terms of pickup; it cools the whole cabin instantly and seems bang on in performance.
- Engine performance & drivability in the city
Engine is a Gem, it’s easy to drive with almost no turbo log on display, once you rev it to 1700 RPM the VGT turbo spools in and she behaves like a cheetah in the jungle, the tall gearing ratio helps in fuel efficiency.
- Engine performance & drivability on the highway
The Engine drives very comfortably on the highways and you can easily cruise around 100 with the car doing 1500 RPM. Even at 100 kames the engine doesn't not feel stressed at all and feels happy to be revved, overtaking is not a problem at all, just pushes the right pedal and she does the needful in a flash.
- Fuel efficiency: City and Highway
I have just driven the Car around 350Kms and the mileage indicator shows 18.5 Km/L as average fuel efficiency which is amazing for such a big car. I feel so happy by cutting frequent visits to the gas stations as compared to my petrol santro.
- Suspension & ride quality
Suspension is on the lighter side, and is a boon in the city and on bad roads, u just won’t feel anything on bad roads, and unlike many other reviews I felt she is very well behaved even at 100kms on the highway and inspires a lot of confidence, no floating like boat or anything.
- Handling, on-road behavior and grip levels
The car handles well and stops in a straight line after braking, the steering is the best part it’s an electronic steering and is very light, the grip however is very sold and firm to hold.
It feels light on low speeds and gain weights automatically once you build up some decent speed, which is an excellent feature results in great handling.
- Any particular likes
Great design
heavy feature list
6 airbags
Smart key
Good quality interiors
amazingly spirited engine
Spacious and easy to drive
Rear camera
Spacious boot
Cool L Shaped headlamps
- Any particular dislikes
I really find it strange that the power window buttons on the doors does not have illumination into them which makes it a little difficult to operate in night.
Verdict:
Overall the car brings in a lot of premium looks, with some great exterior design and comes loaded with features, the engine is really amazing and the Noise levels are maintained, it’s hard to believe that the diesel motor is so silent, it does sound on a higher note when u crank up the car but then settles into a nice rhythm as u build speed, the interiors are roomy and spacious and I would rate it as one of the best car with a great value for money.
Attached some pics of the car
7th December 2011, 14:26
(7)
Thanks
(talking about the handling)
