[champ27]

After months of passiveness today I finally decided to break my silence on Team BHP. All it took was a strange (absolutely unheard of to me) experience with my new Verna over the last few days. More on this later in the post.

Mar 2012: How I got hooked to Team BHP – For the past 5 years I have been driving WagonR. It was instrumental in providing me some of the most memorable and cherished days of my life. After an almost trouble free experience with this bloke, I decided to move on and geared myself up for an all together new driving experience. Yes, it was time to upgrade. Decision 1 made and locked. Decision 2, “Which car to buy?” that sounded pretty simple later turned out to be a conundrum. I started talking to all and sundry for advice, inputs, suggestions whatever you may like to call only to realize that no one else can decide on your behalf. I was getting half baked and contradictory information which weren't helping my cause. Then entered Team BHP and I immediately took to it. For the first 4-5 weeks I was just poring over various review and ownership threads. It was here where I was seeing an almost unbiased opinion on various cars. Now that I found an able ally to guide me through this conundrum, I slowly started putting the jigsaw together. I had already made up my mind that I will be going for a sedan this time, but there were still few hurdles to overcome.

Hurdle 1 – That classic dilemma: “Diesel or Petrol”

I stay pretty close to my office and with a few weekend trips and outings thrown in; my monthly usage was around 500-600km. An easy decision “Petrol is the way to go”. But that was not to be. I received two body blows to my plan. First, my company chose to shift to a new location that was 25km from my place. This would propel my usage to around 1500km per month which was just about enough to create a numerical & analytical problem. My engineering and MBA days were back. My mind was working overtime with all sorts of permutations and combinations, extrapolation of various imaginary scenarios. Diesel would dent the pocket further by 1.5 – 2 lakh, given the exorbitant road tax in Bangalore. So, I was trying to make a case against it. I was playing the government and the consumer side by side. I was doing all sorts of trend analysis, break even analyses and what not. Then came the second body blow; Government chose to abnormally increase the petrol price and tip it over 80. That was the last straw and the deal was over for Petrol. Hurdle 1 crossed. “Diesel it will be. Period”

Hurdle 2 – Which brand to go for

Test Drives -
Verna - The first car we (wifey and me) test drove was the eventual winner, Hyundai Verna. We were bowled over by the looks and never quite went beyond that car though we test drove some other cars as well. The first thing that struck me was the quietness of the engine. Inside the cabin it felt as if we were in a petrol car.Since I would be mostly driving the car in city's maddening traffic, i chose to test drive in a fairly traffic heavy area. It felt comfortable negotiating the traffic in this car. On a clear stretch i did manage to work up some speed, it was then i felt the road undulations getting transmitted into the cabin. But overall i was happy. All the talk about verna’s high speed handling, ride quality, soft suspension etc etc were shot down immediately by wifey. A clear mandate was given to me not to trouble myself testing the so called high speed handling of Verna or any other car we chose to buy, for that matter. The verdict was passed and with this constraint, I couldn’t think of any better option than Verna with the bells and whistles it had on offer. Also off late I have become a pretty sedate driver and I don’t like to throw the car around corners and sharp bends. Even then i tried out a couple of more options just be sure.

Vento - It is one of the best in the segment but somehow it didn't set my pulse racing. Neither of us liked that noisy engine. Also there were hardly any features when compared to Verna and also looks were pretty simple again not in the league of a Verna. So, it was out of reckoning

Linea - Somehow didn't like the look and couldn't connect with the car

Rapid, Sunny - They were never in the race due to the suspect A.S.S

Finally, we settled for a Verna.

Hurdle 2 crossed. “Verna is coming home”

Unique buying experience - We gave 2 color options, Silver & Stone Beige whichever is available earlier. Finally, we booked the Sx variant on 25th May. The dealer promised us to deliver the car within 2-3 months. All done, the wait begins.

But there was a twist in the tale.

10th July – Boss at office calls me:

Boss – you have to travel to Melbourne on 15th July for 2 weeks( the travel plan was initially for end august)

I quickly do the maths, return date works out to be 28th July. All I was thinking then was about the possible homecoming of Verna. It still looked an ok option for me not that I had an option of saying NO.

Me- Ok. That’s fine by me. Just to clarify, is there any chance of a possible extension of stay in Melbourne

Boss – Doesn’t look like

Me – Perfect (broad smile on my face)

All travel logistics done. I was set to Travel on 15th night.

15th July – 3 pm- Get a surprise call from the Hyundai SA.

SA – Sir, your car has come

Me- What?? Why?? I mean how come ( I was totally taken aback).But you said it will take 2-3 months..i was actually complaining why he was delivering earlier than planned

SA- I had said within 2-3 months and I have kept my promise

Me- (by now I had recovered from the initial shock)yeah..that’s good. So, what’s next?

SA – Sir, you will have to sign the loan papers and complete some other paper work. We will then send the car for registration. We can deliver the car on 18th July.

Me- hmm..But I won’t be there to collect the car. I am travelling tonight

SA- Ok. In that case you can complete the paper work once you are back and then collect the car

Me – But that means I will get the car after 3 weeks, since I am coming back on 29th and it will take another 3-4 days to get the registration done

SA – yes sir that will be the case

I was absolutely not comfortable to leave the car with the dealer for 3 weeks. I quickly decided that my wife will collect the car on 18th and I will complete all the paper work on that day itself. I had done so much planning to complete an elaborate pdi . Had compiled a lengthy PDI checklist but all of that was not meant to be.

Me- Ok. Let’s do one thing. I will come to the showroom in 30 min and complete all the paperwork

SA- That’s fine. You can come over.

We reached the showroom at around 4 pm. Checked the car and completed the paperwork and gave some instructions to the SA about how I would like the car to be delivered. We got stuck in a typical Bangalore traffic jam on our way back. It was almost 6:30 pm and I had to start for airport at 7 pm since the flight was at 11 pm. Things were happening too fast for me to register what was going on. The moment for which I had been planning for 3-4 months just went like a flash and here I was in danger of missing my flight as well. On our way back, I kept briefing my wife about Team BHP, pdi checklist, concept of VIN etc. Yes, now she was given the task to go through the pdi checklist on 18th July while I would be available over the phone.

I wonder if anyone has taken the delivery of his car in such a crazy setting??

Finally somehow reached home in time and left for the airport.

18th July – My wife did the best she could do and our new possession came home. She shared few pics which weren't of good quality as she forgot to take the camera along and took the pics from her age old Nokia. All I could do was to curse the timing of the events that occurred in the last few days. I managed to miss all the fun and excitement of driving home a new car.

Eventually my trip got extended by a week and I returned on 4th Aug. Finally saw the car that day and since then it’s been the usual grind of going to office and back home. Never quite drove the car to its capacity. I was driving through start stop traffic on most days and have done 1 highway trip last weekend.

Amidst all this frenzy, I also happen to cross another major milestone in life. On 10th Aug, we were blessed with a baby girl. We wanted to drive her home in the new car. Luckily we managed to achieve that.


Discounts

Are you kidding me!! This is fluidic Verna, no discounts whatsoever. Discounts & Verna are not best of friends.

On- road price (Bangalore) - Rs 12,06,000

Crazy road tax in Bangalore killed all my plans for going for a Sx(O) variant.

Engine type & variant

Verna Fluidic 1.6 CRDI Sx manual transmission, Stone Beige

Odo reading at the time of review

So far I have done approx 1500km, 60% in City and 40% on Highway. I drive approx 50km a day in city while commuting for work

Comments on the exterior styling & design

This car is a great looker, there's not an iota of doubt on that count. The L shaped fog lamp, sharp lines on the sides adds to it's glory. I personally feel look wise this car can give some higher segment cars a run for their money.

Interior space and comfort

I have no complaints whatsoever with the front seat and space on offer. However, the rear seat doesn't quite match up to the standards of say a Vento. But surprisingly, two of my fairly built colleagues( in excess of 100kg) never complained about the rear seats and space. No under thigh support issues for them, probably they didn't need one

Air conditioner, seat support, ergonomics and other noteworthy interior points

ACC works just fine for the front benchers. However, the rear passengers have complained of low cooling power of the AC when we were driving in afternoon with sun belting down in its full glory. It took quite sometime for the cabin to cool with 4 passengers in the afternoon heat. Not sure if the AC is on the weaker side or the conditions were tough. though I would assume that the former is the case.
Didn't quite like the absence of bottle holders at the rear. I liked the rubber matt finish of the dashboard. Minimal reflection from the dash.

Engine performance & drivability in the city

The most refined diesel engine I have driven. Minimal turbo lag makes it a dream to drive in the city. I personally appreciate the tall gearing ratio as it adds to the fuel efficiency. Performing quick overtaking manoeuvres in city is a breeze now as the VGT turbo does the job once the engine revvs past 1700rpm

Engine performance & driveability on the highway

I was bowled over by the ability of the engine to do 80Km in 6th gear at 1500 rpm. This is the most fuel efficient combination for driving. I consistently drove with this combination and at times it felt like the car was running on auto pilot, it was so effortless. Overtaking is not a problem any more, just tap the pedal and the car zooms.

Additional comments on the engine (outright power, refinement, turbo-lag etc.)

This engine has got some power!! When we were driving uphill through the steep hair pins on way to Ooty with 4 well fed individuals, the engine never complained once and always eager to do more. I was very impressed with the engine performance.

Suspension & ride quality, Handling, on-road behaviour and grip levels

A lot has been said and discussed on this topic. So far I haven't felt that Hyundai's famous boat like ride and given the speed range I intend to drive I would never feel that either. In 80- 100 kmph range this car is a dream. Softer suspension makes it easier to tide over city's potholes and undulations. However, the front suspension has crashed a couple of times when I hit the pot holes with a bit of speed. since then I have understood how the car would behave in those situations.

So far the car has handled well probably because I haven't thrown it hard around the corners. Not sure how it would behave in that situation.

Features I liked:

• very refined and quiet engine
• Reverse Parking Camera – Can’t live without it now. In fact one can't do without this given the poor visibility through the inner RVM
• Auto foldable ORVM - I think it's a great feature especially for someone who drives through dense traffic every day
• Excellent bluetooth connectivity- Very handy feature. Now i am able to take my office calls while driving to work
• Light steering wheel - Perfectly suited for city driving
• Excellent Fuel efficiency
• Well insulated cabin - Feels like sitting in a petrol sedan
• Good brakes- Felt in control even while braking hard
• Front slding hand rest - Extremely useful on long drives
• Neat wipers - Has a wide boom and does the job effectively
• Engine does 80kmph at 1500rpm- Feels great inside the cabin
• Absence of floor hump at the rear - Just adds to that extra bit of space for the 5th passenger to slip in

Dislikes:

• Auto door lock feature not present in Sx varaint. I badly need this one as i always to lock the doors while driving
• Auto windows up and down not present on all windows. Only driver side window has this feature
• No rain sensing wipers
• Rear seat is too low - feels little claustrophobic
• No bottle holders in the rear - rear passengers would struggle to place bottles
• Suspension crashes even in minor pot holes with grown ups inside the cabin
• Water tends to stick to the rear glass and doesn't slide off when it rains. Rear derogger doesn't help the cause
• I think the head lights are a notch under powered. I see few dark spots when on high beam
  

Additional items

• So far i have just got a G- Sport art leather seat cover done. Cost me 11.5 k.
• Anti rust under body coating with life time warranty done in the first free servicing. Cost was around 2.2k

Fuel Efficiency

So far I have driven around 1500 Km and i have been getting around 16-18 with ac in city. Once it read a crazy figure of 41 for about 10 km while i was driving downhill from Ooty. On highway I got around 21.


Few final words about the car

This car perfectly fits the bill for my set of buying criteria. If you drive this car within it's limit, you won't find a better car at this price. Has a lot of features which is way better than it's competitors. There are few minor issues with softer suspension but after spending more time with the car I am getting used to it and now understand it's strength & weaknesses better. Overall, I am satisfied with this purchase.

Issues faced till date

Well, this is a difficult one. Not sure how to categorize it. It will take you all a bit of a reading. I have not faced any issue with the ride quality, comfort etc but encountered a freakish situation that forces me to put it under an issue list. Not sure if it's an issue with the car or just a rare incident. Read on.

On 15th Sept, I got a reminder for the first free servicing that was due on 18th Sept. Since I had not driven the car beyond 60-70kmph for a sustained period of time, I wanted to do that before I gave the car for servicing. It was then that I quickly stitched together a trip to Ooty with 3 of my office colleagues. We decided to leave Bangalore on 22nd morning, return on 23rd evening and give the car for servicing on 24th.

First long trip with my new possession
We left Bangalore as per plan. I was itching to hit the NICE road and go through the ritual.
I stuck to the mandate that was laid out for me and I was in 80- 100 range. Mostly I was driving in this range and the best part was that the engine was doing this speed at 1500-1700 rpm in 6th gear. Now that’s pretty awesome. I was getting a mileage of approx 21 with AC throughout.
We reached Masinagudi at around 6pm and finally called it a day.

Next morning we went to Ooty. Again the engine showed its prowess. We climbed through those hair pin bends with ease. Engine was willing to do more. Mind you there were 4 well fed guys inside the cabin. Two gentlemen at the back were in fact more than well fed (in excess of 100Kg each!)

Strange things begin to happen now

On our way back, when I was driving down hill, we were asked to stop for a while to let the brake cool down. This is when one of colleagues asked me to open the bonnet as he wanted to have a look at the engine. While I was showing them the engine, I noticed a strange thing. There was a kitten stuck in the space behind the headlight and battery. Yes, you heard it right. I was shocked to see that. (Will post few pics later) This was something totally weird and I had never experienced anything like this before. Since we stayed in a wild life resort, this fellow somehow made its way up and was now stuck. Now our immediate task was to rescue this kitten and then look for possible entry conduits.
In our effort to get it out, it somehow slipped out of my colleague’s hand and further fell towards the empty space in the wheel arch. I still don’t know where exactly it went. After a lot of effort, we weren’t able to drive it out and decided to move on. I was extremely flustered with this development and was somehow reluctantly carrying on and felt miserable about it. The focus had now completely shifted from the Car to the Cat, however strange it may sound. We also stopped on the way to get help from local mechanics but that didn't help either, all they said was that the kitten may be sitting in the empty space above the wheel arch and cannot fall off on its own. It would require a bit of dismantling and was better if the service centre guys did it as this was a new car. With that option gone we decided to move on. For the first 100 – 150km we did not hear any sound of the kitten. But once we were midway through Mysore- Bangalore highway, the kitten started making those distress calls. I was not at all comfortable with that kind of a depressing sound coming from under the left side of the hood. We kept stopping intermittently and repeated the same set of exercise to get the poor soul out but to no avail. I would like to repeat myself; we made all the effort to get the kitten out and only decided to continue in the absence of any other alternative.

Here I was, driving my prized possession for the first time on a highway and I was not able to think of or notice the drive and handling of the car. The only thing on everyone’s mind was how to get this kitten out of its misery.

Finally I reached home at around 8pm. I had driven approx 300km with a kitten giving company to 1.6 CRDi under the hood. Just when i parked the car i heard a faint mewing which told me it's still in there.

Quality of after-sales service

I took the car to the service centre on 24th Sep and explained the situation. The service engineer assured me that he will take care of it. I also checked if there was a possibility of installing a rat mesh or something to prevent this in future. To this he responded in negative. He was very polite and understood my situation. He also suggested that I should go for a Anti rust under body coating for the car. I car was delivered as per the promised time. Now this has never happened in my 5 yrs of experience with Maruti. they always delayed the delivery by couple of hours.He explained some features about the car that I was not aware of like how to convert F to C on Ac, how to check if AC is functioning properly or not etc. He also asked me to drop by any time if I faced any issues. Overall i was happy with the service.

Surprise of surprises – I was told that they removed the left front tire, the mud flap, looked at all possible empty space (near the dash, crash chamber etc) but they could not find any Cat! The only possibility that i can think of is that it would have come out on it's own after the engine cooled off due to overnight parking

All these have left me with some nagging questions –

1. Has anyone (esp Verna owners) ever experienced this? To me it was a shock, surprise, call it whatever you may like. I have heard about rats getting into the engine chamber but never ever heard of a cat climbing up and staying there for 300km with the engine on.

2. Does this pose any safety issue with the Car?

3. Is it possible to install any mesh to prevent incidents like this in future? Has anyone installed any such thing?

4. Are there any other hiding places that can possibly be checked? Is anyone aware of the design framework of the Verna pointing out the empty spaces under the bonnet or the crash chamber

5. Is there a design flaw with Fluidic Verna

I just hope this was just one of those rare things that happen 1 in million times. I appreciate if you all put all my doubts to rest.

One of the Pics that I have with me. I will soon post the pics of this strange event once i get it from my colleague as i used his camera.

[suhaas307]

Note From Team-BHP Support-Staff: Thread moved from Assembly Line to Test-Drives & Initial Ownership Reports. Please be sure to add more pictures. Congratulations on your latest acquisition and thanks for sharing!

[Lalvaz]

Snakes and rats are a common phenomenon in car engines, getting attracted to the engine heat. First time I heard of a cat though.

Just curious as to why they would remove the tyre and the mud flap when the kitten was trapped in the engine bay. There really is no connection between the two. Just hope its managed to slip out during the night.

Congratulations on your new car. Wish you many miles of safe driving!

[vinjosep]

Originally Posted by champ27

....18th July – My wife did the best she could do and our new possession came home. ...On 10th Aug, we were blessed with a baby girl.

Congrats champ27 on both counts - verna and parenthood. Quite an interesting story you have there, thanks for sharing it.

So your wife humored you with the PDI & stuff in her last month of pregnancy? Wow! hats off to her man!

[champ27]

Originally Posted by suhaas307

Note From Team-BHP Support-Staff: Thread moved from Assembly Line to Test-Drives & Initial Ownership Reports. Please be sure to add more pictures. Congratulations on your latest acquisition and thanks for sharing!

Thanks !! Yes, will add more pictures sometime soon

Originally Posted by Lalvaz

First time I heard of a cat though.

Just curious as to why they would remove the tyre and the mud flap when the kitten was trapped in the engine bay. There really is no connection between the two. Just hope its managed to slip out during the night.

Congratulations on your new car. Wish you many miles of safe driving!

Thanks Lalvaz.It was a first of its kind for me too. Was totally taken aback.
Regarding removing wheel and mudflaps- This happens when too many brains work together, my friends assumed there's an empty space above the wheel arch where the cat would have gone after slipping out of the hands. I will post pictures to give a better idea.
I hope the same too.

Originally Posted by vinjosep

Congrats champ27 on both counts - verna and parenthood. Quite an interesting story you have there, thanks for sharing it.

So your wife humored you with the PDI & stuff in her last month of pregnancy? Wow! hats off to her man!

Thanks vinjosep. Yes she did rather did reluctantly. As i was equally excited about the 2 new major milestones that we were to cross, I started pulling her in all the discussions and made her read various threads on this forum in the last month

[Prodigyy]

Many congratulations on both your prized possessions, the new Verna & your child !!

And truly, hats off to your wife who went through the entire PDI & taking delivery of the car with just about a week away from giving birth to a child !!!

About the kitten, well i too have never ever heard of a kitten being stuck in the engine bay. I definitely have heard about a lot of rats but never ever heard of a kitten.
Nonetheless, one of my close friends owns a Hyundai dealership in Noida, but of-course he also has a Hyundai workshop too, i told about this to him, he could not answer as to whether there is some design flaw specific to the Verna Fluidic, but he definitely confirmed me that the rat mesh is not possible in the Verna.

Probably you should go about checking for the rat mesh in your city's workshops, as far as he was aware, he didn't knew of any workshops in Delhi-NCR to have installed a rat mesh on a Verna fluidic.

Good Luck with your new car & your child, hope you have many a happy times in future with them !!

[motomaverick]

Congrats on the new car and the curious case of the kittin incident. Hope you dont have more animal intrusions but hats off to the cat on surviving the engine heat and vibration plus a free ride to Bangalore, its new home now.

[PranavDesai]

Congratulations champ27 for achieving some of the most memorable milestones in such a short span of time Your wife needs special compliments for bring the car home while she was nearly over 8 months into her pregnancy. I suppose someone did go with her to the dealership. Please post more photos of the car and also of your baby (if you don't mind).

[sameerg001]

Congratulations for your latest inquisition champ, A choice well made and those are some serious FE figures, You've been getting.

Regarding the cat thingy, Even i saw a kitten sitting on my engine once. The car was parked at home and We were to make a long trip tomorrow morning, So I was checking engine oil, Coolant, Washer Fluid etc. As soon as i opened the bonnet, I was shocked, A kitten was lying peacefully on Engine.

Then, We lifted her and up and left nearby, Where her mother was staying ( a cat family stayed for a week near our parking ). I wonder, What would have happend, If i would have started driving, There only, She would have died because of the heat generated.

From there onwards, I kept checking engine bay, Every time i used to drive, Until the family went away from there.

Thanks for the nice and crisp review, Wish you wonderful miles ahead with her

Drive safe,
Sameer

[arup.misra]

Heartiest congratulations of your Verna & your child. Mighty courageous of your wife to do the PDI in the 9th month. Glad all went off well.

Kitten Incident - I've been having regular skirmishes with the rodent for which I am yet to find a solution. However amidst this, a cat has made her abode underside of the front bumper where the fog lights usually reside. I've seen her tail hanging there every evening but hey this has reduced my skirmishes for sure. In your case I wonder where this kitten could have hidden under the wheel wells.

But that shouldn't bother you too much. If she's around she'd keep the rodents far away. Cheers and enjoy your car.

[Jeash.vk]

nice log champ27. It was great to see the owner's perspective of the ride. I am planning to exchange my i10 in the next 6 months to 1 year and was thinking about i20, however Verna did cross my mind. With your detailed experience note, I am even more tempted. Sure I have to cough up 3L more, but I think the Sedan experience is worth it. What do you say?

Interesting issue of the cat in the car. Though it sounds funny, I can imagine the horror you went through. So you couldn't enjoy driving the new car home neither could you really enjoy your first trip on the highway. But I am sure you will have more than enough opportunities to enjoy the highway ride.

BTW: that 41.1 KM/L picture is one for the frames & walls

[champ27]

Wow my wife is getting some accolades here !!. I totally agree, she showed a lot of courage and heart all along. It wasn't easy for her but since I had planned so much and finally was not there when it mattered, she took it upon herself.

Originally Posted by Prodigyy

Many congratulations on both your prized possessions, the new Verna & your child !!

And truly, hats off to your wife who went through the entire PDI & taking delivery of the car with just about a week away from giving birth to a child !!!

Nonetheless, one of my close friends owns a Hyundai dealership in Noida, but of-course he also has a Hyundai workshop too, i told about this to him, he could not answer as to whether there is some design flaw specific to the Verna Fluidic, but he definitely confirmed me that the rat mesh is not possible in the Verna.

Probably you should go about checking for the rat mesh in your city's workshops, as far as he was aware, he didn't knew of any workshops in Delhi-NCR to have installed a rat mesh on a Verna fluidic.

Good Luck with your new car & your child, hope you have many a happy times in future with them !!

Thanks for your wishes and checking with your friend about this issue.
I have already checked at the service centre about installing a rat mesh but the response was in negative.

Originally Posted by motomaverick

Congrats on the new car and the curious case of the kittin incident. Hope you dont have more animal intrusions but hats off to the cat on surviving the engine heat and vibration plus a free ride to Bangalore, its new home now.

Thank motomaverick. I hope so too.

Originally Posted by PranavDesai

Congratulations champ27 for achieving some of the most memorable milestones in such a short span of time Your wife needs special compliments for bring the car home while she was nearly over 8 months into her pregnancy. I suppose someone did go with her to the dealership. Please post more photos of the car and also of your baby (if you don't mind).

Yes, she did a great job. will be posting the pics soon,

Originally Posted by sameerg001

Congratulations for your latest inquisition champ, A choice well made and those are some serious FE figures, You've been getting.

Regarding the cat thingy, Even i saw a kitten sitting on my engine once. The car was parked at home and We were to make a long trip tomorrow morning, So I was checking engine oil, Coolant, Washer Fluid etc. As soon as i opened the bonnet, I was shocked, A kitten was lying peacefully on Engine.

From there onwards, I kept checking engine bay, Every time i used to drive, Until the family went away from there.

Thanks for the nice and crisp review, Wish you wonderful miles ahead with her

Drive safe,
Sameer

Thanks Sameer. The problem here was that she was stuck and in distress and not peacefully sitting on the engine. From now onwards I will also develop this habit of checking the engine bay before going on a long drive.

Originally Posted by arup.misra

Heartiest congratulations of your Verna & your child. Mighty courageous of your wife to do the PDI in the 9th month. Glad all went off well.

But that shouldn't bother you too much. If she's around she'd keep the rodents far away. Cheers and enjoy your car.

Thanks arup. Hope she is not around anywhere near the car and has found a new abode with her likes.

Originally Posted by Jeash.vk

nice log champ27. It was great to see the owner's perspective of the ride. I am planning to exchange my i10 in the next 6 months to 1 year and was thinking about i20, however Verna did cross my mind. With your detailed experience note, I am even more tempted. Sure I have to cough up 3L more, but I think the Sedan experience is worth it. What do you say?

BTW: that 41.1 KM/L picture is one for the frames & walls

Thanks Jeash. I would suggest a Verna anyday over i20 if you can stretch your pocket some more.

I was rather amused with 41.1 figure than anything else.Haven't seen anything like that before. But there were many other things that i saw and experienced for the first time. It kept showing a similar figure for around 10-15Km when we were going downhill.

[champ27]

Attached are some of the pics of the car and the whole kitten episode.

Cooling off in Ooty

[drsnt]

I have seen kittens going after rats in engine bay when car is parked and getting struck. Rats get them self out from smaller spaces while kitten gets struck.

your kitten must have been been on a hunting mission but due to inexperience it got struck. You will never find a cat there as they will stop when they feel the space is less and wait patiently outside the car for hours to catch it.

[dZired]

Congratulations for achieving the two milestones - the car and the baby.

That's a very interesting story and the excellent simple write-up does full justice to it.

The Verna is a brilliant car given its price point and the goodies available. I agree the engine can achieve great speeds in lesser RPMs as compared to its competition.

The kitten incident is the first of its kind I've heard. Just hope it remains rarer.

I wish you many happy miles of motoring with both of your prized possessions.

Take Care and Drive Safe!