[theMAG]

Seems to be an allrounder that most people would find acceptable, but does not possess any salient drool factors. Oh and has a good diesel power plant.

Sounds a lot like the Accent still sold in India. Which really it is. Don't know what to make of this kind of product positioning.

[GTO]

Now thats a review. Good stuff Tanveer. I cant hold a testdrive for too much longer myself. Can you imagine a Verna with a Petes box?

it goes like an electic train on steeroids.

You surely mean the pills, and not our fellow BHPian? Typo?

[veyron1]

Originally Posted by GTO

Can you imagine a Verna with a Petes box?

MY THOUGHTS EXACTLY...!!!! That's what crossed my mind the first time I drove 'er.

Imagine- 150 Bhp+, 310 Nm+ FWD, running stage 2 Pete's (assuming a 30%+ gain. Stage 1 gives at least 20%).. perhaps more on a stage 3...yeehaaa....

Dare I say...even the C220 could be shook...

Leather, seats, all can be fitted aftermarket. The engine can't. This could probably be the best diesel on this side of 30 lacs. Until the Embera diesel VGT arrives. Now THAT, would be a car worth testing...Hyundai claims it'll spec the Embera diesel like no other in it's segment. Same case with the new Elantra, due late 07'.

[artofzen]

Originally Posted by Steeroid

... Too bad about the rest of the car though - no car is worth buying just for the engine.

PS: ?

Steeroid,
Its 7.8 L OTR for Verna CRDi in cochin.That is almost the same price I paid for my Accent CRDi and 30 odd K more than what I payed for the Ford TDCi.The whole package is not bad at all for that money.Hyundai hasnt done what skoda did,They havent priced the new version of a car several lakhs more than the old version.They have fairly slotted the new car at the price they were selling the old version and if they are continuing to sell the old accent crdi at a reduced price,Isnt it actually good for the customer?.

[koolncrazy]

Hi Abhi,

Thanks for the info..

So has any1 seen and reviewed the new Baleno diesel?
Is it a Maruti/Suzuki developed engine or somehting like the Peugot TUD 5 engine that they used to have in Zen D and Esteeem D?

Thanks again for so much of info, BHPian's...

Keep it rocking..

[abhibh]

I dont know about the review. But they will sure plonk that engine in the SX4 aka new baleno. Also the engine is JTD (fiat engine) the one which will be used in almost all the diesel cars ready to be launched in 2007. Swift, Aveo, Baleno, Punto, Punto Sedan, and many more.

Originally Posted by koolncrazy

Hi Abhi,

Thanks for the info..

So has any1 seen and reviewed the new Baleno diesel?
Is it a Maruti/Suzuki developed engine or somehting like the Peugot TUD 5 engine that they used to have in Zen D and Esteeem D?

Thanks again for so much of info, BHPian's...

Keep it rocking..

[theexister]

Great review man.

I am just back from test driving this diesel though I went looking for a petrol. The test drive was at Talwar Hyundai Banjara Hills. The weather was great when I left home but by the time I reached it was raining. So I was forced into a wet drive.

Looks wise it is much better than what it appears on paper. It actually looks like an entry level executive car on the lines of the Corolla. Nothing radical but a warm welcoming grandeur to it.

The seating position is pretty good. You do get a feeling of sitting a bit lower though the hood is just about visible for a 5'7'' guy like me. All aircon & music controls(though this wasnt equiped with one) are easy to reach. The dials are big with a good information display on the LED.

While adjusting the seats for tilt I found the lever pinched my finger because it got back pretty fast & there is not room between the lever & its outer body. I hope guys can understand what I mean.

Now took the car in reverse & by mistake placed it in 3rd gear. The car stalled the moment I released the clutch. That was embarassing.

But then once I got into 1st the power surge on releasing the clutch was awesome. It actually feel the weight transfer to the rear wheels. The engine which was dead silent was not grunting when I redlined it.
The gear shift is very good. I was really surprised considering the reviews in autocar & other opinions. It is nearly as good as the Fiesta's.

I was hoping for a free strech of road considering it was Banjara Hills & being a sunday but I could not find a long enough stretch.

The brakes are very good. They werent ABS & I think that is a good thing cos in the past Ive had problems driving ABS with their sudden deceleration. Being a diesel the engine braking was much less compared to a petrol & so I needed to be on the brake longer before getting on the clutch.

The steering wheel is very light & has good feedback. I went a bad piece of road to check the suspension & steering. They were pretty good. I feel the Bridgestone tyres do seem to aid the air pretty well. In the Fiesta I felt the suspension actually depress more & I think this could be because the cushioning isnt that great from their tyres.

On the way back to the showroom it got a little dark & the headlights dont seem that great on low beam as compared with the high beam.

This is the first time Ive come back from a test drive impressed by a diesel.

The car actually feels like rear wheel drive.

I wish I had such a big budget but alas.
Im waiting to test drive the petrol & hope it isnt a crash down.

[adarsh76]

I second the opinion that every car tested should feature the sticker "Tested by Team-BHP" and ofcourse the name in small letters in the right side bottom .

That was a fantastic review. Great work Tanveer. Kudos to hyundai for making such a great car.

Anybody tested the petrol version? I'm looking for the petrol version as I dont need a diesel car coz I drive less. Happy with my Accent GLE but looking for a change. Is the Verna Xi a good buy?

[v1p3r]

Seems like the gearing is similar to the OHC/Baleno. 2500 rpm in 5th at 100 means it should be hitting 100 in 2nd gear, or just into third.

With Pete's box, sub 17 second quarter mile. On a 8 lakh diesel!

[veyron1]

Nope. Not in 2nd gear. The 2nd gear redlines (at 4K. The tacho does go upto 4.2-4.5K, but not much progress) at about 85-90, if I remember correctly.

[sgmuser]

Great review from tsk! and theexister too! Thanks!

Iam just imagining, if we can do some detuning and reduce the power, we might get upto 25km/l in high ways! I can see this car is going to break lots of FE records!

[theexister]

Something that I forgot to mention was that when taking a turn around a circular island I found the A-pillar obstructing my view.

Though it isnt as thick as the NHC it was more in the line of vision.

[Dippy]

Very well written review tsk. I always knew the crdi was going to be a good one. That is the only reason I like Hyundai for. But it seems good value for money though

But how do you compare it with the Fiesta?

[tsk1979]

Originally Posted by Dippy

Very well written review tsk. I always knew the crdi was going to be a good one. That is the only reason I like Hyundai for. But it seems good value for money though

But how do you compare it with the Fiesta?

It is definately good value for money. the feature list feels inadequate when you compare to the petrol verna, but for other cars in this class, its good enough.

As for the fiesta, never driven it. However going by Autocar India, the indica turbo can beat the fiesta in 0-100, though fiesta is better in low end and runs out of steam later. I have driven the Indica/go TDI and given it a torture test, and if thats what fiesta is capable off, its going to be sad compared to the Verna.

The verna is an all rounder. there is just the wee bit lag and after that it goes on and on. Fiesta is no competition performance wise. In A.S.S too verna wins.

Finally a good midsizer from Hyundai(Accent is not a mid size car, its a small car with boot)

[csateesh]

Hi TSK,

Great review. I drove it too. The roll on are just too good and should I say even addictive. The engine doesn't seem to feel like a diesel once the RPM is above 1800..

The one fact that I am not happy about is the driver seat. I feel it is lower than the Accent's. And I am used to good under thigh support using the height adjuster's on the Accent CRDi. This is definitely one point that will be an issue on long drives....

I wish Hyundai hears and adds the height adjusters to Verna CRDi

Sateesh