Someone senior from the dealership called and said the AC system, as it is electronics, can fail at any time. And said that the ATF replacement has nothing to do with the AC system.

BHPian silver-stand recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

I recently replaced ATF with Hyundai ATF SP-III from Kun Hyundai Gachibowli. This is how my experience went.

I first read the owner's manual when I bought the pre-owned car (5 ½ years old); the manual said to replace ATF every 120,000 km or six years.

• FNG 1: This is my usual go-to place. They said ATF quality is good and doesn't require change in two instances. Upon asking the third time, they said it was better for me to get changed from an ASS. Now I abandoned them as they screwed up my spark-plug replacement.
• FNG2: They wanted to go ahead and replace the ATF with a different grade. I asked them to use only SP-III compliant ATF only. They insisted that what they had in stock I used for all ATF replacements, which left me dumbfounded.
• FNG3: This is a well-known tuning workshop. They said they would source OEM ATF based on VIN, but they don't do it and keep delaying, hoping I will leave them. This is a bit negative because they're unwilling to admit what they can't or won't do.
• FNG4: They couldn't source the required ATF grade.
• FNG5: Same saga as FNG3. They said they will source ATF SP-III but won't do it and don't admit that they won't.

JSP Hyundai, Madhapur: Uninteresting response over the phone.

Laxmi Hyundai, Madeenaguda: They said stock is unavailable and were unresponsive over the phone when I asked if they could source it.

Kun Hyundai, Gachibowli: I directly visited them. They sourced it in a week and replaced the oil in a day. By then, the car was almost seven and a half years old and had the original factory-filled ATF.

The price of the HYUNDAI ATF SP-III was INR 2454/-. Before doing the job, the advisor said it could take 7 ~ to 9 liters, and my Gearbox is filled with 7 liters. The vehicle's listed capacity in the manual is 6.8 L.

He also said they could extract only 4 liters of old ATF. The advisor showed me a picture of a leak and said the developed leak was very slow, leading to minor gear oil loss over time. But this didn't lead to any damage to the Gearbox. Also, he said that the ATF filter was in good condition and that there were no metal particles in the old ATF.

They charged labor of 3,500 + GST. And ATF replacement totally costed around 22,200/-. But bizarrely, when I took the car delivery, while the Gearbox performed better than before, the AC didn't blow cool air.

I again checked with them. After an AC inspection, they said the compressor had failed and required replacement.

I have escalated the issue of why the compressor failed, and the AC stopped working, even though it was doing okay before I gave it for ATF replacement. They are rechecking the issues, and I'm awaiting a resolution.

After the AFT replacement, I took the car delivery in the evening. While driving back, the AC wasn't cooling the air, not even a bit. Concerned, I called the service advisor, who suggested an inspection the next day.

After the inspection, they said the compressor had failed, required replacement, and par cost 25,000/-.

I quickly researched on Team-BHP and asked the advisor whether replacing the compressor was good enough or if the entire AC system needed replacing. He said as the car is somewhat older (~7.5 years), it's better to replace the whole AC system (~ 60,000 including labor) because any black soot formed in the AC system can damage the compressor again if only the compressor is replaced.

Then, I began talking to a couple of close friends. Friend 1 suggested getting the issues diagnosed with 3-4 different car AC specialists. Friend 2 suggested raising an escalation.

I have initially escalated with the feedback call. Someone senior from the dealership called and said the AC system, as it is electronics, can fail at any time. And said that the ATF replacement has nothing to do with the AC system. As a goodwill gesture, he is ready to waive the labor charge for the compressor replacement.

My friend 2 said: how come the AC system failed at the service center while it was working okay when you gave the car? His intuition was something had happened at the service center, and they were smartly trying to brush off the responsibility. And he recommended escalating this issue further.

I wrote the following email to Kun Hyundai Service Head and Hyundai Territory Parts & Service Manager as follows:

On 11-03-2024, I gave my Hyundai Verna (TS11 EH 4913) to Kun Hyundai Gachibowli for ATF (Gear Oil) replacement.

In the evening, I was handed over the car after ATF replacement. While driving to my home, I observed that the Air Conditioning system wasn't cooling the air.

Upon asking the respective Service Advisor, NIMMATURI VAMSHI KRISHNA, about the same, he asked me to get the AC system checked.

On 12-03-2024, after the AC system was checked at the service center, the service advisor said the compressor failed and a replacement was required.

My escalation is how the compressor failed when my car was at the service center. The AC was working fine when I handed over the vehicle for service.

I strongly believe something has happened in the service center that led to this issue.

On the following day, I received a call from the Service Manager, Kun Hyundai Gachibowli. He acknowledged the issue and said he would personally oversee the inspection once again.

After a day of inspection, he said it might mostly be an issue with the compressor valve. They will change the part, which will cost under 3,000'/-, and keep the car under observation for a day.

The following day, I received the delivery, and the AC has been working fine.

As a debrief, I asked the Service Manager, Kun Hyundai, the following:

• Me: How did your service advisor recommend compressor replacement while it was compressor value?
• SM: The compressor valve is a child part. While replacing it has fixed the issue, there's a chance that the compressor might fail in the future. That's why our advisor recommended compressor replacement.
• Me: How did the AC fail while the car was at the service center?
• SM: Mechanical parts could fail at any time. We can't do much about it.

In the end, he told me to call him if I had any issues. I told him I would check the AC system for 15-20 days and see if anything came up.

Read BHPian comments for more insights and information.

Hyundai has also recalled the pre-facelift Creta IVT, which is facing a similar issue.

Hyundai has issued a recall for the Verna IVT over an error in the electronic oil pump (EOP) controller.

According to Hyundai, a recall has been issued to evaluate and fix the error in the electronic oil pump controller. However, the carmaker hasn’t disclosed the exact number of vehicles affected by this issue.

Hyundai has notified owners of the affected vehicles to get their vehicles inspected at their nearest authorized dealerships. Owners can check if their Verna IVT is among those recalled by entering the Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) on Hyundai India’s official website. The rectification of the issue will be done free of cost.

Hyundai has also recalled the pre-facelift Creta IVT, which is facing a similar issue with the electronic oil pump.

Neither my cars invoice mentions that car is BS4 nor my dealer is helping out with any document which mention car as BS4

BHPian Vernafied recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

Hi Folks,

I am facing an issue with updating fuel norm in Vahan database for my Verna 1.6 CRDi manufactured in Oct 2015 and purchased in Jan 2016. My car is BS4 but Vahan database does not have any details mentioned about fuel norms. Due to this i am getting PUC of just 6 months instead of 1 year for BS4.

I reached out to RTO and all they are asking is document from Dealer/Hyundai where its mentioned as this vehicle is BS4. Here comes the bummer now, neither my cars invoice mentions that car is BS4 nor my dealer is helping out with any document which mention car as BS4. All they giving same invoice copy which i already have which doesn't mention fuel norm.

From my sources i came to know that there is a form 22A which provided by manufacturer to dealer that requires at the time of registration which has the fuel norms mentioned. But in my case dealer dont have any copy of this form 22 as this was submitted in original to RTO by dealer's agent for registration.

It's been 6 months I am chasing dealer but they are of no help. Can you please suggest what can be done to get details updated in Vahan database?

Here's what BHPian wheelspinner had to say on the matter:

In this case, you have to file a complaint with the consumer forum I believe. Seems like a case of dealership negligence, as they should archive a (digital) copy of that document regardless of submission to RTO or some proof/receipt of submission.

Here's what BHPian Ashtoncastelino had to say on the matter:

I too am in a similar boat, My 2006 Swift is mentioned as Bharat Stage II in the Vahan website where in reality it is Bharat Stage III. Swift was launched in the Bharat Stage III avatar from day 1 of Launch. The same is for my Mom's Activa September 2005 as well. Although my PUC validity duration still remains 6 months, I hope to correct this error in their Database.

Here's what BHPian AutoNoob had to say on the matter:

Add me to the boat. My 2011 Chevy Beat is mentioned as Bharat Stage III in the Vahan database while in reality it is Bharat Stage IV. My PUC validity remains only 3 months in NCR and I have to keep close watch on due date to avoid any challans. Not sure how to get it corrected, moreso as the company has left India for good.

I couldn't catch this earlier as it was never mentioned on either of the RCs (vehicle was transferred from one state to another). It started popping only in last few years during PUC checks.

BHPian Ashtoncastelino replied:

I plan on to send an Email to MSIL and HMSI asking for a statement declaring my vehicle is Bharat Stage III and use that as a proof in the RTO for correction. I have also seen few RC's that mention the Bharat Stage right after the Model name. Eg- Model: Grand I10 BS4

Will share updates if I'm able to make the changes

Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.

The service centre guy confirmed that the transmission oil change was done on time at 1 lakh kilometres and not early. I was shocked and in denial!

BHPian tangiblewish recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

Introduction

A car enthusiast in me will be describing my ownership experience in utmost detail and some of these details are not present even on YouTube or any other forum. I will try to be as detailed and categorised as possible.

A bit of my car ownership history

The first car officially owned by me was a 2006 WagonR VXI facelift with a 4-cylinder 1.1 litre gem of an engine. Bought it from a known friend of mine in my society who deals in cars in his free time. I will cover its unique story in another thread but after selling that car, I had the privilege to own a Hyundai Verna 1.6 CRDI Diesel automatic (4 Speed H matic as Hyundai describes it) owned by another neighbour who was a lawyer and a senior citizen now. I got my car through the same guy (in my society) who showed me my previous WagonR and took a very hefty 60K+ commission on Verna which I came to know very late.

Details about the car

I bought the car this year in April. The car is 2015 manufactured and 2016 registered and I was assured by the guy that the kilometres were genuine and I trusted him despite my younger brother who is now 16 years old telling me to verify the history from Hyundai before buying (My first mistake). The odo read 82K kilometres and I was assured that all services were done in the company till date which stands very true and explains the great condition of the car.

Since the model is SX Automatic, I have all 4 disc brakes as standard even though this is a Verna 4S! For me, 4S stands for 4 speed as it makes utmost sense to me lol. By the time Hyundai released this car and sold for almost 1.5-2 years, they had fixed almost every complaint they received from customers regarding Fluidic Verna. So I have tilt and telescopic steering, a damn good suspension setup surprisingly and a more fuel efficient 1.6 CRDI U2 engine with low friction coating on the pistons. I have it all except for rear AC vents but that's okay since the AC in general is super chilled. The supreme Harmon Kardon 6 speaker setup is a gem to have stock along with 6 Airbags.

A small thing to note is that Hyundai removed the rear armrest cupholders and headrest in the 4S. Like seriously why would they do that? It makes zero sense to me but anyway let's not get distracted and enjoy the eye candies attached below.

PS: I absolutely love the way this car looks and I am so picky about the little design details and overall proportions of a car and this car is just stunning. The thick black border between the hood and grill still haunts me to this date though.

Purchase price and my own expenses till date

• 5.25 Lakh car price
• 13K transfer fee
• 5K for two missing parking sensors (Hyundai original)
• 6k Fluids change and general service
• 32K tyres (Continental UC6)
• 6K New Amaron battery (few days ago)
• Other expenses including repairs:- 15k which includes cracked hoses and fixing intercooler pipe. More on that later.

Some insights upon the choice of this car

I just wanted a fuel-efficient diesel sedan because, for some reason, the sedan is the only car type which I like. WagonR gave me 9KMPL in the city with AC and that was so heavy on my pocket and I bought it for learning anyway. My options were Ciaz and City after ruling out Germans as I wanted cheap repairability as well. And then out of the blue, I stumbled upon this beauty and was instantly convinced to buy it.

Before buying this car from my village, my dad who is a Mechanical Engineer and a car enthusiast test drove it and was genuinely impressed with the performance and condition. I came from Ahmedabad (workplace) to my native place and drove the car myself. This was my first automatic car in life and I honestly wasn't even looking for one. When I felt the 128BHP power myself, I was willing to lose a bit of fuel economy for the power and convenience in the city that this car offered. I was a bit disappointed upon hearing about the 4 Speed transmission tho but then turned into a fan of it.

Ownership with good and bad experiences so far

(TRAMSISSION SECTION IS SUPER IMPORTANT)

At the time of buying before the full payment was done, I drove it multiple times and noted that upon full throttle when the VGT spools up at max potential with a beautiful hiss that it makes at around 1800-2500 RPM, there was a very weird sound which nobody picked up till date. the best description would be that there was a scream at the full turbo potential just like a supercharged Dodge Challenger and this was concerning.

I got this checked with the mechanic and it turns out that the intercooler pipe connecting to the turbo had some small oil leak and I got that pipe replaced and have never seen the leak again. Then the beautiful hiss was restored without the whistle scream and the car returned to normal. AC vents were broken as seen on most of the fluidic Vernas so got the side ones replaced and kept the centre one since it was too costly.

Finally, after a full purchase, me and my dad drove the car to my workplace around 300 KMs away and this was the first long run of this car for us. Since the tyres were old, we didn't push the car to limits but the car comfortably did triple-digit speeds on an empty stretch without breaking a sweat with least efforts but that speed was soon diminished when a BMW X7 flew by us at that speed and disappeared in thin air and then we slowed down and were cruising at around 120 ish KMPH. All of this testing and we still got 17+ KMPL average which is commendable considering the very heavy foot driving.

Fast forward a few months and a new sound started coming on full throttle when turbo spooled at max potential. This time it was different. It sounded like AC vents blowing at full potential when you press the pedal and get into turbo range. I got this checked from a local mechanic and he told me this can be a gearbox issue. Even though I am an IT engineer, I wasn't convinced by that since my gut feeling told me it was something else and I felt the behaviour of the car is only noticeable at full turbo range. I told him to check all the main rubber hoses and turns out the main fat hose connecting to the engine which is right beside the engine cover had a small crack because of the age. Got that replaced and the sound disappeared. The replacement part was from Lakhani (yes the shoe company) since the part wasn't available with Hyundai and I wanted an urgent replacement.

Special mention to the 4-speed auto box which feels like 5-6-speed

The gear shifts are silky smooth and very aggressive if the pedal is pressed down because of the torque converter automatic. I use the Tiptronic function to shift early in city traffic because of the very tall gearing. It auto shifts at second gear at the speed of 20 at around 1500 RPM, 3rd gear at the speed of 40 at around 1850 RPM. Now the magic begins. Up until now, the RPM increases very linearly and no unusual RPM drop is found between gears. But once you cross the 3rd gear at 40 KMPH, the RPM increases till 1500 till you cross 50KMPH and suddenly eases the engine and drops the RPM to 1200 even though the throttle is pressed constantly and no gear is changed!

Now you reach till 65 KMPH and the gear shifts to 4th at around 1800 RPM and increases linearly till 80-85 KMPH then drops till 1300 RPM and linearly increases till 2000 RPM at the speed of 100. The drop of RPM feels like there are two pseudo/ghost gears for better efficiency and drivability. Do note that this car does 0-100 in 9 seconds and there is no loss in acceleration when the RPM drops, it pulls very nicely with a very soothing hiss at around 1800+ RPM.

I have never seen RPM drop between gears at constant throttle but nonetheless, it is very awesome to have a 4-speed behave like 6-speed. There is no mention of these transmission details anywhere on the web as far as I searched. Even Wikipedia has a list of Hyundai transmissions but all torque converter 4 speeds are rated for a very low torque output and not for this engine output. IDK what Hyundai is using. Any details of this transmission's functionality would be gladly appreciated.

Talking about fuel economy, I filled the tank and headed home 8 kms from the JIO-BP pump at midnight where there is less traffic on city roads and see what I got with AC on city roads, 26 KMPL! but in reality, with bumper-to-bumper traffic, it's more like 14 KMPL and easily 22+ on highways and even better if driven at 80-100 speeds which is the car's sweet spot in terms of efficiency.

Notice that the MID is of a different colour than the rest of the speedo? That's because initially the MID was blue and now it's not. More on that later.

After a few months, I finally got my tyres changed. I had options of Yokohama Earth (Japanese) and Continental UC6 (German) the Japanese had longer lasting rubber and 5 years of unconditional warranty whereas Germans had 2 years unconditional plus 3 years manufacturing defect warranty but had much more comfort and grip on offer so went with the Germans for better grip considering my heavy foot. Got the stock size 195/55/R16 at 8K per tyre. Japanese were of the same value as well.

The dashboard was also a mess since half side of the dashboard was sticky and permanently damaged by sunlight and cheap polish by the previous car care centre, so I visited AutoBros near Sanand Circle Ahmedabad to fix the mismatch and he was the only person to successfully fix it for few months with the help of expensive polishes.

I visited many other studios as well and everyone said my dashboard is permanently damaged by heat. Here is the picture of the dashboard after the new polish. The texture difference was hard to pick on camera and spoilt the interior look and feel so did not add a picture of it but I permanently fixed it with a plush cushiony dashboard cover from Elegant and I have been so happy with the soft fur material on my dashboard. It is easy to wash as well and is super premium to feel. It is as soft as a fur jacket or a soft toy in real! Attached a pic of that as well below:

Now comes the part where I realised I got betrayed

Remember when I said I bought two parking sensors which were missing from Hyundai at 2.5K each, I thought the instalment was done and it worked fine since this was the first car with parking sensors that I drove. Later realised that out of the two already existing old sensors, one was non-functional and I went to the Hyundai service center for another sensor and just casually checked for the service history with full confidence about the originality that I had in mind and the guy confirmed that from 2016 till 2022 all service was done at Hyundai including mandatory transmission oil change and the last service was done at 123000 KM.

I was in denial and told him to check again since I told him the transmission oil was changed early in my case at around 70K kilometres as said by the guy selling me the car. The ASC guy confirmed that the AT oil change was on time at 1 lakh kilometres and not early. I was shocked and felt super betrayed. But nothing that I could do since this was my trust and ignorance on this matter. The metre tampering explains the MID discolouration since it might have been opened and damaged while dialling back the kilometres.

There was an insurance claim as well which I was already aware of and it was front and rear bumper, headlights and minor stuff with re-painiting which I was okay with and ASC guy assured me this is a very small and common thing and no concerning part is replaced or damaged. The bonnet insulation cover was missing so I got it fitted with a nice damping material. I was not affected by the diesel sound since this is the most silent diesel motor I have ever heard and the insulation was barely needed but I did it anyway and it looks cool now.

It has been 4 months and still haven't gotten the parking sensor from Hyundai as they said the sensor would be shipped from Korea and told me to look for an old one in kabaadi!

Acceptance and future plans with my beauty!

Even after all of this, I am supremely happy with the car and this can easily gap any car on road (which does not cost a fortune to buy) and all of that with acceptable to good fuel economy. I would request people to share their experiences with this model and if they know any trusted mechanic who has a good knowledge with this car, please share details of the garage.

I have mild tuning plans in a few years and some cosmetic changes since the grille is too white for me, so black plus chrome would be nice and some more suggestions for subtly improving the car's stance would also be greatly appreciated. I have noticed a single tick sound on turning a steering sometimes. Not of Axle, I know that sound and I also have the rare sound of thudding suspensions on bad roads so I need some expert who can figure out the issue and doesn't unnecessarily break my pocket.

I am planning to keep this car till the RC expires since I have known people who have this exact same car going strong even after 2 lakh kilometres with the same auto box without any major repairs.

If someone has any contacts of reliable mechanics and tuners in Ahmedabad, please let me know. Since I am very new to owning cars in real life, some tips and tricks for maintaining an old diesel automatic with high odo would be great as well.

PS: I have also upgraded the headlights and fog lights to blinding LEDs but I keep on low beam and drive responsibly. Let me know if you need details of the upgrade. Upgrade cost was 10K. The black door guards on the white car was bugging me so I changed it to white door guards. 200 Rs from Flipkart

Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.

Mahindra Bolero, when launched, had a very macho appeal and a crude, simple, yet elegant design. Now, I feel it has a chrome-filled cartoonish face.

BHPian AYP recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

This thread is to point out the instances of a manufacturer spoiling the looks of their car in the process of facelifting it. Let me do the honours:

Skoda-

The Octavia MK2 (Laura) pre-facelift, was my favourite and still continues to be my favourite among all the Octavias. While most of my classmates used to drool over the Civic, the Laura was the one which had my heart, especially the L&K in red shade. The PD motor was music to my ears. The facelift though, spoiled the look completely with its bulbous headlamps.

The beauty-

The beast-

Don't take me wrong. The Laura facelift was a beautiful car by itself but when compared to the pre-facelift, it paled completely.

Mahindra-

The Bolero when launched, used to have a very macho appeal about it. It had a crude, simple, yet elegant design. The Bolero of today still has that macho appeal but gone are the simple and elegant design elements and instead we have a chrome-filled cartoonish face.

The OG-

The new Bolero with dollops of chrome (just what most Indians want)-

Here's what BHPian Mr.Boss had to say about the matter:

Personally, I'm not convinced with the Zen facelift. Though the change is very minimal, the old jellybean shape is still a looker.

Here's what BHPian dhanushs had to say about the matter:

For me, it's the Verna. An already bad-looking car worsened!

Old Variant

New Variant

Here's what BHPian saikishor had to say about the matter:

Maruti S-Cross comes to my mind immediately after reading the title of this thread. The original one especially in the top alpha trim looked elegant IMO but the facelift didn't have the same elegance as the previous model.

Here's what BHPian GreyNomad replied:

It’s actually the opposite. The first-gen SCross bombed primarily due to its looks. The refreshed version actually did decent numbers and the front fascia redesign and the Nexa Blue colour contributed to it.

Only if they had plonked that sweet 1.6D into the facelift model!

Here's what BHPian rishi.roger had to say about the matter:

The first car that immediately rings a bell is the latest Hyundai Verna. Haven't seen a worse facelift than Verna in quite some time.

Also, the new Nexon looks more like a raised hatchback (which it really is) than an SUV character in the previous design.

Also, I disagree with the post stating that the S-Cross facelift looked worse than the original. In fact, the facelifted S-Cross looked times better. IMO, a facelift well done to a car that deserved applause. Such a shame, it didn't sell for long.

Here's what BHPian mgastor2022grey had to say about the matter:

My vote is for the Hector Plus (6 and 7-seater versions). It had such a beautiful and some sort of Mercedes-inspired grille at the front. Even though the car was slightly out of proportion, it was very handsome and nonetheless a looker.

Later, MG decided to 'facelift' the car by giving it fake-silver jewelry and some chrome-bling to make it ugly! I hate the big grille. Wonder why car makers are doing it.

Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.

The interiors are properly screwed and of top quality built. No sounds/rattles from the dashboard or the door pads.

BHPian drive2eternity recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

On Thursday, I gave my car for its 9th service, after completion of 8+ years of ownership. I have been absent from this thread for quite some time, due to various reasons. However, sharing my long term ownership experience here.

The below points summarize my experience with my car over the past 7 years:

• Car: Hyundai Verna 1.6 VTVT S(O)
• KMs done: 46800 in 3000 days (Average ~ 15.5 KMs daily) (99% with AC on)
• KMs on Highway ~ 31000 KMs (66%)
• City mostly driven: Bangalore
• Major Incidents: None
• Minor Incidents: Too many (Bangalore city driving has its perils)
• Niggles: None

Breakdowns / Part Changes: Mentioned below.

2017 - There was a faint 'kat'kat' sound coming from the driver's foot-well. It occurred only when going over rough surfaces and broken roads. Did not occur if I crossed a speed breaker. For this issue, the culprit was identified as the EPS motor. Since the car was in warranty, it was changed free of cost.

2021 - AC cooling was reduced, so took to the car to Advaith Hyundai, the compressor valve (ECV) was found faulty and replaced for about 4000/- including labour. More details can be found in this thread by VIGSOM: https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/techn...ml#post5061928 (Aircons! Demystifying the car air-conditioning system)

2022 - The front link rods were 'weak' as mentioned by the SA and hence I gave a go ahead to change them. Charged about 1500/- including labour.

Battery Change: There were instances in May 2018, when the crank was taking longer than usual. Got it checked at a battery store and found the Exide battery from the factory was breathing its last.

Hence, got a new Amaron, exchanging the Exide, for 4800/-. It has now started showing signs of degradation. I will probably get it changed in next few months.

Tire Change: In August 2021, the stock Bridgestone B250s had covered 37000kms and lived for 6 years. Though they still had thread depth, I got Yokohama Earth 1s for the car. The Bridgetones served well and had just single puncture. Hoping the same reliability from the Yokos. Costed 7000/- per piece. The Yokos have been terrific, zero punctures, good grip and reliability. Also, minimal drop in air pressure.

Points worth mentioning:

1. The 9th service, at 8 years costed my 11200/-. I had read a lot on this forum about Hyundai's being expensive to maintain as they age, doesnt seem so in my case OR the car is still young.
2. The design of the dashboard and the features are still up-to-date. I got ECM in my car, which cars costing 30lacs Bangalore don't get - Innova, XUV700. The power window switches on each door are backlit, a feature which is a luxury these days.
3. The 1.6 VTVT is a gem of an engine. Super silent, immensely tractable. It pulls cleanly from 30kmph in 4th gear. In fact, at times, I tried putting the car in 4th at 25kmph and there was no shudder, just linear acceleration. This makes it a boon to drive in city traffic.
4. I have added a DDPai front dashcam this year. Purchased on Amazon and got it hardwired by a local accessory shop.

After eight years of ownership, I am completely satisfied with my purchase. The interiors are properly screwed and of top quality built. No sounds/rattles from the dashboard or the door pads. This, after I have to drive a lot over none existent roads of outer Bangalore very regularly. Quite impressive.

Read BHPian comments for more insights and information.

Expecting the worst and thinking if I would have to claim the insurance for this stupidity, I ran towards the washing machine and took out the shorts.

BHPian MyLife_MyCar recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

My car key goes a full cycle in a washing machine

About 3 weeks ago, on a lazy morning, I was just done with my coffee and turned on the laptop to start the routine office work while still yawning!

Bzzz, bzzz, bzzz vibrates my mobile phone and I was cursing the work people for calling me so early in the morning (it was 11 am, but still early for me :P). A quick glance at the phone and it was my building watchman calling.

Relieved, I picked up the call and he goes, "Bhaiya, 2 ghante baad car hatana padega. Kuchh samaan nikalna hai parking se. (Saar, You'll have to move your car a bit after 2 hours as I have to take out some stuff from the parking)."

I would be in a meeting after two hours, so thought of moving the car right away. Told him I'll be down in 5 minutes. Logged into my laptop, opened Teams, waited for the status to turn green which indicates I'm available (hehehe!) and got up from my chair to go to the parking.

Opened the cabinet drawer where I keep my car key and, of course, it wasn't there!

Vrrrrrooooommmmmm… I realised that the washing machine was doing its duty, and it had my shorts that had the key in one of the pockets!

Expecting the worst and thinking if I would have to claim the insurance for this stupidity, I ran towards the washing machine and took out the shorts. Then, took out the key from its pocket, and surprisingly it seemed dry.

Not trusting what I saw, I frantically started googling what to do next. Wait! At least I should open up the key first and check what's the situation inside.

To open up the key:

Look at the back of the key. Push the small lever in the direction shown

Take out the physical key completely

Take a flathead screwdriver and use it to open up the case by inserting it in the gap (as shown between the two red arrows). While doing this, I was careful not to press any button that might damage the electronics inside.

The inside of the key

I was again surprised, and somewhat relieved, as there was no trace of water inside it.

The circuit board is mounted on a plastic platform and very well covered by a silicon casing

Separated all the parts carefully. Everything felt dry and not a single drop of water anywhere.

Then, used my wife's hair dryer to blow hot air on all the parts and left those in the open for the entire day.

Next day, assembled the parts and it was time to test if it was working properly. With the keys in hand and the butterflies in my stomach, went down to the parking and clicked the unlock button.

Voila!

At this point, I was wondering if it was the (Decathlon) shorts or the good packaging of the Hyundai key that did not let the water inside. Or was it the "spin cycle" of the washing machine that took out all the water, if any? Can't say for sure.

But all is well that ends well!

Here's what BHPian ashis89 had to say about the matter:

In the past 3 months, I have experienced 3 such incidents already.

In August, a few of us friends were meeting in Goa. After the long drive to Goa, each one was looking forward to that dive into the swimming pool. I got in talking to everyone and after a few minutes, realised my pocket felt heavy. It was my phone - a Samsung S20 FE 5G. Took it out and kept it in the sun for an hour. The phone has been working fine as if nothing ever happened. Some moisture got into the camera lens which took 3-4 days to dry up.

The same day, half an hour later one of us felt something fallen on the pool floor. Took it out and it was my friend's car key - Nissan Kicks. Left it to dry for an hour in the sun, just like the phone. Has been working fine.

And finally last week, my car key fob went through a complete washing machine cycle after it sneaked in via my dirty pair of jeans. Wife was shocked to discover it in the wet jeans. I took the key and left it near a window which sees some sunlight, for a day. And it has been working fine.

Here's what BHPian greyhound82 had to say about the matter:

For me following went through the wash and dry cycle:

• Punto Keys: Had to be replaced
• Apple Watch: Intact. Not even a scratch on the glasses
• Apple AirPods Pro with case: Partially damaged. Repaired on Apple Care

Here's what BHPian Jeroen had to say about the matter:

On these keys, the most likely parts that get damaged or get worn out for that matter are the micro switches. Just a tiny bit of moisture is enough to have them malfunction.

You did the correct thing by opening up the key and letting everything dry out. On most of these keys, the micro switches can be replaced by anybody handy with a soldering gun. Eventually, those switches will wear out. Replacing the micro switch is a fiddle job but usually a hell of a lot cheaper than replacing the whole key.

Here's what BHPian Blow Horn Ok had to say about the matter:

3 years ago, the same incident happened to me. My Aspire's key got completely washed in the washing machine. It's a flip key so the key blade has a rotating mechanism and I thought water must have entered through any crevice. In a hurry to figure out if the key was damaged, I wiped it and pressed all buttons and to my relief, everything worked as usual.

Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.

The Honda City stands out as the longest sedan in the segment, measuring 4583 mm in length.

BHPian Motordev recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

Introduction:

The midsize sedan market has gained fresh attention, particularly due to the impressive 5-star rating achieved by the newly launched Hyundai Verna. In the analysis below, I evaluate a range of popular cars in this category, including the Honda City, Škoda Slavia, Hyundai Verna, VW Virtus, and the Maruti Ciaz. These midsize sedans undergo a comprehensive evaluation covering different aspects.

Related Links:

Team-BHP Reviews:

• (2023 Hyundai Verna Review)Hyundai Verna
• (2023 Honda City Facelift : A Close Look)Honda City
• (Skoda Slavia Review)Škoda Slavia
• (Volkswagen Virtus Review)VW Virtus
• (2018 Maruti Ciaz Facelift (1.5L Petrol) : Official Review)Maruti Ciaz

Comparison Index:

• Dimensions
• Exterior Impressions
• Interior Impressions
• Instrument Cluster, Infotainment System and Speakers
• Features
• Safety
• Performance
• Fuel-Efficiency
• Variants and Price
• Pros and Cons
• Final Impressions

Dimensions:

Length (MM)

• Hyundai Verna: 4535 mm
• Honda City: 4574 mm (SV, V, VX trims), 4583 mm (ZX trim)
• Škoda Slavia: 4541 mm
• VW Virtus: 4561 mm
• Maruti Ciaz: 4490 mm

Width: (mm):

• Hyundai Verna: 1765 mm
• Honda City: 1748 mm
• Škoda Slavia: 1752 mm
• VW Virtus: 1752 mm
• Maruti Ciaz: 1730 mm

Height: (mm)

• Hyundai Verna: 1475 mm
• Honda City: 1489 mm

• Škoda Slavia: 1507 mm
• VW Virtus: 1507 mm

• Maruti Ciaz: 1485 mm

Wheelbase: (mm)

Hyundai Verna: 2670 mm

Honda City: 2600 mm

Škoda Slavia: 2651 mm

VW Virtus: 2651 mm

Maruti Ciaz: 2650 mm

Ground Clearance: (mm)

• Hyundai Verna: 170 mm
• Honda City: 165 mm
• Škoda Slavia: 179 mm
• VW Virtus: 179 mm
• Maruti Ciaz: 170 mm

Boot space: (litres)

• Hyundai Verna: 528 litres
• Honda City: 506 litres
• Škoda Slavia: 521 litres
• VW Virtus: 521 litres
• Maruti Ciaz: 510 litres

In summary, the Honda City stands out as the longest sedan in the segment, measuring 4583 mm in length. The Verna takes the lead in width, boasting a width of 1765 mm. Both the Slavia and Virtus claim the highest height at 1507 mm. The Verna secures the longest wheelbase at 2670 mm, while the Virtus and Slavia excel in ground clearance, measuring 179 mm. Additionally, the Verna offers the largest boot capacity in the category, accommodating 528 litres.

Index

Continue reading on BHPian Motordev's mid-size sedan comparo for BHPian comments, insights and more information.

If you are cruising around 110kmph, the car loves it and gives you 16-18kmpl but if you go faster, the FE drops immediately!

BHPian vignesh207 recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

Just completed a ~700km drive on the highway and hills with my Verna and also hit the 1200km mark and got the 1st service done after 3 weeks of delivery. Let me sum up my experience so far.

What I like:

• The car is very comfortable on the city runs but transforms into a beast on the highway!
• The 160HP engine has enough power for all practical scenarios. It handled long highways cruising at triple-digit speeds, winding hill roads, and very steep climbs like a breeze.
• When cruising at triple-digit speeds, if you need to do an overtake and need some extra power, just a little bit more pressure on the accelerator, the DCT gearbox takes a fraction of a second to kick down and you get pushed back with that power!
• The NVH levels are really good and on the highway, you hardly feel any bumps inside. The rear seat comfort is also really good.
• I felt the space in the rear seat was a lot higher compared to the Older Verna or the VW/Skoda twins.
• The boot is massive and swallows anything you throw inside. I had a couple of large trolleys, a baby car sear (as my toddler refused to sit in it), and a few duffle bags, and still had a lot of room
• The fuel economy is good for an automatic car this size. On the highway, while cruising, I consistently got 15-16kmpl and got 10kmpl in city traffic.
• Auto-Hold is a God-send feature. In city bumper-to-bumper traffic, the car moves slowly when you lift the foot off the brake pedal. When you want to engage auto-hold, you press the pedal once the vehicle comes to a stop (kind of like a long press on smartphones) and auto-hold engages till you press the accelerator again. More on this here (Auto Hold: Most convenient yet neglected feature!)
• ADAS works great, especially on the highway. I had Lane Keep Assist (LKA) on for my entire highway run which maintains the car bang on the center of the lane and takes control of the steering wheel for all the curves on the highway. When you try to switch lanes, say for an overtake, the steering will resist first but then let you do it and engage LKA once back on the new lane. This can become a pain and the best way is to let your car (and the cars behind you) know that you are switching lanes when the indicator. If you tap the indicator stalk and then try to switch lanes, the LKA won't resist and let you make the switch. This takes some practice to get used to, but once done, it is extremely comfortable.
• I didn't get a chance to try Adaptive Cruise control as I never found anyone cruising at the same speed for a long time on the TN highways I went.
• AC is really good and kept the cabin cool in the scorching TN heat. Ventilated seats are always on in my car in TN's heat.
• I'm no audiophile, but the Bose speaker system is really good IMHO. The infotainment screen is very smooth and Android Auto on the large 10.25-inch screen looks really beautiful.
• Bluelink - It's really useful to monitor the car and get some nice statistics about your drives. There were a couple of times I forgot the lock the car and Bluelink notified me promptly on this.

What I don't like:

• Brakes! In spite of being 4 discs, the brakes are not confidence-inspiring. A slight press on the brake pedal does not slow down the car as you expect and if you press slightly harder, the car will slow down faster than you want. You really need to get used to the way the brakes behave to get some confidence here.
• Front headlights, it is decent on normal days, but on days with heavy rain, I just can't see a thing with these lights. Need to upgrade to better lights soon.
• Engine Auto-stop, it's annoying and jerky. It stops the engine when you don't want it to, then after a minute turns the engine back on (as AC is still running). It is straight-up irritating in city traffic and doesn't even retain its setting from the previous run. I have to turn it off every time I take the car.
• Space for water bottles on the front doors has 2 slots. The larger one can't fit a 1L bottle and is too big for a 500ml bottle. Looks like Hyundai should sell bottles that fit in this as official accessories!
• The Full Digital Instrument Cluster is just a gimmick. The left and right are just static Speedo/Tacho and only the middle screen displays all the information. For the information available (like ADAS, trip meters, D2E meters, and TPMS, a fully digital instrument Cluster (like the one in the new Kia Seltos) would have made much more sense.
• Wireless Charging without wireless Android Auto is just meaningless IMO.
• Bluelink (yes it's on the What I Like list also above!) is very unreliable and needs improvement. It reminded me that I didn't lock the doors (which meant the car was parked in a place where there was connectivity) but the lock command keeps failing due to connectivity issues. I was walking towards the car at this point and kept trying and eventually ended up locking with the key once in the range! One more thing is the "My Trips" section with the drive statistics does not work if your trip ends in a place without a signal (like my home basement car parking!!)

Some minor nit-picks:

• I have 3 Hyundai Car Garages (2015 i20, 2019 Santro, and the Verna) and I expect some things to be common because they are all Hyundais, but NO!!
• The wiper stalk - Tap up on the Santro and i20 for one wipe (mist) but on the verna, it's a tap down!! Move down for slow, INT, and fast but in Verna the stalk needs to be moved up!
• Media control on the steering - In Santro and i20, Up arrow for the next track and down for the previous, but on the Verna down arrow for the next track and up for the previous!
• The horn sounds for door lock and unlock are just too loud! There is a milder beeper that beeps for the Smart Trunk, why not something like that for the door lock/unlock?
• The soft-touch plastics on the door insides are a big fingerprint magnet.
• The power window controls are too far ahead. From my seating position (I'm 5'11"), I end up hitting the rear window controls if I don't look at them

Adding some pictures from my trip to end my post! The Red color is a head-turner and catches a lot of people gazing at the car as I drive past or while I park at my workplace or home.

The last image is of the trip meter after my long drive. Got a FE of 13.5 kmpl including city sections, a lot of highway runs, and 40-50 km of hill sections. One thing to note is if you are cruising around 110kmph, the car loves it and gives you 16-18kmpl but if you go faster, the FE drops immediately!

Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.

I drove a Taigun 1.5 DSG earlier but somehow the Venue really pulled my heart strings.

BHPian saikishor recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

Guess someone else has posted a similar thread, but I have an extensive list to choose from and hence a new thread. I am looking for a proper automatic under 13 lacs, maybe stretchable to 15 lacs on road. I made an excel sheet with some potential options. I did check out 3 cars from my list(didn't test drive one as it wasn't available).

Requirements:

• Proper automatic(AMT in very few cases/cars)
• Decent safety kit and rating
• Good service and reach
• Should be under 13lacs on road stretchable by a lac

Renault Kiger: I have eliminated this car from my list. It feels so cheap especially since I drove it after I drove a Venue N-line. The drive mode selector itself felt so cheap. The horn felt like it was placed under my seat. There was literally no insulation, as I could hear everything outside of the car. And when I asked this to the sales guy, he was like saar it is a safety feature as you need to hear what is going on outside the car

Hyundai i20 N line: The facelift version of this car hasn't arrived at showrooms yet but there was a pre facelift version inside the showroom. I liked the car and would like to reserve my final statements after I take a test drive.

Hyundai Venue N Line: Man if I had 17 lacs with me(or rather my dad), this would be the car. I fell in love with it within the 3-4 kms that I drove it. The exhaust was sweet, engine felt really exciting. I drove a Taigun 1.5 DSG earlier but somehow this Venue really pulled my heart strings. This car is still on the list, but not sure if we would actually end up buying it

I am attaching a picture of the choices that I have shortlisted. I would like to know if I missed out on any car. I will update this thread once I do more test drives and visit more showrooms.

Here's what BHPian thefonz had to say on the matter:

If you can stretch your budget and I see you have already put it in your consideration, go for the Virtus and GT plus if you can.

Just came back from a 400km round trip and thoroughly enjoyed the drive.

Roughly 150kms stretch was a single lane “highway” with no divider and trucks, buses overtaking from left, right and Center.

I’ll be honest, I am new to driving such distances but because of the control the car offers, the feeling of safety, the power that’s available just a tap of the pedal away and the confidence that come with it, it was a breeze. I have a 6 year old and wife who accompanied me, and all were happy with the space and convenience at offer.

It’s truly sheer driving pleasure at a mass market affordable price.

Here's what BHPian inwester had to say on the matter:

I had written in response to someone else's query with all the proper automatics with 6 airbags and turbocharged engines. You might find it helpful.

Originally I had excluded CVTs, mainly because of my dislike for it, but you can add Kiger/Magnite/City etc. to the list.

Here are the results make/model/variant in ascending order of ex-showroom price, under 20 lakhs.

1) Hyundai i20 - Asta (O) / N-Line 1.0 Turbo DCT: 11.87 lakhs

2) Maruti Suzuki Fronx - Zeta 1.0L Turbo 6 AT: 12.05 lakhs

3) Hyundai Venue - SX (O) / N-Line DCT 1.0 Turbo: 13.23 lakhs

4) Kia Sonet - GTX Plus 1.0 Turbo Petrol DCT: 13.69 lakhs

5) Kia Carens - Prestige Plus 1.5 Turbo Petrol DCT 7 STR: 15.74 lakhs

6) Skoda Slavia - Style 1.0 TSI AT: 15.99 lakhs

Full list here.

Here's what BHPian car_guy1998 had to say on the matter:

If you have the budget, why not look at Verna if you are considering Venue? It has scored 5 stars in GNCAP and also, it has better rear seat space and comfort, reliability, good looking interiors and the engine (1.5 NA IVT) is pretty smooth and adequate for your usage though you can get 1.5 Turbo SX DCT (my favourite of the lot in Verna) within your budget only if you are willing to compromise on DCT issues.

IMO, at the price of Venue N-Line N8 DCT, you can get a Verna SX IVT with all bells and whistles and also with better rear seat space. My friend had bought the same for around ₹17L in August and couldn't be happier with it.

Here's what BHPian bijims had to say on the matter:

From the budget and requirements, here are my recommendations:

1. Tata Altroz XZA Plus (O)(S)

The top-of-the-line Altroz costs exactly 13 lakhs on-road and comes with best-in-class safety and a good feature list too. Although the engine isn't the best in the segment, it gets the job done and the DCA ensures seamless shifts as well.

2.Honda Amaze Elite Edition CVT

The special Elite Edition CVT of the Amaze is priced under 12 lakhs and is a decently equipped sedan, and a good option to consider if you are into sedans.

3. Hyundai i20

The i20 is one of the most feature-loaded hatches out there, and if you want to remain under 13 lakhs, the Sportz IVT variant is the way to go, else the Asta, or perhaps for an even sportier ride, the i20 N-Line would be a great pick.

If you are indeed willing to extend your budget, then you can consider the Brezza AT, Venue DCT, and Sonet DCT/ TC AT. The Venue and Sonet are decently equipped even in the S(O)/HTX trim and have almost all the bases covered. The Venue now comes with 6 airbags standard as well.

Here's what BHPian Small_Bot had to say on the matter:

If the budget can be flexed a bit, what about the Brezza VXI AT? I think it costs a bit under 14 lakhs on road, Chennai. Not sure about your city.

No-nonsense car, good AT, good fuel economy, the platform it is built on has achieved decent crash test ratings in the past.

It also is a bit more spacious than most other cars here.

If form factor is not an issue, check out the base variants of the Honda City CVT. They seemed value for money and probably a larger car than your initial options.

I personally did not like the Venue, because it had horrible fuel efficiency in traffic, was slightly smaller inside and the crash test ratings are unknown (though its sibling Sonet had a poor showing in crash tests).

Read BHPian comments for more insights and information.