There’s no visible compromises. I just hope this car doesn’t fail its crash tests.
BHPian cityslicker86 recently shared this with other enthusiasts.
Booked the 1.5 IVT SX(O) Fiery Red variant on Sunday (2nd April) from Modi Hyundai (Malad), Mumbai. SA is indicating 10th April as delivery date even though the official waiting period is 20-24 weeks. SA said they already have ~150 orders of the car.
Took a short test drive of the 1.5 TGDI as the showroom did not have a test car for the non-turbo variant. I focused on the suspension, heft of the doors, fit and finish, plastics used on the trim, quality of the music system, interior space (esp rear seats), ergonomics, ADAS (esp Blind Spot monitoring), ground clearance and the maneuverability. Didn’t read too much into the powertrain as I’m not going to buy that variant. In essence, found the car to be very responsive (though not explosive) and super smooth. Will reserve my take on the 1.5 NA IVT variant until I drive one.
First up, the car look spectacular in person, especially the rear three quarters and the side profile. The fastback profile is unlike anything else in the market. Pictures do not do justice. The lines combined with the size of the vehicle make it look like an Audi, to be honest. The ‘VERNA’ label is housed inside the glass strip connecting the two tail lights and it looks amazing. We purchased a Honda City last year (VXi CVT) and this one just looks better. I was half sold when I saw the car.
The doors are heavy and close with a reassuring thud. Fit and finish is par for the course. So is paint quality. Nothing out of the world there. Plastics used inside are again – par for the course. However, the design of the dashboard is outstanding. Its very different and one can feel it. The two screens are alright. They are large and bright enough and the touchscreen is responsive (no noticeable lag). The UI is simple and user friendly. However, as they are not covered (unlike meters which sit inside a plastic housing), they gather dust and its clearly visible in sunlight. Its a big turn-off. I wish they could do something about it. Additionally, these being large screens, screen guards are being sold as an accessory. Not sure of the utility of these as we are unlikely to drop them on the floor
The AC-Music System ‘switch’ is an interesting feature on the control panel, though I much prefer the conventional system. Its a party trick and makes the dash look elegant. If one doesn’t fiddle with the AC/Music System too much while driving, this system will work. Even other wise, steering mounted controls take care of music needs (change track/volume/mode). I must say though, the ‘track change’ button on the steering wheel is counter intuitive. To move to the next track, one has to push the button down instead of up. Its the other way around in my Maruti and I guess it will take some getting used to for new owners coming from Marutis. Speaking of music system, I was – disappointed. Had it not been a ‘Bose’ system, I wouldn’t have had high expectations. Sadly, the music system is nothing special. Its nice, can get loud and that’s it. It not a joy. Surprisingly, it doesn’t have pre-fixed modes like ‘Rock’/’Pop’/’Jazz’, not even a custom. Either these are not there or both SA and I couldn’t find them. One has to manually adjust Bass, Treble and Mid-Range. Not too sure if the settings can be saved. We purchased a Honda City VXi CVT last year and Verna’s music system is similar to the one in the City, which is nothing special. Note that I’m not an audiophile, so cant make educated comments.
Interior space is very good. The leg space is good all around, especially at the rear. The front seats are electrically adjustable and they are great. Seating position is easy to find, ergonomics are great and steering wheel is light enough but not too light (unlike our 2014 Verna). I’ve come to appreciate the electric adjustment feature as against manual (though I’ve been a proponent of the latter) as it helps in making minute adjustments which are difficult manually. I didn’t try the ventilated seats feature. I wonder what happens if someone spills liquid on these seats (my 4 year old nephew recently wet himself in the car. Fortunately the car had non-ventilated seats). I thought the rear seats wouldn’t be wide enough but they are. Three adults can comfortably squeeze in (if that’s a valid phrase ). On long drives, occupants may take turns to sit in the rear middle seat I guess. Transmission hump is reasonably low. Rear Sun Shade/Curtain is operated manually and while its good for the rear passengers and overall cabin temperature in general, it significantly hinders the rear view visibility for the driver. I would leave it down unless absolutely necessary, or when the car is parked. The overhead pull-type handles are damped though not as well damped as one would want. The ceiling upholstery is decent.
The ADAS system appears to be a useful feature, especially the blind spot monitoring system, though the test drive was too short (3 km) so couldn’t tell how useful it is. The fact that there’s a system that alerts-about/shows me what I can’t see is good to have. I struggle with lane changes on Western Express Highway in my morning commute and have had close calls. Hopefully this system will help there. The front sensors can be turned off.
Ground clearance seems to be adequate for city drives. The car didn’t scrape the roads in Malad area. I’ve seen videos on YouTube where test-drivers drove the car over pot-holes, broken roads, unpaved mud roads etc and the car didn’t scrape. So yeah, it’s not 179 mm like the VAG twins but I guess its sufficient. Overall, I found the car very easy to maneuver despite its size. As my T-bhp handle suggests, my drives are largely in the city and I drive sedately but I do like to make the occasional lane changes (planned, not abrupt) and overtake pesky 3W/2W/sky-high TATA ACE Delivery Tempos. I hate driving behind these.
The test car showed an FE of 3.4 kmpl . The SA assured me that its the result of a combination of 1.5 Turbo + multiple customers + short test drives with bursts of acceleration. He promised that real world city FE of the IVT would be ~12 kmpl. I saw ‘mileage test’ vidoes on YouTube where the car delivered 15-16 kmpl (City + Highway average). With my slow-jazz driving style I’m confident I’ll be able to extract additional 1-2 kmpl. Economy mode for the win!
Overall, this car is just what I was looking for. Smooth and peppy drive, acceptable FE, comfortable ride, good fit and finish and overall quality, spacious cabin for the entire family, feature rich, big boot (for those Panchgani trips with family), Audi-esque styling (God knows when I’ll be able to buy a real one) and the assurance of reasonably good after sales support. There’s no visible compromise. I just hope this car doesn’t fail its crash tests.
Keyword: 2023 Hyundai Verna: How I ended up booking the 1.5L IVT variant