I haven’t driven driver-oriented cars a lot so I find my Hyundai to be very comfortable and in control.
BHPian BudgetFailure recently shared this with other enthusiasts.
First, a couple of pictures of the beauty, Titan Grey MT SX(O) 1.5L Turbo
Near Bhadra Dam
Quick foam wash of the car, it was extremely muddy post a trip to the coffee estate in Chikmagalur over the weekend.
Applied a coat of CarPro ECH2O quick detailer and the car looks better than the day it was delivered!
What I loved
- Even under 2.5k rpm, the engine provides an ample amount of power in all gears, especially the 5th and 6th. It is easy to overtake even without downshifting in the majority of the scenarios.
- Driver’s seating position provides a very commanding position and a good view of the road.
- Managed to get a good 16+ kmpl average over 1.5 long trips, including 200km of Bangalore city drive. (1.5 because I am yet to fill up my tank back post returning, expecting a major decline in mileage as I was stuck in Bangalore jam for 3 hours, covered mere 36km in 3 hours)
- Tthe ISG feature is very convenient and non-intrusive, I do hope it saves some fuel, at least during those red light stops.
- Suspension seemed pretty good for the majority of the use cases. Car felt stable throughout.
- For my taste, the steering feels alright. I have not driven any of the driver-oriented cars a lot so Verna feels very comfortable and in control.
- Interior looks good and sorted. The physical knobs are a boon given all the modern cars are going buttonless.
- Impressed with Ground clearance, managed to do a 2km non-existent uphill road with ease.
- Steering and Lane assist feature is very helpful for expressway drives, it prevents you from getting tired.
- Rear seats are very comfortable based on my 2 rear passenger’s feedback. It provides an ample amount of leg space too.
- Horn is extremely loud.
- Headlights work decent, given the opposite side drivers are not driving with high beams.
Observed Hiccups
- In eco and normal mode, the engine judders a bit around 1k rpm. This doesn’t happen in sports mode. It affects the overall smoothness of the drive.
- If you try quick gear shifts the lever at times doesn’t go into the correct position in one shot, maybe i need more getting used to it.
- When going straight steering remains at an angle of around 4-5 deg, which is definitely not normal. Just not sure if the service center is going to honour the request free of cost or not as it has been like this since day 1.
- ADAS front and rear collision is extremely intrusive when in the city. It tends to press the emergency brake way too frequently when creeping forward or reversing.
- The Hill Assist in a manual seems a bit tricky. When you are on a slope it holds the vehicle in the same position, but to allow the vehicle to move forward you need to press the accelerator. This results in a very jerky move/lunge forward. While going uphill in normal mode, due to the extreme slope, I ended up stalling the car, post that it was a nightmare for me to get it uphill as I am not accustomed to how Hill Assist works in the manual. It took me multiple tries to actually get the car moving forward and had to give more race than normal, almost around 1.7k rpm to get moving again. An area where I need to experiment a bit more with this car. I had never faced a problem with the usual hand brake mechanism in my Tiago on steeper slopes.
- The tyres didn’t inspire confidence in the above scenario either.
Overall I am happy with the car and hope to have a good ownership experience.
Keyword: Happy 2023 Verna 1.5L Turbo MT owner shares 18 observations