Opening
2014 Hyundai Verna Review
Hyundai launched the Verna in 2006 in India. It was a good car but then no one took it seriously because of the way it looked. Verna's Plain Jane design made some shy away. In 2011, Hyundai surprised all with their new “Fluidic Design” philosophy.
The first car to get this was the Verna. With it, the Verna not only became the segment leader but also raised the benchmark of C segment cars. It brought in fresh level of aspirations. Hyundai started getting recognized as a premium car maker. The Verna went ahead and challenged the erstwhile leader Honda City. With multiple engine and transmission options, the Verna became the final answer for someone seeking features, design and style in a premium C segment car.
With an intention to refresh the Verna by giving it a mid life uplift and also make it ready to take on competition with a fresh spirit, the 2014 Hyundai Verna is all set to be the new leader. We take it for a brief spin to find out more.
Appearance Exterior
The new Hyundai Verna, which imbibes the Fluidic Philosophy, makes you wonder what were they thinking when they launched it back in 2006. Presently, it is one of the most attractively aggressive looking sedans in the country.
Cars cannot look impressive without a generous share of chrome wrapping on it? This is rubbished by the Verna’s design lines. Aggressive headlamps which seem to draw inspiration from shark’s eyes are very impressive. The 2014 version gets projector headlights along with DRLs, a feature which has recently got very popular. It has a hexagonal contour on the front profile with a subtle radiator grille design. There are arch shaped fog lamps affixed on the front bumper. Even the front bonnet gets strong muscular lines on it.
There are wedge shaped lines flowing on the side profile. The way design lines start from the headlight and flow all the way back is very impressive. It also gets newly designed machined alloy wheels which contribute to make the new Verna look sporty. Door handles are finished in chrome and the ORVMs can be electrically adjusted.
The strong wedge line which flows on the side profile meets the rear tail lamp and continues to flow on the rear profile as well. Large tail lamps dominate the rear design. It gets an integrated spoiler as a result of higher boot lip position. The cuts and creases on different profiles make them look interesting.
Appearance Interior
The cabin feels nice and plush with the dual tone dashboard and wooden vinyls on door trims. The design is simply done and yet feels modern. The area where it holds its place is features offered.
The steering wheel has basic controls to operate Bluetooth telephony and the entertainment system. One can pair phones as well as connect external music players via different options available like the USB/Aux-in option. It gets a 2 DIN music system. The playback quality of the speakers is impressive.
The luxurious beige leather interiors make the interiors feel rich. Legroom for the front row passengers is great while that in second row is decent. The external fluidic lines can be an obstacle for the rear row passengers because of the slanting window lines. Both row seats have adequate cushioning and bolster support.
The instrumental cluster gets a blue backlight in the new version but then rest of the arrangement has been kept intact. There are various informations along with an optimum rpm gear position indicator displayed on the cluster.
It has twin cup holders on the central console and also storage space under the driver armrest. It also gets smart bottle container on front door trims while the same has been given a miss on rear passenger doors. Overall, the interiors of the new Verna have not been changed drastically but have been tweaked with some changes to make it feel more premium.
Performance Drive
One constant feedback against the Verna was the way it handled and thus Hyundai claims to have taken this consumer feedback and tweaked the driving dynamics of the new Verna. Apart from suspension settings, it remains unchanged mechanically. It still gets 1.4L and 1.6L petrol and diesel powertrains with an optional automatic gearbox.
Ditching the popular diesel, we chose the 1.6L SX petrol variant. This four cylinder 1591cc engine produces 123.05PS of power at 6300 rpm. It also generates 155Nm of torque at 4200 rpm. It is equipped with a 5 speed manual transmission and can also be availed with an optional 4 speed Automatic transmission.
Tweaking the exteriors and retouching the interiors are not the only changes one would notice in the 2014 Verna. The suspension setup which was more inclined to deliver a cushy ride didn’t go well with the ride and handling of the car. Many complained that the car didn’t feel accurate while taking corners and instead used to offer poor steering feedback. On the new variant, the issue has been sorted to an extent but not that it has vanished completely.
The 1.6L gasoline engine has a linear power delivery. It does not have a mad gush in of excitement but then it gradually climbs the power band. Even at higher engine speeds, the engine does not feel very engaging. It maintains it pace with confidence but the fun factor of driving a 1.6L, which is felt in the 1.5L i-VTEC of Honda City, is missing. Our review car returned an overall mileage of 12 Kmpl.
The manoeuvrability of the new car is better than the earlier model but then it can be further improved to match the best in competition. It gets disc brakes with EBD which scores great on safety. It also gets reverse parking camera screen on the internal mirror. One problem with that is during the daytime, the visibility of this screen goes bad with external sunlight. But overall the list of safety equipments Hyundai provides in the Verna makes it a strong car in its segment.
Tech Specs
| Technical Specifications | |
| Make | Hyundai |
| Model | Fluidic Verna |
| Variant | 1.6 SX VTVT |
| Engine Displacement | 1591 |
| Power PS/RPM | 123/6300 |
| Torque NM/RPM | 155/4200 |
| Transmission | 5/M |
| Turning radius in M | 5.2 |
| Wheels | |
| Steel | 195/95 R16 |
| Alloy | 195/95 R16 |
| Dimensions inmm | |
| Length | 4370 |
| Width | 1700 |
| Height | 1475 |
| Wheelbase | 2570 |
| Ground Clearance | 165 |
| Fuel Tank Capacity L | 43 |
| Fuel Efficiency in KMPL | 17 |
Features
| Features | EX | SX | SX(O) |
| Dual Airbags | Driver | Yes | Yes |
| Side and curtain airbags | No | No | Yes |
| ABS with EBD | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Front Fog lamp | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Central locking system | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| LED Indicators on outside mirror | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Blue interior illimination | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Alloy wheels | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Rear view camera with display on ECM | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Automatic air conditioning | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Electrically foldable outside rear view mirror | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Electric power steering and tilt function | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| MT Shift indicator | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Leather upholstery | No | No | Yes |
| 2-DIN integrated music system | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Steering wheel mounted controls | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Electric power steering | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Air conditioner | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Power windows | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Electric folding ORVM | No | Yes | Yes |
| Ex showroom Mumbai in Rs | 8,511,96 | 8,97,741 | 9,96,280 |
Competition All Specs
| Specifications |
Hyundai
Fluidic Verna |
Honda
City |
Skoda
Rapid |
| Variant | 1.6SX | VX | EleganceT |
| Fuel Type | Petrol | Petrol | Petrol |
| Engine Displacement | 1591 | 1497 | 1598 |
| Power PS/RPM | 123/6300 | 119/6600 | 105/5250 |
| Torque NM/RPM | 155/4200 | 145/4600 | 153/3800 |
| Transmission | 5/M | 5/M | 5/M |
| Turning radius in M | 5.2 | 5 | 5.3 |
| Wheel | 195/95 R16 | 175/65 R15 | 175/70 R14 |
| Dimensions in mm | |||
| Length | 4370 | 4440 | 4386 |
| Width | 1700 | 1695 | 1699 |
| Height | 1475 | 1495 | 1466 |
| Wheelbase | 2570 | 2600 | 2552 |
| Ground Clearance | 165 | 165 | 168 |
| Fuel Tank Capacity L | 43 | 40 | 55 |
| Claimed Fuel Efficiency in KPL | 17 | 17 | 14 |
| Features | SX | VX | Elegance |
| Dual Airbags | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| ABS with EBD | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Front Fog lamp | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Central locking system | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| LED Indicators on outside mirror | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Alloy wheels | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Rear view camera with display on ECM | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Automatic air conditioning | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Electrically foldable outside rear view mirror | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Electric power steering and tilt function | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| MT Shift indicator | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Leather upholstery | No | Yes | Yes |
| 2-DIN integrated music system | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Steering wheel mounted controls | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Electric power steering | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Air conditioner | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Power windows | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Electric folding ORVM | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Ex Showroom Mumbai | 8,97,741 | 10,33,564 | 9,18,810 |
Conclusion
The 2014 Hyundai Verna is a strong recommendation for someone seeking features, comfort and modern styling in a C+ segment car. The new changes aren’t very evident unless seen with great detail. With the new variant, Hyundai plans to regain its leading position in the premium C sedan segment.
