Hi Everyone,
I bought a Hyundai Verna SX Diesel with ABS on the 14th of October 2008. Its just been 2 weeks since i got the car and haven't clocked too many kms yet in it. Nevertheless, finally i get to write a review on team bhp after reading so much on this site while deciding which car to finalize.
I had decided on a diesel car right from the beginning. But after slowly ruling out all the small car variants, I finally settled down on either the Verna diesel or the Ford Fiesta diesel SXI.
I found my uncles fiesta very impressive, but the car was a little rigid and quite large in terms of the body structure, and I wasn't very comfortable driving it. Plus the expensive maintenance and service meant that I ruled it out.
I had my eyes on the Verna Diesel for a long time and once I test drove both the petrol and diesel variants I immediately fell in love with the diesel. The petrol lacked power and was no fun. It felt like any other random car. The x-factor was really lacking. While I test drove it from DSC motors Chennai, I eventually ended up completing the purchasing procedure at Hyundai Motor Plaza, Chennai. The salesperson Venkat, was absolutely brilliant through out and his services were impeccable. He was quite honest with any issues the car may have and gave a complete run through of all details regarding maintenance, service etc. I would recommend HMP to all people in Chennai.
Now coming to the car. I had the unfortunate luck of having some idiot on a Pulsar scratch the front left part of the bumper when I had parked the car near a shop just on the 4th day. I was quite livid with the way people drive/ride around here. People's complete ignorance towards basic road discipline and rules makes me want to run my car over myself.
The mileage so far seems to be around 13 or 14km or so. Not judged very correctly but it is approximate for the short time Ive had the car. There is no noise what so ever from the diesel engine. Once inside with the windows closed and the ac on, you are completely isolated from the outside noise. The ac is fantastic and will chill you to your bones at its lowest temperature. The climate control system is also very effective for a comfy drive at the end of a tiring day. Adjustable steering and driver seat height are useful for shorter people like me. The car is perfectly crafted to make driving both forward and in reverse easy unlike in cars such as the SX4 where reversing was a nightmare during the test drive. The steering is not too light and not heavy as in the fiesta. The car is quite responsive in turns. Many people talked about understeer, but so far i find handling it a breeze.
As many people mentioned, the power and acceleration of the 110 bhp engine is quite addictive, although 2nd gear pickup is a little poor and the turbo charger kicks in only around 2000rpm. But this ensures that in traffic you don't keep zooming off, and that you don’t lag behind on an empty road. Quite a brilliant balance! The turbo charger does mean that from 3rd gear onwards the car surges forward even if you remove your foot from the throttle and this is an amazing feeling. Its almost as if the car has a life of its own and doesn't want to be held back. The gear transitions are relatively smooth, but somehow don't seem to be as great as when I test drove it. The stick needs to be handled delicately and gear shifts need to be done quickly once the clutch is engaged to allow a smooth shift. Hoping that it gels in better with greater use.
The interiors are spacious though slightly bland, but not something that should deter people from buying the car. The light colour of the interior is conducive to dirt marks and should be maintained by cleansing regularly.
The kenwood sound system supports a rear end aux jack which I fitted in for rs 150/- and also plays cd and audio cassette and comes with a remote. It is more then sufficient and the speakers are very effective.
Suspension is decent, though it could help to perhaps have it tinkered with a bit during service. Overall ride quality is pleasurable. The one issue that I have found is that the car does veer to the left noticeably at speeds from 35km/h onwards. I thought that HMIL would have ironed out this problem already but clearly that is not the case. The wheels also can be upgraded to a bigger dimension (probably alloy wheels) after the present ones wear out for greater stability. The ABS system is brilliant and is a real necessity because this car really takes off, and with the way people behave on roads it'll be a reassuring safety factor since there are no airbags available on any of the models.
The only other disappointing factor was that the HMIL does not provide enough free accessories with the car despite its high pricing. At least a free car cover should have been provided along with the free floor mats and the mud flaps (+ a key chain and a clock/photo frame). I had to pay separately for the sun film as well which was deducted directly from the 20000 discount I got. The monstrosity that is its engine is the one thing that makes the verna worth the extra couple of lakhs over its competitors. The stock headlamps need to be upgraded as they are terrible for night driving. It shouldn't be too much of an investment. Philips headlamps at 100/90w come for around 900 bucks.
Overall experience with the car so far has been amazing. The dealership has made the experience all the more enjoyable for me. Hoping that the car will provide a good mileage and maintenance will not be too expensive.
Before signing off, a few things i would like to know from hyundai verna owners:
1) What is the issue with the car veering to the left? how can it be fixed? I haven't been able to gather much from past threads.
2) Can anyone give me an approximate amount they spend on maintenance for the car.
3) Should I have the bumper repainted? If he offers to repaint the whole bumper should I agree or only have the scratched part painted? What are the issues i may face with this repainting process in the future?
Replies to my queries would be greatly appreciated.
A few suggestions
1) Avoid buying seat covers and other accessories at the dealership. They are priced much higher. There are plenty of car accessories shops with better variety and lower prices where the technicians will do an excellent job.
2) Feel free to take a longer test drive to get a complete idea of the car, and pester the sales person regarding all the features in the car, any issues that it may have, and potential maintenance/service related issues. If there are petrol and diesel variants available make it a point to drive both. As proven by the Verna, the diesel model is light years ahead of its petrol variant.
3)Maintain a good repertoire with the sales person because they can be contacted for any queries you may have. I found that the chaps at HMP were more then friendly, responsible and prompt.
Thanks to all you car lovers out there. Your inputs on this great site were very valuable. Remember that you invest a lotta time and money in buying a car. Don’t mess it all up by becoming rash like many other people on the road. Happy and SAFE driving!! Cheers!