[Chetan_Rao]

Somewhere on the spanking new Delhi-Bombay expressway, at the wheel of a 1.5 TGDi DCT.

T-BHP review out 30th

[CEF_Beasts]

Checked out the new Hyundai Verna 1.5L Turbo MT SX(O) today.

Right off the bat, in person the car doesn’t look as bad as it does in pictures! This is one rare car where the white colour just doesn’t suit it! But you’ll either take a liking to it or you’ll not like it at all. There is no middle ground in the looks department with these newer-gen Hyundais, something that was present in previous generation Hyundai cars like the 2017 First-Gen Creta I have. The new design language adopted will age very fast!

What I Liked

- Quality levels (the leather wrapped steering and leather Seats felt brilliant to hold and touch) are better than the VAG 2.0 camp sedans for sure.
- The longer wheelbase has surely freed much needed room in the rear seat, which has always been a weak point of the previous gen Vernas.
- Bootspace at 528L is humongous for the segment.
- Features galore, it’s the most feature-loaded car in its segment; ADAS, Ventilated & heated seats, High-beam assist, electric 4-way driver seat, 64 colour ambient lighting etc etc.
- Ingress and egress was pretty good and not a pain.
- Finally a mass-market Hyundai gets all illuminated window switches, something that shouldn’t have been absent earlier (Tucson being the only exception)
- Plenty of space in the centre console area to store knick-knacks, something I really like about all Hyundais.
- MT being offered in several trims with the Turbo petrol engine, something that is missing in the VW Virtus but present with the Škoda Slavia.
- The button to switch between the AC controls and Infotainment controls is a party-trick, but the controls are touch-sensitive (a drawback for me especially while driving).
- Safety on these Indian-made Hyundais has always been a question mark, providing 6 airbags as standard is a good step but a crash test by GNCAP will be needed for the necessary answers.

What I Loathed

- There is not much to differentiate the 1.5L Turbo variant from the 1.5L NA variants other than the red brake callipers and black alloys from the outside. The 1.5L Turbo deserves a N-Line version, which I hope is in the pipeline.
- 1.5L Turbo MT SX(O) variants don’t get the EPB with Auto-hold feature and Rear-disc brakes, reserved exclusively for DCT owners ?! Who decides such a feature distribution, different variants getting different features is understandable but differentiating features on the basis of MT and AT is ridiculous when the same top-end variant is in consideration.
- Hate the twin-spoke steering wheel, just feels so incomplete in an otherwise great looking interior.
- The speedometer cluster is an absolute joke and has no business in a car so expensive!
- The subwoofer jutting out in the boot can be an issue if someone is not careful while stowing their luggage.
- The black interiors may look sporty, but the plastic-y feeling with an All-black cabin gets accentuated, something that dual-tone interiors do better with a more premium and sophisticated look.

Some Pictures

A design that you’ll either like or not like, no middle ground here. This is one rare car where the white colour just doesn’t suit it!:


The coupe-ish design and connected tail-lights give the car good presence when looked at from the rear:


The Black sharkfin antenna provides a good contrast:


Nowadays more and more manufacturers are going for satin finish for various exterior elements like the logos and door handles! First I saw Toyota do it with both the HyRyder and HyCross getting satin finish logos and monikers, now Hyundai has done it with the Verna, everything is in satin-finish on the exterior, several interior bits included. Only chrome I saw on this Verna is the lettering inside the gear knob. A surprising departure from Chrome! :


A very busy alloy wheel design, will be a pain to keep clean especially in full black. The red-callipers denote the 1.5L Turbo variant.


The All-Black interior with red-stitching and piping for the 1.5L Turbo variant:


Absolutely hate this steering wheel design, come on atleast the turbo variants deserve a sportier steering wheel with three-spokes:


With the button for switching between AC and Infotainment controls, a lot of space has been saved without compromising on the usability and ergonomics, smart! :


4-way Driver’s electric seat with a manual lever for adjusting the height, I’m sure providing a 6-way electric seat wouldn’t have costed much! :


Centre console space is a strong point for all Hyundai cars:




Rear seat space is much better on this new generation Verna, the longer wheelbase shows here. I had enough headroom for me at 5’8” even with the sloping roofline:


The rear-legroom on offer with the driver’s seat set to my driving position was on par with the competition:


Bose branding on the speakers, more of show than go as seen already with the Creta, unless Hyundai India has actually changed something dramatically:


Rear-AC vents and a total of 4 charging ports in the cabin with 3 being Type-C USBs ports and 1 USB-A port:


The massive 528L boot is really deep and well designed, the only gripe is the subwoofer jutting out:

Conclusion

With the pricing chosen by Hyundai for the Verna, this has brought some much needed life into the slowly-reviving C-Segment Sedan space.

A diesel will surely be missed in this segment, but that’s how the world is moving, can’t do much about it! By offering both a 1.5L NA and 1.5L Turbo (with class-leading specs) with AT and MT in both, Hyundai can cater to a much wider audience. Although is the 1.5L Turbo really class-leading can only be confirmed once the drive reviews are out, because there is a difference between Korean horses and German horses as seen with the previous-gen 1.0L Turbo 120hp Verna and 110hp 1.0L TSI Virtus/Slavia.

If I am in the sedan space in the near future as a replacement for my Creta, which one will I pick? Well, I had decided the Virtus GT 1.5L TSI long back when I got to test-drive one, will be eager to see if the 1.5L turbo Verna can sway me back to the Korean Camp.

[ulag62442]

Originally Posted by Grand Tourer

I have not used Qubo but I use the 70mai A500s with the rear cam in my Nios and I'm planning to get the same for the Verna when I get it. Its pretty good from a quality standpoint and the app is quite intuitive to use. Has some form of ADAS (warnings only) which work ok. I also got the wiring kit and setup the parking mode. Works pretty well

Deal of the day: 70mai Pro Plus+ A500S Dual Channel Car Dash Cam, 3K, ADAS, Built-in GPS Logger, Route Recorder, App Playback & Share, Optional Parking Monitoring

Thanks for the recco, but if you buy your own who will do the setup with the car wiring etc? Can you still give it to the dealer to install?

[Grand Tourer]

Originally Posted by ulag62442

Thanks for the recco, but if you buy your own who will do the setup with the car wiring etc? Can you still give it to the dealer to install?

There are several videos on YT showcasing how to wire it. If it's USB, it's actually really simple. I've done it for all my cars so far. If you get the wiring kit, a person who is well versed with the fuse box can do it. The instructions are simple. But TBH, I was not confident with the fuse box setup, so I gave it for my current car to an accessories shop

To answer your question, for the new verna, I would ask the accessories team at the showroom to do it. They would mostly agree (in my experience). If not, a visit to the same regular outside accessories shop to get it installed

[Joe367]

I'm sorry if this was answered before in this thread, what is the extra slit below the hyundai logo in some models for? Is it only there in turbo models or is it for ADAS features?

[Naparajito]

Originally Posted by Joe367

I'm sorry if this was answered before in this thread, what is the extra slit below the hyundai logo in some models for? Is it only there in turbo models or is it for ADAS features?

This slit is for the Turbo variants only. Possibility is that, it requires more air for which they had to create this slit. Hope this helps.

Meanwhile, I was able to get the Honda City ZX and the 1.5T SX(O) side by side for comparison.

Key Differences :

1. City has more space.
2. City looks smaller than the Verna from multiple angles and it is smaller from the outside.
3. The interior of the city feel more premium as compared to the all black interiors of the Verna though the verna has great quality too. However, the city just feels more expensive.
4. Infotainment on the city is just "Old", the verna in comparison is slicker and better integrated. However, the bad bezels are an eyesore.
5. The seats on the city are still unmatched minus the ventilation & heated function. It can or cannot be a deal breaker for many. Personally, I feel it is good to have, not a necessity.
6. The 1.5 TGDI is just way too powerful in comparison. The car is actually doing 0-100 kmph sub 8s (speedo based). Though you can feel the vibes from the engine if you immediately switch from the city.
7. If NA engine is what you like, the city's refinement & power is much superior. But the 1.5NA from hyundai has improved low end too.
8. The tyres look right on the Verna. However, Hyundai says there is no option to upgrade to larger wheels because it would touch the bodywork (what?). The tyres on the city is just too narrow for the size of the car. Upgrade recommended (as always).
9. The noise insulation on the verna is very good. On the city, it is just about okay.
10. Brakes are very similar on both, city feels more spongy but stops well.
11. The steering of the city is much superior than the Verna. Infact, taking back to back drives on Virtus/City and the Verna also makes it very evident.
12. The gearbox was slick on the Verna. I think most manufactures get it right these days. PS : I owned a Linea before, everything feels nice to me.
13. 3 people in the back seat of the Verna is a struggle. This is more because of the rear arm rest, when folded.
14. The bonnet on the Verna is pretty heavy, the doors are average. (for those who judge the cars based on heft alone. They feel similar to VW 2.0/City. Again, coming from a Linea & an Ecosport, these feel very light).
15. The colors are very interesting on the Verna. Meanwhile the city in white looks great, the verna looks unfinished.
16. The IRVM on the city, feels more premium. Thanks to the bezel-less profile.
17. I like how the Verna looks. City is more conventional & sporty now. Thanks to the faux rear diffuser and the lip spoiler. Btw, did I inform that the spoiler costs 10K and you can source it from Honda. The diffuser is removable, just in case you damage the part. It costs around 4500~ (as informed).
18. The clutch is very light on both the cars. Should not be an issue in the city at all.

Pics for reference :

[casnov]

Does anyone feel that the steering looks as if it's fitted upside down or is it only me?

[prajakt_23]

Absolutely hate this steering wheel design, come on atleast the turbo variants deserve a sportier steering wheel with three-spokes:
Attachment 2434351

Absolutely sad taste! It looks like steering wheel of old Tata / Ashok Leyland trucks. I mean, I understand that they want us to feel different but not to this extent

[ToThePoint]

Originally Posted by casnov

Does anyone feel that the steering looks as if it's fitted upside down or is it only me?

It's the silver accents which are playing the trick..

[jaysonline]

Originally Posted by Naparajito

This slit is for the Turbo variants only. Possibility is that, it requires more air for which they had to create this slit. Hope this helps.

Meanwhile, I was able to get the Honda City ZX and the 1.5T SX(O) side by side for comparison.

Honda design is something else, just looking at the interiors of these two side by side, there is a sense of calmness and symmetry in the City's design.
Only if Honda had been more invested in Indian market they would have grown by leaps and bounds.

[ulag62442]

Originally Posted by jaysonline

Honda design is something else, just looking at the interiors of these two side by side, there is a sense of calmness and symmetry in the City's design.
Only if Honda had been more invested in Indian market they would have grown by leaps and bounds.

Dunno if its just me but the City's Infotainment Unit looks like an aftermarket accessory. I was hoping they would change it atleast in the latest generation but no. Not sure why they persist with it over multiple facelift generations. Takes away from any premium-ness feeling sitting in a 20L+ car.

[StarrySky]

Originally Posted by MyLife_MyCar

What is benefit of Stop and Go in a non-hybrid car? Won't it increase the load on battery with AC, dual screens and music running? How much will it impact the battery life?

I don't think the "Stop-and-Go" system referred to in the ADAS features refers to the Idle Start-Stop system. What it means in this context is that the ACC system can bring the car to a halt if the car in front stops (eg: at a traffic stop) and get moving again when the car ahead starts moving again (you may have to hit resume button or tap the accelerator, if the halt is too long).

[MyLife_MyCar]

Originally Posted by StarrySky

I don't think the "Stop-and-Go" system referred to in the ADAS features refers to the Idle Start-Stop system.

Hi StarrySky, Hyundai website says Verna has both - Smart Cruise Control with Stop and Go (S&G), and Idle Stop and Go (ISG)

S&G:


ISG:


Here's a video from HyundaiUSA explaining ISG:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Puz-zYRjYLE

[StarrySky]

Originally Posted by MyLife_MyCar

Hi StarrySky, Hyundai website says Verna has both - Smart Cruise Control with Stop and Go (S&G), and Idle Stop and Go (ISG)

The two systems can probably work together, so if Idle Stop and Go is activated then the car may turn off if the SCC Stop and Go brings it to a halt. Tapping the accelerator should then bring the engine back to life and resume SCC. If Idle Stop and Go is deactivated, the SCC Stop and Go would still work.

Watch from 2:19 for SCC Stop and Go:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iaZMP-fqa9U

[MyLife_MyCar]

Originally Posted by StarrySky

The two systems can probably work together, so if Idle Stop and Go is activated then the car may turn off if the SCC Stop and Go brings it to a halt.

Got it. But my question was how a non hybrid car will be able to handle the load on starting up with ISG. What will be impact on battery, ac and other electricals.

I just hope what rkv_2401 has mentioned is true and I should live in peace with it

Originally Posted by rkv_2401

The battery, starter motor (if not an ISG setup like in mild hybrids) and other electrical systems are significantly beefed up to handle the extra load.