[PeteKing75]

Originally Posted by Dr.Naren

Graphene coating done from Carzspa :

Coating was done on full body and all glasses. I am happy with the outcome. Claimed life of coating is 7 years, I would be happy even if it lasts 3-4 years.

Thanks Dr.Naren, did you not go for PPF? Is Ceramic good enough? I have been reading your detailed posts for some time now. I believe you have a Wolf tuned S Cross; I had a ToT tuned Skoda Rapid, inspired by fellow BHPian Kryptonite.

Once again Team-BHP helped me to arrive at a decision in terms of buying the new Verna

[fhdowntheline]

Picked up my Verna 2023 the other day at Garve Motors Pune. Overall delivery process was quite smooth. Transitioning from the Creta to the Verna was not much of a challenge except that I am a bit more vigilant about all the bells and chimes of the various sensors.

1) I had to customize the ADAS features so that everyday driving is a more "routine" affair. One good thing about Verna's ADAS is that any change that you make in the system stays so until you make another one, even if you switch off the car. Unlike what happens in the Tucson, I believe. Starting that car could mean running a checklist of items a.la. an airplane cockpit. Even here in the Verna, I make it a point to switch off the Auto-start stop. It is a bit of an irritant honestly.

2) Still need to figure out the best "tune" for the Bose system. It doesn't seem as punchy as my erstwhile Creta, but is ok (dont have huge expectations anyway).

3) Took a short highway drive to Lonavala and back, and boy, the car really lines up its horses on a highway drive. Even in "Comfort" mode, you get swift acceleration and the 80 kph chime comes up very quickly indeed. I thought the diesel Creta was great with NVH (some what atypical for that type of engine), but the Verna is quite a few notches above, even better than my earlier Honda City. It is a task to keep the car restrained below triple digit speeds. The steering also has good feel and feedback at high speeds. Most important, the joy of driving a sedan on a highway cruise is back as far as I am concerned !

Family loved the overall look and cabin space on offer. Boot space is quite huge as well. For around 21L INR, the Verna turbo is a steal !
A couple of snaps - have a look at the indicated mileage on the Lonavala run:

[greyhound82]

Originally Posted by fhdowntheline

For around 21L INR, the Verna turbo is a steal !
A couple of snaps - have a look at the indicated mileage on the Lonavala run !

The car is like a leech around corners. I like the suspension tuning, engine refinement and smooth DCT. Am getting mileage of 18+ as per MID on highway trips. This car makes me find reasons to take this out. Very very happy with the car.

[amitmk]

Originally Posted by fhdowntheline

Family loved the overall look and cabin space on offer. Boot space is quite huge as well. For around 21L INR, the Verna turbo is a steal !
A couple of snaps - have a look at the indicated mileage on the Lonavala run!

What is the mileage u get in Pune city traffic? I’ve shortlisted the Virtus GT and Verna 1.5 turbo (both automatics) but am wary of the mileage in bumper to bumper city traffic. Don't want to make a mistake of picking a car that will give low single digit mileage when 95+% of my drive will be in the city.

[TN07]

The car is a guzzler if you've got a heavy right foot. Such a departure from all the turbo diesel's I'm used to, and given how fun to drive the car is I don't think I'll ever be able to get anything above 12 kmpl on the highway.

[fhdowntheline]

Originally Posted by amitmk

What is the mileage u get in Pune city traffic? I’ve shortlisted the Virtus GT and Verna 1.5 turbo (both automatics) but am wary of the mileage in bumper to bumper city traffic. Dont want to make a mistake of picking a car that will give low single digit mileage when 95+% of my drive will be in the city.

Its very early days yet, but I am.sure the car will not exceed 10-11 kmpl in city traffic. The Virtus GT will fare no better I think. If you need a more city focused car you can think about the IVT Verna, which is non- turbo, but is still smooth and refined, and a tad more economical. And its not too bad on highways either.

[fhdowntheline]

I sometimes think that mileage can be an over-rated parameter on a stand-alone basis and should be taken in context of the overall cost of ownership, the most significant part of which is the price of the car itself. If the car offers a lot more in terms of comfort, features, space and safety, for which you have to pay a few lac more elsewhere, then the perceived low mileage component is taken care of.

[amitmk]

My last experience with a Hyundai was the Getz which gave me 6-7 kmpl in Mumbai city without pushing the pedal hard while a Honda City was giving 9-10 kmpl and Polo 1.2 DSG gave 11 kmpl with the same usage and driving pattern.

So wanna be sure it’s not going to be a repeat of my Getz experience. 9-10 kmpl is all I’m expecting. If that’s not what owners are getting I’m contemplating the ZS EV but the heart wants to hear something in favour of Virtus DSG / Verna DCT.

[fhdowntheline]

Originally Posted by amitmk

So wanna be sure it’s not going to be a repeat of my Getz experience. 9-10 kmpl is all I’m expecting. If that’s not what owners are getting I’m contemplating the ZS EV but the heart wants to hear something in favour of Virtus DSG / Verna DCT.

There are plenty of good things to hear in favour of the Verna or Virtus. Incredible fuel economy in the urban conditions is not one of those. If that is your primary concern you should look at a hybrid like the Honda City or the Hyryder/ Grand Vitara. But if you are ok with 10-11 kmpl then the Verna turbo is a great overall package.For a few lac less, and a notch higher efficiency, the Verna IVT is not bad either!

[harikr]

My Titan Grey Verna SX(O) IVT
Hello BHPians,
I got the delivery of the Verna SX(O) IVT, Titan Grey on Oct 12 from Kundan Hyundai, Pune. Let me give a brief on the buying decision and process.

Reason for purchase:
I was using a pre-owned 2014 Honda City SV CVT which had crossed 1.15 Lakhs km in August. The car had perfect powertrain, but was facing multiple issues with suspension, steering, starter motor etc. Had replaced complete suspension setup in March from GoMechanic, Coimbatore (I was in Coimbatore for almost a year). They did a pathetic job and even after multiple visits to various garages, the issues were not resolved to my satisfaction. Afterwards, I encountered a dog hit at ~90kmph on one weekend run to Kerala which destroyed the front end. Had to replace the radiator, front cross member, bumper, fog lamps etc. The insurance claim from Acko was a pain which demands another whole writeup, which I will do in the insurance section. Repair took two weeks and car was back on road. One month down the lane, my cousin took the car for another drive, rear ended a Slavia. From outside, it seemed like rear bumper of Slavia took most of the impact, the City had some damages too (broken ambient temperature sensor, slightly bend body panel etc). Coming to August 2023, one fine day the car began to refuse cranking even though the battery was charged. Got stuck on the road 2 times for almost half hour. It was diagnosed that the key cylinder had some mechanical issue which prevented it from engaging the starter motor. Solution was to replace the complete key set. Initially thought of getting it done along with steering rack replacement (it was giving the cracking noise at times, once it got stuck at the left end position). But I was little sceptical on spending again on a pre-owned car which was giving me one issue or the other every time I drive it for the past one year. So finally made the decision to drop it and go for a new car.

It was clear for me and my wife that we need a sedan. I have nothing against a proper SUV, but the compact SUVs failed to impress me. It is my opinion; everyone has their own. We needed a proper boot space, as we drive around a lot, and we are not light packers. I was happy with my Fiesta as well as City in the long drives. I have driven around a lot in my friend’s Ecosport, my sister-in-law’s Brezza, my cousin’s Creta. All of them failed to connect with me. With the conditions already good or improving in most of the roads I frequently drive, I feel a sedan will be good for me.

Cars Considered:
Honda City:
I was in love with the no-nonsense ownership experience with Honda in general (other than the last 1 year where multiple accidents and my foolish decision to go with Go Mechanic at Coimbatore). Honda cars in general have good reliability too. Contacted Deccan Honda and Garve Honda in Pimpri. Deccan Honda was too slow in response. Took their sweet time to arrange a quote and a TD. Garve Honda was prompt in their responses and arranged a test drive for the car. Liked the car in general, it was spacious, drive was reasonably good, and almost like my old City. ADAS and few other features were good additions. The tyres were too narrow, it was always the same with City. The ICE was pathetic. Cannot see properly on a sunny day due to its positioning and orientation, lacked the premium feel for a ~20 lakhs car. Still the car was a strong contender in my list.

VW Virtus:
What a drive! The car was so nice to drive. Seating position was optimum, the drive felt so placed. But the interior plastics, what was VW thinking? I could see plastics like one that was in my first family car M800 long back. Also, there were squeaks and rattles on a 3000 km run car. Never expected it from a VAG car. I was part of the VAG group for almost 6 years in my career. I know how well they monitor the quality control in most parts of the world, but with India 2.0 they have adopted some new way. Somehow the overall VAG feel didn’t come in the car. I felt that the servicing is still a hit or miss, especially if you go out of the major cities.

Skoda Slavia:
Took the quote, never took a TD as the car was almost same as Virtus. Servicing was again a hit or miss.

Hyundai Verna:
I was little worried about the front look when I saw the pictures. But I liked it once I saw it in flesh. It is futuristic and kind of grows on you. Drive was almost like City but liked Verna slightly more. TD was offered on a Turbo DCT which I didn’t want. I asked around all the dealerships in and around Pune for an IVT version for TD but couldn’t get. Garve Hyundai told that they will check if they can arrange a customer vehicle for TD. I was really surprised by this offering and told no. I cannot do that to another person as I hate someone doing it with me. Kundan Hyundai had a display car for IVT. Visited their showroom and liked the car in the first look. The all-white interior (They call it beige, but it is whiter than beige) was a little concern as I have a 5-year-old kid who loves keeping his feet on the seat with his shoes own for most of the time. Took a TD in the DCT version. Man, what a drive. It really felt nice. I even considered going for it. But my driving style doesn’t need a DCT. And the DCT system in its various names, were always having a troubled history in India. However, other aspects like Level 2 ADAS, Bind spot assist, powered driver seat (albeit powered height adjustment), a wonderful 10 inch display, ambient lights etc were really wonderful. Boss speakers failed to impress me, but still, it is better than others. The ADAS worked like a charm. The option for 7 year extended warranty was a cherry on top. Front parking sensors are also good for such a long low slung car.

Suzuki Ciaz:
Took a TD, but I didn’t like the car at all. It feels aged, lacks most things offered by competition. Only points in its favor are the lower price tag, proven trouble-free ownership. But when you see five or six years down the lane, Ciaz will feel so outdated. Hence dropped it.

So, the true comparison was between City and Verna for me. Visit to Honda dealership was little sad. Other than the rush in front of the elevate, City and Amaze were not calling for many visitors. Yeah, they are established models, however the long-term existence of the company in India seemed troublesome for me. I will be excited if time proves me wrong as Honda builds some reliable machines. With City selling nearly 2000, Amaze in 3000 plus, and Elevate in 5000 plus (being a new launch, this will stabilize shortly) total sales for Honda is less than 10000 units. I really wonder how they will manage in the long run. I have no experience in running a company, but I am sure Honda management has some plans for this. For me it didn’t look much promising in the long run. Whereas Hyundai is selling north of 50,000 cars in a month. While accepting that Verna sales is peanuts in comparison to Creta, Hyundai as a company is here to stay. Since I plan and hope to keep the car for a very long period, my preference was to go with Hyundai. Better ICE, better tyres, better ADAS, powered seats etc made me and my wife to take the decision in favour of Hyundai. The GNCAP 5-star rating came as a bonus. I was expecting 4 star or above considering the safety kit offered. And in the end, your driving and basic behaviour is a lot more important than these passive safety kits.

Booked the Titan Grey SX(O) IVT from Kundan Hyundai on 22nd September. There was some confusion on Titan Grey vs Starry night, but finally went for Titan Grey. Paid the initial booking amount of Rs 25000. They didn’t have the vehicle in ready stock, but one was in order with Hyundai already. On 26th Oct the chassis number was allotted, and car was in shipment the next day. Finance was arranged from SBI. The processing was quick and easy. Only issue that I faced was that Kundan Hyundai gave quotation for normal MH registration whereas we had asked for BH registration. We had to wait for almost 3 hours at bank to get the quotation changed and application entered again. My old car was exchanged at Hyundai itself as they offered the best price considering the accident history. Car was supposed to reach the dealer yard on 29th September and loan disbursement was planned for 30th September after PDI. The SA at Kundan Hyundai was sharing the tracking details for the truck daily and on 28th September evening, it was clear that the vehicle is not reaching as committed due to some logistics issue. SA was asking me to release the loan amount on 30th as the sales was planned for September and it will be a help for him to meet his target. I was sceptical about it, however released the loan on September 30 without seeing the vehicle or even confirming the month of manufacturing as I understand the pressure on these salespeople to meet the targets (Hyundai VIN does not have month of manufacturing. It is only on the vehicle as part of the chassis number as the 19th character). But that was a mistake. The SA went ahead and got the insurance issued the next day without even the vehicle reaching the yard. I shared my concern with he team at Kundan Hyundai, they told that the insurance discount offered to me was valid for September so they had to process it. I did not believe it, but accepted it for then as I still had almost 40% payment with me.

Finally the car arrived at their yard on 3rd October. Went for the PDI. It was a July 2023 manufactured car. I was expecting at least August manufactured one. Was little worried, but a detailed PDI didn’t show any serious issues. ODO reading was 10 km. Tyres was third and fourth week of July manufactured. So, car assembly should be completed in fourth week of July too (I am hoping). Gave the go ahead for registration and transferred the balance payment. Now comes the surprise. I was just going through Hyundai website to see the extended warranty terms and conditions. I was surprised to see that the price offered by my SA was much much lesser than the amount quoted in their website for the 7 year/1lakh km package. I called the SA and asked him to check it and he informed that he would check and revert. Got a call back in 30min saying that what ever quoted is correct and I can ignore the amount from website. I told my wife that we need to keep more money ready to be transferred as the SA is wrong. Just as I expected, next day he called me apologizing that he made a mistake, the amount in the website is the right one and the Hyundai dealer system is not accepting the amount quoted for extended warranty while doing the invoicing. I told him that I am ready to pay whatever you offered in writing, and I cannot pay more. Then he was literally crying saying that he will have to pay for it from his pocket and his monthly salary will not match the difference amount. I was actually ready to pay but was really surprised at his ignorance / irresponsibility in checking the amount even after I highlighted it. I asked him to drop me a mail with all the details in extended warranty; how much is that actual amount, how much difference I need to pay, why the mistake happened etc. He accepted and disconnected the call. After 10 min he called again and told that he will give a 5k discount on the total extended warranty price if we close it now. I asked him to mail me all the details and then only I will make the payment. Got a mail from his team lead this time stating the amount (discounted by Rs 5000) to be paid for the warranty. I paid it and closed the deal.
There were some hiccups on the Form 60 required for BH registration. The form given from office did not have “Form 60” written on the top. So, RTO rejected it. All details were there as required, but the title was not there. Anyway, resubmitted the form and registration was done on 10th October.

Delivery Experience:
We wanted to take the delivery on a specific muhurat as per our beliefs. So reached the dealership good 1 hour before the time. I had opted for 3M ceramic coating from Hyundai itself as the rate was matching with 3M outlets. Also had asked to add a spoiler. Payments for all these were made, completed the documentations. SA said that car is in their delivery area downstairs in the basement. So, I went with him to check the car one more time. Family waited upstairs in the waiting area. Car was all shiny from outside due the ceramic coating. Went on and opened the door and I was surprised and depressed. The white (or beige) area on the dashboard was completely dirty with black fingerprints. Same was the case with the centre arm rest. Driver and codriver seats plastic coverings were half removed on the bottom part, there were dirt marks there as well. Floor was covered with muddy foot marks. Windscreens had finger marks. It was such a sad feeling. I scolded the SA. I said that I am not taking the delivery of this vehicle. Again, he was apologizing (third apology from him). He called the 3M team inhouse and asked them to rectify it. 3 people were put on the job, and they did a great job. All the dirt was removed, white dashboard became white again. Floor area was thoroughly brushed and cleaned. They checked every point in detail now and did proper job.
Finally, the muhurat arrived and took the delivery of the grey beauty together with the family. Service advisor was introduced to and he explained the features and settings. While showing the wiper functions, it was observed that there was no water in the washer fluid reservoir, which was immediately filled with plain water. Rest all things were working well including the front crash detection. Car was not moving forward as the flower garland in the front was being detected as an obstacle ahead. So had to arrange its height and took the car out. Bluelink was not getting activated as the sales information was not updated yet in the Hyundai server. SA told that he will follow up with the team and get it closed soon. Pleasant surprise was that the car had more than 50% fuel in it. I did see some technician filling it up after the cleaning from a large can. I assumed it was some minimum fuel they are filling. Then SA told that by mistake they added fuel that was planned for their TD vehicle, and they are not removing it now. I was ok with that

Few pics of the delivery:

All set for delivery



The congratulations card could have been smaller. Can't see the car.



Bluelink was activated 3 days after delivery. However, the validity of the 3-year subscription starts from date of delivery.

The irritating "Children crossing" warning was disabled the next day. It was not part of the ADAS but was part of the navigation maps.

Took the car for a weekend drive to Lavasa. It feels so thrilling to drive. ADAS functioning as expected. Did not face too much interrupting. Handled well on the curves and NA engine with IVT was also good to drive. Paddle shifters do respond well to upshifts. A minor lag is observed in downshifts which is inherent to CVTs. AS expected, the white interior is going to be a pain to maintain, but car cleaning is therapeutic for me. So, I am ok with it.
Since Verna is still not seen in large numbers, people do turn around to look at the car.

A pic from the Lavasa trip


Waiting for running in for 1000-1200 km to take her on a proper highway run a well. I took her on a short drive to Lonavla via the express highway. Didn't rev up the engine too much and didn't keep the engine running at constant rpm for long. I got around 18 km/l efficiency. Lavasa drive gave me 10km/l. Both are values from the cluster and not measured properly. Will update once the running in is completed.

[MyLife_MyCar]

Originally Posted by TN07

The car is a guzzler if you've got a heavy right foot ... and given how fun to drive the car is I don't think I'll ever be able to get anything above 12 kmpl on the highway.

Originally Posted by amitmk

9-10 kmpl is all I’m expecting ... the heart wants to hear something in favour of Virtus DSG / Verna DCT.

A friend once asked,"how much mileage are you getting from the car?"

I replied,"one can focus either on the mileage or on the pleasure of the turbo with this car. And I didn't buy this car to focus on the mileage."

[PeteKing75]

I got delivery of the Starry night Verna SX (O) DCT today in the auspicious day of Ayudha Puja. It was a very smooth experience and thd the drive through the heart of Bangalore was also very smooth. The children crossing false alarm kept sounding due to navigation and Zi have to figure out how to stop it! The tyre pressure reading was 34 and got normal petrol filled at an Indian Oil bunk. I have now given it for PPF and ceramic. I will share some photos post the PPF and pen in my thoughts post a few long drives.

[TN07]

Originally Posted by PeteKing75

I got delivery of the Starry night Verna SX (O) DCT today in the auspicious day of Ayudha Puja. It was a very smooth experience and thd the drive through the heart of Bangalore was also very smooth. The children crossing false alarm kept sounding due to navigation and Zi have to figure out how to stop it! The tyre pressure reading was 34 and got normal petrol filled at an Indian Oil bunk. I have now given it for PPF and ceramic. I will share some photos post the PPF and pen in my thoughts post a few long drives.

Congratulations! The car looks great. Turning of the children crossing ahead sound is very straightforward. Please this this video

[DocMaHi]

Congratulations to all those getting their cars delivered this festive season! May you and your vehicles stay blessed!
I'm also in a similar dilemma between some cars : Verna SX IVT, Honda City V CVT, Tata Altroz DCA, Tiago EV, Maruti Baleno AGS. Previously I was looking forward to the new Nexon EV but had to relocate budget and hence now are looking among these or anything better in this budget. We previously own a second generation swift and are looking forward to an upgrade our family car, the new one should emphasize on safety features with a decent amount of ICE tech on board, fuss free ownership, fuel efficiency in the ballpark of 11 (personal best in Delhi NCR). We have checked the Verna in person and the car has swooned us with everything it has to offer: pleasant white interiors, 5 star safety rating, huge boot and the way it looks in black and blue! Its looks have grown on me for sure .The question is if it'll be worth to buy the Verna over City and retain it for close to 8 years or just save money with the hatchback offerings , EV charging is quite debatable at the moment since there's no other EV in our apartment society. While the Tiago feels like a downgrade in size, offers lower running cost and better safety; Baleno feels like a bigger Swift. Tata cars can have ownership niggles but Honda's business in India seems dubious. Feel free to drop a word of help as the confusion is getting too much to deal with. Lastly, a recent shift of workplace has reduced overall commute to 30km now & Car may not see more than 10k annual running, mostly being in the city.

[gck_tourer]

Originally Posted by amitmk

What is the mileage u get in Pune city traffic? I’ve shortlisted the Virtus GT and Verna 1.5 turbo (both automatics) but am wary of the mileage in bumper to bumper city traffic. Dont want to make a mistake of picking a car that will give low single digit mileage when 95+% of my drive will be in the city.

Buy a Diesel automatic while you can. Mileage, Torque, Reliability pick what you need. Sad that none of the sedans offer a Diesel engine anymore. For Hyundai, it's plug and play in their Verna but unfortunately they don't care.