[Dr.Naren]

It has been more than a year since I bought Verna 1.5 TGDi MT. I have driven close to 20k km.



Likes
1. Engine: Good low end, super refined, linear power delivery, and absolutely love it on full throttle
2. Transmission: 6MT is nice with slick shifts and light clutch. You can revv close to 100 kmph in 2nd gear and also there is no issue doing 60 kmph in 6th gear
3. Suspension: Not too stiff nor too soft, Hyundai has got it right
4. Space, comfort, and features: Best in the segment
5. Looks: I like the futuristic design

Dislikes

1. Fuel economy: Drive the car aggressively, single digit FE is guaranteed
2. Stock brakes: Adequate, wish it had better bite and pedal feel
3. Headlights: Low beam is ok, but the highbeam is below average
4. Instrument cluster: Not a fan of the digital speedometer and tachometer layout in Verna.

The story behind addition of Verna in my garage

I had driven 1.08 lakh km in S-Cross 1.6. It had tons of modifications and was pretty reliable too. But, change is the way of life..7.5 years with the Dr. S-cross and I needed a change. I love sedans for driving pleasure and comfort. The car should be at least close to the performance of 200+ HP stage 3 S-Cross. MT vs AT was the major confusion. I finally decided to go with MT for my primary car which would be used for highway drives, just like the S-Cross.

My budget was 20 lakhs and only 3 cars were considered which is pretty obvious. Virtus vs Slavia vs Verna.

Verna was the clear winner based on paper calculation as it was superb VFM deal. We should compare the SX variant of Verna with top model of Virtus and Slavia as Verna SX(O) is equipped with ADAS which is missing in the German siblings. Verna SX variant was cheaper by more than 2.5 lakhs on road. All the cars had similar power and torque figures. Not to forget, the service experience and spare parts availability would be obviously better for Hyundai. Honestly, I liked the clean looks of Virtus over Verna. However I was not ready to pay 2.5 lakhs more just for the looks. I would have bought Virtus if it was substantially better than Verna in terms of driving experience. TD of all the cars sealed the decision to go with Verna.

Performance: Verna is the clear winner. Low end torque was much better. The engine is also more refined. I liked the linear and strong power delivery.

Dynamics: I found Verna better on corners. However, the steering feel and feedback was better in VW siblings which made it more involving to drive. Verna could do better speeds on twisty roads and body roll was better controlled.

Comfort, Space, and Features: Ride quality was the best in Verna. High speed ride was better in the Germans. Space was similar in all 3 cars, Verna did have minor advantage. AC performance in Verna was too good compared to just average cooling in Virtus and Slavia.

I booked the Verna 1.5 SX TDGi MT. Color choice was black. The car delivery was promised within a month. The dealer called me after a week asking if I would be interested in starry night color and sent few pics. It looked black in color to my eyes. I wanted to check the starry night color in person. Dealer arranged a visit to their stockyard. I saw couple of Hyundai cars in starry night and just loved it. This shade is unique, it has dual character. It's black under shade and dark blue under sun . I changed the booking to starry night. The dealer was Kanchana Hyundai, Mangalore. Delivery was scheduled within 2 weeks.

I got the call from dealer after 2 weeks that the car has reached the showroom. I immediately drove to check the car.

Jab we met for the first time



The car looked lovely in starry night color. No issues were noticed in PDI. I made the payment and completed all documentation. I asked the dealer to get the car temporarily registered in Karnataka and I would register it later in Kerala. The dealer took 2 days to get the temporary registration.

Delivery day

I went to the showroom for car delivery. Delivery experience was good. Dealer staff explained and gave demo of various features and assisted in setting up Hyundai Bluelink.







Price break-up

Ex-showroom price: 14,83,500
Insurance (with all the add ons available): 63,000
Road tax (Kerala): 2,23,000
Temporary registration, number plate: 2,662
Extended warranty: 8,501
Accessories: 6,500
Fastag: 500
TDS: 14,835
On-road price: 18,02,498
I enjoyed the 40 km drive back to my house. It's very addictive and fun to drive. FE was 10 kmpl for the first short trip in my Verna.

I went to Kasaragod RTO with all the necessary forms given by the dealer. I submitted the same and got a link to pay the road tax. After paying the road tax, I was told to come next day with the car for inspection. The inspection process was smooth. The inspector just checked the forms, ID card, engine and chassis number. I decided to run the car with temporary number plate till I get the RC and install HSRP from the dealer.

Tyres and wheels upgrade

I was not a fan of OE black alloys. It doesn't really stand out. I wanted to upsize the tyres too for better handling and braking. I decided to go with 225/45 R17 tyres. Yokohama Bluearth GT was finalised. I was confused between OZ Envy and Lenso Conquista. Car decor, Mangalore gave me the best deal considering the superb buyback price for OE tyres and wheels.









Yes, I opted for Lenso Conquista finally. These wheels and the wider tyres really transformed the looks of Verna.

Yokohama Bluearth GT 225/45 R17 tyres: 44,000
Lenso Conquista wheels: 62,000
Wheel balancing, wheel nuts, tyre valves, and spanner: 4,000
Buyback of OE tyres and wheels: 45,000
Total: 65,000

Comparison pic



That stance

[Dr.Naren]

Exterior

The design is futuristic. Love it or Hate it. Many enthusiasts criticized the looks when the pics were out. I too didn't like the front end in pics. However, it was a different story when I got to see the car in person. I felt the design is modern and it really is a head turner. The car looks luxurious and a segment above . I love the side and rear profile. Panel gaps are tight and consistent. Paint quality is good. Build is impressive too. The doors have good weight and bonnet feels solid.













Interior



The cabin looks modern. The plastic quality is pretty good, much better than Maruti cars that I had owned. There is ample amount of space both at front and rear. Seats are comfortable. Rear seat comfort is good, headroom is adequate. AC performance is superb, a major plus point compared to VAG competitors. Boot space is best in the segment. The car is also loaded with a long list of features. OE touchscreen system is very responsive and easy to operate. Sound quality is average, I did a major audio upgrade. The two spoke steering looked weird, however it doesn't bother me anymore after using the car for more than 1 year. The steering feels nice to hold and good quality leather is used.

64 ambient colors to play with, just enhances the cabin experience at night





Powertrain



Hyundai 1.5 TGDi is a modern engine with interesting tech like CVVD (Continuously Variable Valve Duration). This was world first technology introduced by Hyundai in 1.6 TGDi. I am posting a video link to understand the functioning of this tech.

https://youtu.be/uhsgdwUX1-w?si=jeE0XmRFmQnM42-B

This engine is just brilliant. Performance is too good and even the driveability is exceptional. There is good low end and turbo lag in minimal. The engine has linear power delivery, but the car is fast. It revvs freely all the way to 6200 RPM, Hyundai could have easily kept the revv limit higher. NVH level is something to be appreciated too. Enthusiasts would have liked better music from the exhaust though.

The engine is mated with 6 MT gearbox. The gear ratios are long. It's possible to do almost 100 kmph in 2nd gear. Shifts are butter smooth, clutch is also light. This car can do it all, meets the requirements of any type of driver. You can enjoy revving the car and also happily cruise at 100 kmph in 6th gear.

Ride comfort, handling, steering, and braking

Hyundai has provided a well balanced suspension setup in new Verna. Low speed ride quality is top notch. The car doesn't unsettle on minor undulations at higher speeds too. It's also possible to take corners at decent speeds. I have upsized the tyres to 225/45 R17, hence the ride quality has taken a minor beating which is acceptable. Steering feel and feedback is average, this is where the Virtus / Slavia is better which makes it more engaging to drive on curvy roads. Not to forget, it's the Verna which handles better with lesser body roll..it's just that steering feels light. Braking is adequate, but the pedal feel and iniital bite could have better. However, there is huge difference after I upgraded to wider Yokohama tyres and Brembo brakes.

Other points

1. Ground clearance is adequate. I had no issues driving on non existent roads in interior villages of Kerala. However the car did scrap few times when driving with full load over large speed breakers in Bangalore.

2. Headlight output isn't great. Low beam is ok, but high beam is pathetic. I have bought 2 inch fog projectors, but didn't get time to install them.

The output is not this bright in real, blame the phone camera





3. OE dual horn is good, no need of any upgrade.

4. Drive modes mainly alter the throttle response and steering feel. I find normal mode the best for driveability.

5. Verna is equipped with front parking sensors too, it really helps.

6. Reverse camera with dynamic guidelines has good video quality.

7. Hyundai Bluelink is useful. It's possible to remotely lock / unlock the car, start the engine etc. I like the trip statistics data.

8. The car has Kefico ECU - CPEGD3.20.1. It's globally available in few Hyundai / Kia cars, but it's not unlocked yet for tuning.



9. Verna has integrated air purifier system. We can monitor the AQI. The air purifier turns on when AQI is high and the same is notified in the head unit.

10. Smart trunk feature is extremely useful. When you go near the boot with key fob, the car will start beeping. After the 4th beep, the boot lid will auto open.

11. Standard warranty is for 3 years / unlimited km. Extended warranty is available upto 7 years / 1 lakh km.

[Dr.Naren]

Service history

First free service was done at 1500 km. It was just basic inspection and wash. No amount was charged.

I got the second free service done just before 10k km. The labour charge is free. Engine oil was replaced along with oil filter. The service charge was 4,400 rs. I got boot lip spoiler installed, it costed me 5,000 rs.





Brake upgrade

I upgraded to Brembo brakes. Brembo Xtra pads and Brembo OE replacement rotors were installed at Engineering Exponents. Caliper sliding pins were also replaced.





Brembo rotors: 10,500
Brembo Xtra pads: 7,000
Caliper sliding pins (OE): 3,500
Labour: 2,000
Total: 23,000

There was huge difference in braking after this upgrade. Pedal feel and initial bite got lot better. Brake fade is also minimal under high speed braking.

Audio Upgrade

I got high end audio setup done at Galaxy premium car accessories, Kochi.

The gear

1. Morel elate titanium mid range and mid bass
2. Audiofrog GS10 tweeter
3. Morel Maximo Ultra Coaxials - rear
4. Morel Ultimo Subwoofer - 12 inch
5. Fiio K3 DAC
6. Mosconi one 8 | 10 dsp amplifier
7. Alpine monoblock amp
8. Morel damping
9. Gladen speaker wires

I will post more details on this later. The SQ is excellent now. I park and sit in the car only to listen to music.

Niggles

I have driven close to 20k km and happy to report that no major issues were faced. I can only nitpick on few minor problems.

1. Minor rattling sound: I thought it's coming from the steering / cluster. However it was from sunvisor. The sound went off after I tightened the screw.

2. TPMS low pressure warning: If there is a low tyre pressure warning, the error doesn't go away even after you fill the tyre to recommended pressure. The hack is to fill 4 to 5 psi extra pressure, then the error goes off. We can reduce the pressure later.

Quick comparison with Stage 3 S-Cross 1.6





S-Cross was my primary car for highway driving. The car was also heavily modified to 200 plus BHP. Here's a quick comparison with Verna.

Space, comfort, and features: Verna is the clear winner. There is less fatigue while driving long distance in Verna. The car is also loaded with more features, but misses out on rain sensing wipers and sunglass holder which was present in S-Cross.

Handling: Verna is better and more fun on the curves. Straight line stability is similar in both the cars.

Performance: Stock Verna can keep up with stage 3 S-Cross 1.6. Both the cars have very similar power delivery..linear and strong. Top speed is same in both the cars .

Fuel efficiency: I miss the S-Cross here. No matter how you drive, I used to get minimum 12 kmpl...but in Verna it can go to even 7 kmpl.

Few pics of Verna clicked at different locations













I hope ECU gets unlocked soon and exploit the full potential of this engine. I will keep this thread updated. Thanks for reading

[KarthikK]

Thread moved out from the Assembly Line. Thanks for sharing!

[throttleAddict]

Beautiful pictures OP, fantastic car, looks like you have gone on customizing the car exponentially in all aspects. I really like the second last picture next to the house, its really nice

[ExtremePocca]

Rims look great! I'm usually skeptical whenever people upgrade their rims as the car usually ends up looking hideous by the end of it; but this is a very tasteful upgrade! Congratulations on the car, wishing you many happy miles.

[gururajrv]

Man, there was a time when Hyundai had weak petrol & handling department wasn't something to remember their cars for!

Your review is a stark opposite of that perception they'd back in 2000s/2010s Era. See their cars now - enthusiastic focused and it is pretty much evident how far they've come, even to beat the Evergreen heroes in these departments which I mentioned both VAG twins that got mowed down while getting compared with the new Verna! Goes on to show Hyundai hasn't lost focus unlike Maruti in the Indian market.

Hyundai beating both VAG twins is a testament in itself while putting a great show with your erstwhile 200bhp diesel

Have a safe & great journey with this car

[2JZ-GTE]

Congrats on the new car Naren!!
I was waiting for your review to drop.

The Lenso Conquistas are just super sexy it goes very well with the Starry black colour.

Will the Verna also join the 200bhp club like the S Cross?

Wishing you many more happy miles!!

[MAMOTH]

Congratulation for the car, that black looks awesome.
With those good looking alloys. Nice mods. Waiting for your audio modification in detail, what material did they use for sound damping?
Wish you happy miles with smile.

[mugen_pinaki27]

Congratulations, Dr. Naren. Lovely review. I had a huge crush on the first and second gen Verna. But somehow, the headlights of the latest generation didn't quite appeal to me. But reading your review, I feel that it's frankly nitpicking. The fact that the Koreans can deliver such an exceptional product to give competition to the VAG twins was an eye-opener in itself. I look forward to a long review of the new Verna, the same way that you did for the 1.6 S-Cross.

Cheers!

[Dr.Naren]

Originally Posted by throttleAddict

Beautiful pictures OP, fantastic car, looks like you have gone on customizing the car exponentially in all aspects. I really like the second last picture next to the house, its really nice

Thanks. It's my uncle's house, next to a forest. Verna could reach there without any issues .

Originally Posted by ExtremePocca

Rims look great! I'm usually skeptical whenever people upgrade their rims as the car usually ends up looking hideous by the end of it; but this is a very tasteful upgrade! Congratulations on the car, wishing you many happy miles.

Thanks. Yes, the Lenso Conquista is perfect match for Verna in starry night shade.

Originally Posted by gururajrv

Man, there was a time when Hyundai had weak petrol & handling department wasn't something to remember their cars for!

Your review is a stark opposite of that perception they'd back in 2000s/2010s Era. See their cars now - enthusiastic focused and it is pretty much evident how far they've come, even to beat the Evergreen heroes in these departments which I mentioned both VAG twins that got mowed down while getting compared with the new Verna! Goes on to show Hyundai hasn't lost focus unlike Maruti in the Indian market.

Hyundai beating both VAG twins is a testament in itself while putting a great show with your erstwhile 200bhp diesel

Have a safe & great journey with this car

Thanks.

Yes, Hyundai has come a long way. Fun to drive cars, reliability, and service / spares support..good package indeed.

Originally Posted by 2JZ-GTE

Congrats on the new car Naren!!
I was waiting for your review to drop.

The Lenso Conquistas are just super sexy it goes very well with the Starry black colour.

Will the Verna also join the 200bhp club like the S Cross?

Wishing you many more happy miles!!

Thanks.

The ECU used in Verna is unlocked now . We need to test it. Stage 1 tune should get it close to 200 BHP.

Originally Posted by MAMOTH

Congratulation for the car, that black looks awesome.
With those good looking alloys. Nice mods. Waiting for your audio modification in detail, what material did they use for sound damping?
Wish you happy miles with smile.

Thanks. I will check and update the specs. Two types of Morel damping sheets were used.

Originally Posted by mugen_pinaki27

Congratulations, Dr. Naren. Lovely review. I had a huge crush on the first and second gen Verna. But somehow, the headlights of the latest generation didn't quite appeal to me. But reading your review, I feel that it's frankly nitpicking. The fact that the Koreans can deliver such an exceptional product to give competition to the VAG twins was an eye-opener in itself. I look forward to a long review of the new Verna, the same way that you did for the 1.6 S-Cross.

Cheers!

Thanks. Yes, overall Verna turned out to be a better deal..especially the VFM price.

[hieronymous]

Where in Bengaluru was it where you scraped OP ? Does the bottom scraping happen frequently ? I'm in a similar situation as you and I am unable to decide between Verna Turbo and Slavia (both MT).
While the Verna Turbo is much better looking, is loaded with features and is clearly more VFM than Slavia, I am unsure how its going to fare over unscientific speed breakers in Bengaluru and also other places. That is the only thing which is stopping me from booking it.

[Dr.Naren]

Originally Posted by hieronymous

Where in Bengaluru was it where you scraped OP ? Does the bottom scraping happen frequently ? I'm in a similar situation as you and I am unable to decide between Verna Turbo and Slavia (both MT).
While the Verna Turbo is much better looking, is loaded with features and is clearly more VFM than Slavia, I am unsure how its going to fare over unscientific speed breakers in Bengaluru and also other places. That is the only thing which is stopping me from booking it.

Do not worry much about ground clearance. Verna will handle most of the speed breakers. My car scrapped while driving with full load. It is an unscientific speed breaker at Ragigudda.

[GTO]

Big congrats on the Verna 1.5L Turbo! When an enthusiast picks a Verna over a Virtus / Slavia, it says a lot about how far Hyundai has come.

Am sure this is going to become one of the best modified Vernas over the course of your ownership.

[Dr.Naren]

Originally Posted by GTO

Big congrats on the Verna 1.5L Turbo! When an enthusiast picks a Verna over a Virtus / Slavia, it says a lot about how far Hyundai has come.

Am sure this is going to become one of the best modified Vernas over the course of your ownership.

Thanks Rush

Yes, Hyundai is doing really good. I wish they get the proper N models to Indian market.

The Verna ECU is finally unlocked. Few tuners are already working on it. Remaps should be available soon .