Is Hyundai Verna a good chauffeur-driven car? Opinions after 3000 km

My first choice was a VW Virtus but in terms of dimensions and rear seat comfort, the Verna looks comparable to a Maruti Ciaz.

BHPian HarshS recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

I'd earlier decided to buy a Glanza CNG G model with six airbags. The details of why and how I chose that are in this long post.At that time, I could only afford this, but when I announced this to my family, I was advised to upgrade to a sedan (you buy only once). With their financial support, my budget went from Rs. 11 lakh to Rs. 14 lakh and the Glanza booking was cancelled--it helped that my preferred silver colour wasn't available. Back to the sedan search. My first choice was a Volkswagen Virtus. It looked good; had a high ground clearance; had five five-star safety rating; had a comfortable rear seat; big boot space. Sadly, the six airbags version came in at Rs. 18 lakh, more than I could afford.

I'd also seen the new Verna in the showroom. it looked long, sleek, low, and its taillights sloping down reminded me of a 1960s American racing car (Pontiac or Cougar or whatever). All Verna models came with six airbags, so that immediately put it in the top of my choice. Yes, it had a (supposed) three-star rating, but any sedan would be safer than the Glanza that I'd booked earlier.

The basic E version was too basic. At Rs. 14 lakh, the next S version seemed fine--it came with a few more useful kits. A test drive, naturally of the top-end showed to me that it was a comfortable rear bench, and as the reviews said, its rear suspension did a good job over bad roads.

Aside: I don't drive (don't have a license, but been on this forum for 18 years!). Car would be driven by a driver, and so rear seat comfort, safety, and space were what was important.

Booked the S version. A few weeks later, some money from an expired insurance came my way--and the budget went up by Rs. 75,000, and a bit more to Rs. 15.1 lakh, for the SX version, which I changed my booking to. The SX version has a small sunroof (nowhere as good as the panoramic sunroof that my partner's Jeep has); it has a rear camera; front parking sensors; and some more kit that I could do without, but I suppose good to have.

On June 29, I took delivery of my starry night Verna SX (manual) at Gurgaon. Final price came to just over Rs. 15 lakh (including insurance). I got the footmats and the mudflats free. I've now been driven 3,100 km in it, and here's how I came to appreciate the car.

At first, what I didn't like about the car:

• Its front looks weird--the low bonnet and the light line in front--as if the front was something different bolted onto the rest of the car.
• The back was too raised--almost as if it was a dog squatting before relieving itself.
• Lower ground clearance, as compared to Virtus.
• Too modern in its looks; not as timeless as Virtus.

Here's how I began to like the car:

• Heck, its look is so "Back to the Future" futuristic, but that's good.
• The Starry Night, dark blue colour is majestic.
• It's a long car, and thus the legroom at the back is a lot, more than the Virtus.
• The white fabric upholstery and the white inside LED lights make it look modern from the inside, complementing its outside design.
• Opening the shutter (but keeping the sunroof closed) makes the car feel more airy and still more spacious.
• Very good suspension. Drove during the monsoon downpours on the bad roads of Gurgaon, and it didn't thud or jar or crash too much. I've found an experienced driver, so that helps too.
• Not a Virtus--the AC cools sufficiently (I keep the temperature at 24).
• Not a VW--so spare parts will be cheaper (and definitely cheaper than the Jeep).
• I can get in and out of the rear seat comfortably, so its (lower) ground clearance is tolerable. The front seat has a lower height, so slightly more effort is needed to exit it.
• A very large boot space, apparently a few litres more than the Virtus.
• The under thigh support in the rear seat is adequate. Surprisingly, the deepest rear seats were in the Tiguan, but I wasn't buying that (again Rs. 3 lakh more).
• Did I mention: six airbags for Rs. 3 lakh cheaper than the Virtus?

What could be better?

Fuel efficiency. Mostly bad city traffic, with a run to Greater Noida on the Noida expressway every two weeks. The tankful-to-tankful method has given me the best average of 11.78 kmpl; currently getting 11.2. Brochure said 18 kmpl. Reviews had claimed 15. I'm hoping it'll reach 12 at least. Can't complain--I consciously gave up a CNG hatchback for a sedan.

In its dimensions and rear-seat experience, the 2023 Verna looks comparable to a Ciaz. If a Ciaz had six airbags, I may have taken that. Perhaps it has a bit more safety kit than a Ciaz (Hill Hold Assist, I think). And hopefully, its engine is a tad more frugal than a Ciaz (which government drivers tell me sometimes gives less than 11kmpl).

Whenever I see a Virtus, I ask myself--could I not have found Rs. 3 lakh more and bought its topline MT 1.0 engine? But I couldn't, so I've learnt to love my Verna, and I hope to spend the next ten years or so perched on its comfortable back seat. When I can spare another Rs. 45,000, I'm going to get leather seat covers and additional foam to make the rear seat a little higher and a little deeper so that the under-thigh support is perfect for me. I might also increase the height of the front passenger seat slightly at that point.

If you want a chauffeur-driven sedan and don't have too much money, the Verna is a good choice.

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