The Aura is Hyundai's contender for the compact sedan segment, rivalling the likes of the Maruti Suzuki Dzire, Honda Amaze, and Tata Tigor. If you're planning to bring home a Hyundai Aura, we've listed its most prominent strengths and weaknesses below.
Pros
Well-built interior
Step inside the Aura and you’ll be impressed with its bright colour scheme and excellent fit-and-finish. The central dashboard trim and centre console surround are decked out in a copper colour, which lends the front end of the cabin a unique look, and the leather-wrapped steering wheel and gear knob in higher trims do well to add a premium touch.
Smooth and refined engine
Under the bonnet, the Aura packs a sole 1.2-litre 4-cylinder naturally aspirated engine that can be had in either 83hp petrol or 69hp CNG guise. Gearbox options comprise a 5-speed manual and 5-speed AMT for the petrol, while the CNG gets only the former transmission.
As mentioned in our review of the Aura, the petrol-MT powertrain feels quite smooth and refined. It responds well to part-throttle inputs and effortlessly keeps up with traffic. That said, the Aura is best-suited to easygoing urban commuting, as performance is neither brisk nor exciting.
Easy to drive
In addition to its refined engine, the Aura has a very smooth and light steering feel, an absorbent ride, and a slick-shifting manual gearbox with a light clutch. Not to mention, the Aura’s relatively compact footprint makes it easy to manoeuvre in city traffic and on tight roads.
Cons
Falls short on cabin space
Though the Aura’s rear seat offers ample legroom, the narrow width of the car makes the bench best-suited for two adults only. The front seats aren’t the most comfortable either, as the cushioning is a tad too firm, the head restraints are not adjustable, and taller occupants with broader frames may find them too narrow.
Lacks some creature comforts
The Aura comes packed with much of the safety and convenience kit you need, but misses out on a lot of the nice-to-haves offered by rivals like the Dzire and Amaze. Specifically, the Aura doesn’t get a sunroof, a 360-degree camera, ADAS, built-in wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, paddle shifters (for AMT), and connected car tech.