Hyundai Verna Expert Review

The Hyundai Verna has an edgy design with sharp lines and plenty of cuts and creases. Some stand-out elements at the front include a full-width LED lightbar, split headlamp design and a wide grille that is reminiscent of the Tucson SUV. At the rear, it gets a fastback style roof design and muscular rear haunches, with another LED tail-light bar. The design has, however, been divisive, with an overload of elements on every surface.

The Verna’s interior feels premium and there are some interesting elements like a two-spoke steering wheel and a minimalist dashboard with a horizontal layout and AC vents hidden in the dash. There’s also 64-colour ambient lighting which extends onto the doors. The 1.5 MPI gets a cream and black colour scheme, while the Turbo gets all-black theme with red inserts. Quality, like in most Hyundais, is very good.The Verna’s interior feels premium and there are some interesting elements like a two-spoke steering wheel and a minimalist dashboard with a horizontal layout and AC vents hidden in the dash. There’s also 64-colour ambient lighting which extends onto the doors. The 1.5 MPI gets a cream and black colour scheme, while the Turbo gets all-black theme with red inserts. Quality, like in most Hyundais, is very good.

There is no diesel available in the line-up. The 115hp, 1.5-litre MPI naturally aspirated petrol is available with a 6-speed manual or an 8-step CVT and it feels refined and with an adequate amount of power. The 160hp, 1.5-litre, Turbo-petrol comes with a 6-speed manual or a 7-speed DCT, and is punchy and great both for inter-city use and for spirited driving.  Both engines are very refined and quicker than they feel.

As per the ARAI cycle, the 1.5 turbo-petrol offers a mileage of 20kpl and 20.6kpl for the manual and DCT respectively, while the 1.5 MPI is rated at 18.6kpl and 19.6kpl for the manual and CVT respectively. In our real world tests, the 1.5 TGDI DCT returned an average of 13.5kpl.

The steering feedback of the Verna is, once again, not the best, but toggling between the driving modes adds weight to the wheel. It is great for city driving or parking in tight spaces. However, ride quality has improved drastically. The Verna feels composed at expressway speeds and also absorbs low-speed bumps, but it is more inclined towards comfort rather than handling.

The Hyundai Verna comes loaded with features like heated and cooled front seats, a semi-powered driver’s seat, an 8-speaker Bose sound system, wireless phone charging, connected car tech and a sunroof. Safety is taken care of in the form of 6 airbags as standard, ABS, EBD, ESC, TCS, TPMS and hill-start assist. The Hyundai Verna also comes equipped with ADAS, including radar-based adaptive cruise control. It has scored 5 stars in Global NCAP crash tests.

Hyundai has priced the Verna competitively with the MPI priced from Rs 11.07 lakh to Rs 16.36 lakh. The Turbo, on the other hand, ranges from Rs 15 lakh to Rs 17.55 lakh. The new Verna may not have any one major strength, but it quietly excels in almost every area, with very few standout flaws. If the edgy new look appeals to you, picking the new Verna as your next sedan seems like a no-brainer.