Auto India

Reg. No. MH/MR/South-80/2009-11 WPP No. MR/Tech/WPP - 71/South/09-11 RNI No. RN/57128/93
auto india
UTO
INDIA
super-supercar
april 2011
Rs 50
tata’s petite pixel
from lambo & ferrari
volume NO 18
set to woo
issue 11 april 2011
Rs 50
driven: volvo s60
testrack
VERNA
34 Auto India april 2011
COOLER
A cool new Verna
from Hyundai
Text: gautam sen
h
yundai’s Verna has sold well
since its launch in India in 2006
–particularly the 1.5-litre diesel
version which many saw as a ‘runningcost-efficient’ alternative to the
segment leader, Honda’s City. In
addition to many features, it also had
a reasonable price range (from Rs
6.7-9 lakhs). The diesel version, with
variable geometry turbo, is very
smooth, plus the surge of power once
the turbo starts singing, transforms a
middle-of-the-road mid-sizer into a
fairly sporty saloon, the only downside
being the suspect roadholding and
light steering. The car looked pleasant, with its soft, rounded looks, but
the design was downright boring. And
short overhangs at the front and rear
made the car shorter than the competition and it looked smaller too. And
in India, size matters.
Hyundai’s all-new Verna, the
seventh generation since Hyundai’s
very first car, the Pony – a car that will
be launched soon in India – addresses
these issues fairly well. For one, the
car has grown significantly. The new
Verna is built on a 2.57-metre platform, some 70mm longer than the
outgoing car’s, and Hyundai promises
more space for both front and rear
seat passengers, though the overall
height has come down by 13mm to
1.46 metres, thus relocating the
H-point – the point at which your hip
is parked on the seat – lower and aft
than earlier, which could work against
the gain in wheelbase. Hyundai claim
that the leg room for the front row
– as much as 1112mm – is on a par
with that of a car a segment higher.
april 2011 Auto India 35
testrack
The new Verna is also wider and longer
than its predecessor by 5mm and 90mm
at 1.7 metres and 4.37 metres, respectively. The new car still remains smaller
– as in shorter and lower – than its main
target, the Honda City.
But the design has transformed it into
a very stylish coupé-like profile with a
sweeping greenhouse which curves
down to a rakish fastback C-pillar (and
Hyundai claim that head room has not
been affected in the process). That,
along with the aggressive hexagonal
face flanked by a pair of eagle-eyed
two-tone bezel headlamps, makes for a
very dramatic design. The new model
continues Hyundai’s ‘fluidic sculpture’
design philosophy that is supposed to
reflect a calligrapher’s ‘orchid stroke’
into the shape of a vehicle. Distinctive
L-shaped fog lamps flank the hexagonal
front grille which is becoming the
trademark Hyundai face.
I think the new Verna will find a lot of
admirers in India, though personally I
36 Auto India april 2011
Hyundai Verna 1.6
spec check
Price (lakhs): Estimated 6.5 onwards
Engine: 1591cc (petrol), inline 4
122bhp; 156Nm
Drive : Front-wheel-drive
Gearbox: 4-speed auto
Brakes F: Ventilated discs with ABS/EBD
Brakes R: Ventilated discs with ABS/EBD
Tyres: 195/55 R16
Dimensions: L/W/H (mm):
4370/1700/1450
Wheelbase: 2570mm
Equipment
Alloy wheels
Anti-lock brakes
Airbag
Audio system/MP3 Central locking/remote Climate control/rear A/C vents
Electric mirrors/retracting Electric seats Parking sensor
Tilt steering Traction control find it too cluttered and not particularly
elegant and I suspect the design will age
rapidly. But inside it is another story.
Though the sweeping character lines of
the exterior find some echoes inside, the
Y-shaped crash pad with its bilateral
symmetry gives the fascia a sense of
strength and stability. The use of
high-gloss black and metallic colours in
the centre of the fascia and on the
console gives the interiors a futuristic
and high-tech look.
Choice of powertrains for the new
Verna include two diesels and two
petrols. Most will opt for the diesel. The
most popular will probably be the 90bhp
1.4 diesel (which develops 221Nm of
torque), though we are sure some may
prefer the very promising 128bhp 1.6
(260Nm). Both are mated to six-speed
manuals. Petrols include new 1.4 and
1.6-litre DOHC fours that feature
multiport fuel injection with CVVT. The
power and torque of these new Gamma
engines are 106bhp and 122bhp
respectively for the 1.4 and the 1.6, with
torque at 136Nm and 156Nm for the
two. A five-speed manual is standard,
though with the 1.6 petrol it’s possible
to opt for a four-speed auto.
What we drove at the launch of the
new Verna in Dubai was the latter – a 1.6
auto. With a 400km-odd run between
Dubai and Fujairah and back on an
almost arrow straight highway, in a
convoy, at velocities hovering around
the legal speed limit of a bare 110kph, it
was rather difficult to make a clear
assessment of the new Verna. But what
was obvious was that the new powerpack is nicely powerful, with a very linear
power delivery which along with the
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four-speed auto makes for a very refined
cruiser, though at higher revs the engine
can be quite vocal. In the handling
department the new Verna comes
through as markedly more competent
than the last gen, but not particularly
characterful. It threads through corners
with no major problems, but it’s not a
car you would choose for an involving
driving experience. It’s more at home
cruising on long straights, and ride
comfort is compromised thanks to stiffer
suspension settings, other than lowprofile 16-inch rubbers (195 55). For
India, other than the top end version,
the Verna will be shod with 15-inchers
(185 65). Either way, there is no denying
that the new Verna is a significant
improvement over the last gen version,
and Hyundai, from the looks of it, have
another winner on their hands.
april 2011 Auto India 37