Hyundai drops it’s Accent for the all-new Verna, which retains the brand’s reputation for quality budget motoring. Hyundai has dived head first into the heart of the mid-size segment with the new Verna and the importance of this all-new saloon cannot be underestimated. It comes from a company that has earned a reputation for reaching out to Indian customers and all Hyundai models come with a sales and service back-up that underscores the Korean company’s commitment to the Indian market. But is that enough in the face of formidable competition from the likes of the Ford Fiesta and the Honda City?
What’s New:Hyundai makes cheap cars cheerful, that much is certain and the company’s been steadily working away at upping the quality, look and feel of its products. So much so that if you haven’t gone near a Hyundai in recent memory, chances are you’d be happily surprised by how far they’ve come if you did. The latest model to hit local showrooms is the Verna, Hyundai’s replacement for the popular Accent small sedan. The Verna is a considerably larger car than the Accent, hence the rationale behind giving it a different name. Incidentally, the new car’s basic mechanicals also form the underpinnings for the Kia Rio.
The two cars do manage to be quite different, though, with the Hyundai projecting a more mature, sober air than the arguably funkier Rio. Hyundai’s offerings have steadily become more European and, consequently, more premiums in feel and the sober distinction work in that context. The Verna’s nose is pretty attractive, with sleek front fenders tapering towards fared-in headlamps that frame a neat oval grille. It’s certainly a far cry from the slightly awkward looking Accent. The car’s flanks and rear aspect are more conventional, though, and the latter view is where the car bears the most resemblance to the Rio.
The interior quality is as per all recent Hyundai’s, which is to say pretty much beyond reproach. The dashboard is clearly laid out and all the controls fall easily to hand. Hyundai has also covered most surfaces in textured plastics that do a pretty good job of emulating the soft-touch coating that more expensive cars sometimes come with. Interior room is pretty good, for front passengers at least. At the rear, ideally, you should carry just two people, any more would constitute a bit of a squash. Plus the centre passenger only gets a lap belt for protection.
How it performs: The Verna you see here is the range-topping 1.6-litre automatic version. The engine boasts continuously variable valve timing, and develops 112bhp. Progress is pretty brisk, but you have to be judicious with throttle inputs, or the four-speed gearbox will protest by being less inclined to smooth-out gear changes. On the road, only the intrusion of a bit too much road noise, thanks to the budget tyres mars what is otherwise an impressively refined cabin. The Verna’s steering is nicely weighted and surprisingly positive, which sort of makes you want to drive more enthusiastically. However, the tyres make sure that there are fewer grips available than enthusiasm ideally requires, and the fact that the Verna’s set up a bit too softly for sporting driving, quickly dissipates the red mist. If, in any event, things do go pear shaped, you’ll be very pleased to note that the Verna comes equipped with a driver’s side airbag, and an Anti-Lock braking System or ABS, which alone should seal the deal for many.
Road Test
There are affordable cars, and then there are Hyundai’s. Having lavished more effort than most towards putting the cheerful back into cheap, the Korean manufacturer has been rightfully reaping the benefits of late. Toyota and its closest rivals have in more mature markets moved up a rung in terms of brand perception and market offering, creating room for companies like Hyundai and its Kia subsidiary to establish a firm foothold. A foothold that’s sufficiently rooted to allow for even the mounting of a Hyundai challenge to mighty Lexus. A cheeky move to be sure, but then again Hyundai’s new flagship Azera does come uncomfortably close to offering Lexus-like levels of refinement.
Hot on the heels of the Azera’s local launch comes the replacement for the stalwart Accent compact sedan. Hyundai has dispensed with the Accent badge, opting to call its replacement the Verna, mostly to make absolutely plain how different the two cars are. The Verna’s platform is also used by the new Kia Rio so it’s no surprise that both cars share a similar profile. Compared to the slightly awkward old Accent, the Verna looks sleeker, more contemporary and more grown-up. It’s also a good deal larger than its predecessor, and while the Verna is not quite big enough to place it in the class above the Accent, this still means more room for passengers and luggage.
From the front, the car looks a little bit like Fiat’s new Grande Punto. The nose is bulbous in a way that’s more shapely than distended, and it’s attractively framed by sleek front fenders that arc from the base of the A-pillars to neatly designed headlamp housings. The styling becomes a bit more conventional in the flanks and at the rear, where the resemblance to the Rio is strongest. The only real niggles with regards to the looks are the rather sudden ‘CVVT’ badges behind the front wheel-arches.
Driving Verna
As the Verna’s platform provides the same basic mechanicals that you’d find in the Kia Rio, you’d expect similar performance and handling. For the most part this is true – the steering is well-weighted and direct, and the engine makes up for its high-rev raucousness by going about its business pretty smoothly. However, the ride is more on the tolerable side of firm than that of the Rio’s, and this, coupled with the direct steering, makes you want to drive a bit more enthusiastically. And therein lies the rub. The Verna’s suspension feels like it’s been set up to be reasonably stiff, but the dampers aren’t as authoritative as they need to be, given the relative aggressiveness of the spring settings. On the road, the action of large bumps and ruts often sets up one or two body oscillations too many.
In this sense, the Verna mimics the Azera, in that the engineers who developed both cars couldn’t quite make up their minds about exactly how stiff and sporty or how soft and cosseting the cars ought to be. It’s almost as if they only decided at the penultimate minute to opt for soft and cosseting, but left all the nuggety stiff and sporty bits in place. All that said, you can’t actually stoke up a proper hooligan charge in the Verna as the standard-fit Kumho tyres function like high-tech stability control programs. If you enter a corner at any speed above ‘geriatric’, they protest by immediately emitting a high-pitched screech. The louder the screech, the fewer grips available. They also make their presence known by generating a fair bit of road noise, this is exacerbated by the fact that the cabin is very well insulated from just about everything else.
For the most part, however, the Verna makes for perfectly acceptable daily transport, which for 99 percent of motorists is absolutely fine. It’s near silent at idle, and the 1.6-litre four-cylinder engine makes the most of its 130bhp and 145Nm, delivering decently brisk progress. The four-speed automatic gearbox is smooth enough ordinarily but you need to be careful with throttle inputs, calling for a downshift by stomping on the gas can result in a less than perfect gear change.
Inside Verna
It’s been a while since we’ve managed to muster some genuine vitriol about the state of a car’s interior, and the Verna’s isn’t going to change the status quo. The interior is quite different from that of the Rio’s; with a more grown-up look overall. The plastics are of good quality and everything’s laid out neatly and clearly. Hyundai has also gone to the trouble of giving most surfaces if not quite a soft-touch feel, then a soft-touch look which helps lift the interior ambience significantly.
Visibility from the driver’s seat is excellent. There should be no problems with parking in tight spaces, and the overall feel of the cabin is similarly bright and airy. Head and shoulder room up front are pretty generous, too. The front seats are comfortable and feature a commendably wide range of adjustment, as they do in the Rio. In many cars, not just the ones in this segment, you tend to only be able to move the front seats forward and back, and set the seat back angle. In the Verna, you can adjust the height of both the front and rear sections of the seat squabs, which make for a more comfortable driving position. The rear offers plenty of room all rounds for two passengers, but more than that means a bit of a squeeze. Besides, there’s only a centre lap belt, so it’s best to carry just four people in total.
Exterior
The clean, modern styling of the Verna immediately identifies itself as a high quality product. Even at first glance the clean, rounded and well proportioned lines inspire confidence. The harmonic frontal treatment, with integrated full width lower intake, subtly hints at a sporty nature. The moderately flared wheel arches and optional 14″ alloy wheels further support this. The strong shoulder lines, wide spaced hood character lines, and flowing windscreen treatment all work together to give an impression of space, strength and character. The seamless integration of the rear styling is also reminiscent of larger and more luxurious cars. These all add up to make the Verna that looks great in the showroom and even better on the street.
Integrated wrap around Headlights
Clever integration of the side repeaters into the wrap around clear headlight housings has increased the clean aspect of the frontal design.
Elegant front Fog Lamps
The fog lamps are efficiently and elegantly incorporated into the full width lower air intake. The result is an undisturbed bumper profile, highlighting the strength of the front look.
Radiator Grille
The radiator grille shows the tasteful, restrained use of bright metal work to full advantage. It adds a welcoming traditional aspect while blending perfectly into the hood/bumper configuration.
Electric outside rear view MIRROR
Aerodynamic exterior mirrors are electrically operated. The ovoid shape of the mirrors perfectly inherits the dynamic headlamp treatment.
Grip type DOOR Handles
The door handle summarizes what the Verna brings to its customers-refined yet fascinating car that rises above its class.
MICRO ANTENNA
The rear roof-mounted micro antenna is compact and efficient. It is aerodynamic, stylish and robustly flexible allowing both improved signal reception and outstanding look.
LED HIGH MOUNTED STOP LAMP
The high mounted stop lamp is positioned to be immediately visible through the rear screen. This LED type lamp is equipped to provide maximum safety to the customers of the Verna.
5.5J x 14? ALLOY WHEEL
The 5.5J x 14″ Alloy Wheel with 185/65 R14 tyres.
5.0J x 14? steel WHEEL
The 5.0J x 14″ Steel Wheel with 175/70 R14 tyres.
Interior
The challenge faced by the Verna design team in creating the interior was to fully harmonise it with the promise of the exterior. The fact they have succeeded owes much to both teamwork, and a real understanding of the potential Verna customer. The wraparound driver and passenger environment is not only comforting, but also practical and stylish. Seating and storage have been optimized both for convenience and comfort. Rethought colors and textures add to a fresh ambience. All of these efforts dissolved into the stylish interior that can fully match the dynamic exterior allowing the Verna to have a true quality throughout.
Gauge cluster & Trip Computer
The gauge cluster boasts new, easier to read, green LED lit instruments.
Sunglasses holder
No more frantic searching for the sunglasses.
TALENTED SUNVISOR
A ticket holder is on the back of the sun visor.
PORTABLE ASH TRAY
The ash tray reflects the style of the air vents and upper centre console. It is portable yet holds firmly when placed in its original location for the maximum usage. This allows uniform style and neatness, plus improved interior cleanliness.
Storage space
The illuminated glove box in the facia has large capacity.
SEAT Pockets
There can never be enough storage. Pockets in the back of the front seat are part of the Verna’s array.
REAR CENTER ARMREST
Rear cup holder is adjustable for different sized containers.
SEAT ARMREST
Driver’s seat has an armrest for convenience.
STURDY DOOR MAP POCKET
Not only maps, but beverages, mobile phones and other journey necessities fit snugly and safely in the easy to access and sturdy door pockets.
Performance, Handling, and Fuel Economy
The Verna’s 1.6 petrol hails from the ‘Gamma’ engine family and is one of the more modern motors from Hyundai. This twin-cam, 16-valve motor has continuous variable valve timing and puts out a decent 103bhp.But, the petrol’s performance was pretty lacklustre. Low-down grunt is not impressive and throttle response is quite dull. Full-bore acceleration is average for a car in this class and a 0-100kph time of 12.33 seconds puts it in the league of the Aveo.
In-gear acceleration is pretty average too and in the 20-80kph third gear slog, the Honda City with 26 fewer horses manages to do better. The petrol has a decent mid-range and as a result the Verna petrol revels in steady-speed cruising down the highway or ambling along in traffic. However, this engine’s real strength is its refinement. In comparison, the Fiesta petrol makes a racket and even the City’s motor doesn’t idle as quietly as the Verna.
In comparison to the petrol motor, the diesel feels brutal. With its shorter gearing, massive torque and 110bhp on tap, the Verna diesel loves to gallop. It has the much- spoken about Variable Geometry Turbo (VGT) that is meant to improve low engine speed performance, but Hyundai has tuned it to deliver even stronger top-end performance. As a result there is noticeable turbo-lag and it is only when you get past 2000rpm that the motor kicks in with petrol-busting performance. Between 2000 and 4500rpm, there is an explosive surge of power which tempts you to floor the throttle. Flat-out acceleration is among the strongest in the segment, stronger than all the petrol cars too, the Verna only losing to the Honda City VTEC.
The Verna, for instance, takes a brisk 21.8 seconds to get to 140kph while the Fiesta takes a seemingly endless 42.5 seconds. But, the wide gap between second and third gear means you have to change down more often and hence it’s not as good an urban commuter. After the Accent CRDI, which felt like an earthquake every time you switched it on, the Verna diesel is far more refined and a good example of the strides made in diesel engine technology. The diesel Verna gave 12.6kpl in the city and 16.8kpl on the highway. The petrol didn’t impress us greatly either. City and highway figures of 9.2kpl and 13.8kpl peg it below the Aveo and Fiesta.
With its light steering, the Verna feels impressively agile and easy to drive in city traffic. Riding on its raised-for-India 170mm high suspension, the softly-sprung Verna takes well to poor roads. Few bumps filter into the silent, well insulated cabin and clearly its low-speed ride is the best in class — a small but important victory over its rivals. The stiff and rigid chassis of the new car helps here and so do the tall 70 profile tyres we tested the car on. At speed, the Verna continues to handle bad roads with aplomb but you can feel the relatively soft suspension bobbing up and down.
On undulating surfaces, the front-heavy Verna begins to pitch forward and what’s clear is that its high-speed composure is nowhere as good as the Fiesta’s. At speed, the long wheelbase offers a decent ride but stability is not great. The light steering doesn’t give you the intimate contact with the road that you get in the Fiesta. There’s a fair amount of torque steer as well, especially in the diesel, and if you floor it on a loose surface the steering tugs from side to side. Enthusiasts will be disappointed by the Verna’s benign handling, which has body roll and huge amounts of kill-joy under steer. If you need to stop in a hurry, the combination of narrow tyres and grabby brakes make it a challenge to get a good, clean stop. You can get wider tyres and ABS and we think you should.
Technical Specification
| Brakes |
|
Front |
Ventilated Disc Brakes |
|
Rear |
Drum / Disc (ABS) |
| Dimension & weight |
|
Front Track |
|
|
Fuel Tank capacity |
45 Litres |
|
Gross Vehicle Weight |
|
|
Ground Clearance |
170 mm |
|
Kerb weight |
- |
|
Overall Height |
1490 mm |
|
Overall Length |
4310 mm |
|
Overall Width |
1695 mm |
|
Rear track |
- |
|
Wheelbase |
2500 mm |
| Engine |
|
Bore x stroke |
- |
|
Compression ratio |
- |
|
Displacement |
1599 cc |
|
Fuel System |
- |
|
No. cylinders / arrangement / Valves |
VTVT – Variable Timing Valve Train,16V – DOHC |
| Performance |
|
Max. Power |
103.2 ps @ 5500 RPM |
|
Max. Torque |
14.9 kgm @ 3000 RPM |
| Steering |
|
Min. Turning Radius |
4.92(5.05) |
|
Type |
Rack and Pinion Power steering |
| Suspensions |
|
Front |
MacPherson Strut with coil springs and anti roll bar |
|
Rear |
Coupled torsion beam axle |
| Transmission |
|
Transmission Type |
5 Speed Manual |
| Tyres & Wheels |
|
Tyres |
P235 / 70 R 16 Radial |
|
Wheel size |
- |
