VERNA TRANSFORMED?

Hyundai has given the Verna a facelift. Does that make the Verna a better car than it has ever been? 

So right on cue, Hyundai has rolled out its facelift. This update is the final one for this generation. An all new Verna will come in sometime next year but until then, the face lifted Verna has to hold fort. Are the updates substantial enough then? 

 

The Verna is arguably the most attractive car in its segment. It's flowing and sporty lines make it stand out among its peers, new and old. If there was any need for a facelift, it was just to give afresher car to buyers in this segment who were beginning to look elsewhere.

A new set of headlights, customary for a facelift, find their way to the new Verna. As does a new two slat wing shaped grille and a new bumper with a fresh set of boomerang shaped fog lamps. The front end of the Verna looks attractive. The car looks the same and has its attractive best in its side profile. Not much has changed towards the rear either, a new tail lamp cluster mimicking LED inserts similar to one seen in the Elite i20 and a matching set of boomerang reflectors in the rear bumper are the only re-jigs.

Indians like that soft sinking feeling according to Hyundai and so the seats of the Verna too have got additional padding at the right places with this update. They feel plusher no doubt but under-thigh support in the rear bench is up to mark. A sliding lever for the front passenger seat positioned on its side can be moved ahead from the back seat when the car is chauffeur driven. The Verna even now is the only car in its segment to offer six airbags as standard in top trim and is one of the few to offer ABS as standard across all variants. There is very little addition otherwise in terms of features. What changes is a reversal in colors for the centre console display to improve readability and 1GB of internal storage for your favorite music. You get rain sensing wipers and automatic headlamps, a cooled glove box, push-button start stop, parking sensors and a rear view camera making it fairly well equipped barring a sunroof, touch screen multimedia system and rear AC vents.

The updated Verna rides well in town. Hyundai has tweaked the rear suspension once again in a constant effort to improve the dynamics of the car. While the Verna feels stiffer sprung for bumpy city roads, it's nowhere as harsh to be a deal breaker. But once you hit the highway and zoom at triple digit speeds, its stability is mighty impressive. It wallows a lot lesser in undulations and lets you carry higher speeds that you ever could in a Verna. 

Efficiency has also improved. The petrol 1.6 Verna now returns an ARAI certified efficiency figure of 17.07 kmpl and the diesel 1.6 Verna returns 23.9kmpl. The petrol variants for the Verna range from Rs 7.74-10.15 lakh and the diesel is priced at Rs 8.95-12.20 lakh .

The Hyundai Verna has attracted many a buyer with its styling alone. A facelift freshens things up for the sedan and gives it a fighting chance in this highly competitive segment. Sorting the Verna's rear suspension to a large extent and as a result improving its dynamics considerably makes it a better car on the highway than it ever was. The Verna isn't a driver's car but it drives better now.

Words by  : Anand Mohan

Published by  : Zig Wheels

 

Hyundai i20 Active – Drives

Korea’s premium hatchback ‘crosses’ over to the other side 

Hyundai has taken an adventurous step into the hatch-on-steroids segment by giving the successful Elite i20 hatchback the in-vogue crossover treatment. The result, apart from the addition of a fresh face to the existing i20 line-up, is the first Hyundai of its kind in India - the i20 Active. 

The unique thing about this Korean creation is that, unlike its competitors, Top Gear's Hatchback of the Year comes across as an adventure-ready car that also retains a sense of premiumness. Plus, the time we spent with the cat made us realise that this was not a job handled just by Hyundai's cosmetic department - the engineers have also done a fair bit of work on the i20. The i20 Active comes with new projector headlamps with daytime running lights and cornering lamps- things the Elite missed out on. 

Other tasteful bits that lend the car a sinewy look include the roof rails, new bumpers with rounded fog lamps, skid plates, and plastic cladding around the base of the hatch that protects the lower body work from minor dings and scratches, new 16-inch diamond cut alloys, and a rugged-cool looking fuel filler cap. The Active sits 19cm above the ground, two centimeters higher than the Elite. The 1.2-litre petrol and 1.4-litre diesel power trains of the i20 Elite hatchback have been retained in the i20 Active.

But, that's never a bad thing, considering that the 1,197cc, dual VTVT Kappa petrol engine is mated to the slick five-speed manual transmission and produces 82bhp of peak power and 115Nm of max torque, while the 1,396cc, four-cylinder U2 CRDi mill under the hood, linked to a six-speed manual gearbox, pumps out a healthy 89bhp and 220Nm of torque.

However, minor tweaks have been made to the final gear ratios, which have resulted in an improvement in initial and mid-range torque by around six per cent in the petrol and 11 percent in the diesel. Low-end torque was never the diesel-powered Elite's forte, and after driving the i20 Active around south Goa, this small alteration can be felt shortly after stepping on the gas. The car feels more eager to accelerate from under 2200rpm, and feels a little healthier around the 3000 rev mark. The Active's steering feel is light, just like it is in the Elite i20.

 The newly-introduced crossover sees another positive improvement over the already-impressive Elite: the car's ride quality is much better now. Alterations to the rear suspension setup have given the Active a more comfortable and stable ride over rough and broken surfaces.

Hyundai hasn't just given the Elite i20 a more rugged appearance; it has also improved the hatchback's functionality. (Do note that the technical changes made for the i20 Active won't be shared with the regular Elite anytime soon.)

Considering the alterations to the rear suspension setup, the Active is able to take on corners pretty well, with the Apollo rubber providing sufficient grip over the rough stuff. But, be prepared to encounter a fair bit of body roll when doing so. 

The Active's interior is virtually identical to the Elite i20's, and retains the same feature-heavy, yet fairly uncluttered ambience. So, that means it's a pleasant place to be, and is among the best cabins in the premium hatchback segment. And, in the Active i20, the cabin features some pretty prominent cosmetic touches.

The car gets flashy aluminum coated pedals, and you can now choose between, orange inserts around the cabin, or a more prominent blue-ish interior theme. The dual-colored seats give the car a more youthful feel compared to the more sober, dual-tone- Elite interior. 

The i20 Active offers the same, high level of equipment as the Asta trim of the Elite, so with the new variant you get the works - two airbags, ABS, push-button start, keyless entry, reverse camera and sensors, an 8-speaker audio system with 1GB memory, USB, AUX and Bluetooth connectivity, climate control, etc. 

The i20 Active is expected to sit above the Elite's Asta trim, and is expected to be priced at around  7.5 lakh for the petrol and  8.8 lakh for the diesel (on-road).

Published by   :  Top Gear

Words by   : Christopher Chaves

Hyundai Elite i20 - Driver Swap

My colleague Devesh Shobha is an emotional man. I have noticed this trait of his on a number of occasions, and, by now, I am sort of used to it. But, even I was unprepared for the emo assault I was subjected to when I asked him for the keys of the Hyundai Elite i20. It almost felt like I had asked him for his very own car.

Of course, he wouldn't admit it. But I think he almost cried. However, I am not the sort who lets friendship get in the way of a long-term car. So I managed to get the keys and left Devesh to sulk in peace. 

Now, we all know that Hyundai's Fluidic design theme has been kicking some major butt in the industry. This can be seen in its latest evolution: Fluidic 2.0. This is a car that looks cool anywhere in the world. Now, while I love the styling, but I'm not too sure about the colors the car is being offered in.  I think it would do with some bright colors such as yellow, red and blue that would do justice to the car's cool looks.

The Elite i20 is not only sporty to look at; it is pretty engaging to drive as well. The diesel motor is punchy and power kicks in at low revs. Plus, it's fuel efficient as well. In the city, the Elite i20 has managed to deliver about 12kpl consistently, and I think that is a figure most owners would be happy with. 

I prefer keeping the engine on the boil, because that's a fool-proof way of getting the maximum out of the engine, and you'll usually find me driving this way on my daily commute. (That's right. The guy with the cool glares on the new Freeway in Mumbai? The guy  blitzing through traffic in his Elite i20? That's me.

The car feels comfortable doing triple digit speeds, and though the steering feels slightly vague most of the time, it does its job well. Of course, a light steering has its advantages: maneuvering through city traffic is a breeze, for instance. Hyundai has managed to do a decent job of delivering a respectably pliant ride, though I have friends who find it a little too firm at times.

Overall, the Hyundai Elite i20 is a well-rounded package and while it might not be the sportiest hatch on the block, it has managed to keep a driving enthusiast like me happy. But, sure, there are times when I yearn for a brighter color to adorn it. Right now, I'm thinking mauve, or turquoise. Maybe, it's just me or, perhaps, I'm, sort of, experiencing a midlife crisis.

 Published by   : Top Gear

Words  by  : Abhinav Mishra