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