The Verna has always been a quick car; do the new suspension updates make it a better driver's car? We take it to our favourite new road to find out.
IT'S THE WEEKEND AND AT MY
DISPOSAL is the newly refreshed Hyundai 4S Fluidic Verna. Updates include
smarter headlamps, re-profiled bumpers, a new grille, attractive 16-inch alloys
and improvements to the already excellent interiors. But, what really interests
me are the tweaks to the suspension that feature revised (stiffer) spring rates
and modified bump stops to improve NVH. It's part of Hyundai's new focus in
making cars that are as good to drive as they are to look at and I for one am
keen to see if any of the i20 WRC's genes have filtered down to Hyundai India's
road cars.
On my mind is a little squiggle
that shows up on Google Maps somewhere between Belgaum and Goa. Chorla Ghat is
a 25km stretch of freshly laid, unmolested blacktop that cuts through the
Mhadei Wildlife Sanctuary. The editor just took this road on his recent holiday
and I'm keen to check it out for myself - after all weekends don't get any
better than a 500km road trip to Goa.
An early start to avoid weekend
traffic has us hit the road by 6am. My partner in crime, is lensman Vikrant
Date, who doesn't stop moaning about being dragged out of bed so early. His
rambles soon turn into snores as he passes out in the passenger seat. I suspect
this has something to do with the comfortable ride that the Verna offers,
something that has always been its strongest suit. Despite the introduction of
stiffer springs, the suspension is compliant enough to absorb the undulating
highway and deal with the broken patches thanks to the road works between Pune
and Satara. The suspension has shed the floating sensation at high speeds and
the modified rear bump stops filter away the noise on the rare occasion that
the suspension bottoms out on rough road patches. Once past Satara the roads
get better and speeds pick up. The steering feels heavier and delivers more
confidence whilst undertaking high-speed lane changes. And of course there's
that stonking diesel engine.
With 126bhp of power, the
1.6-litre CRDi motor is capable of lighting up the front tyres and hitting 100 kmph
in just 10.5 seconds, making it the fastest accelerating car in this segment.
At just under 200kmph (190kmph to be exact) the top speed is also fantastic and
it delivers all of this performance in a smooth refined manner making for a
comfortable and effortless cruiser. As the roads open up and become magnificent
after Kolhapur we bury the loud pedal, engage sixth gear, and demolish the
six-lane highway to Belagavi.
Hang a right at the city formerly
known as Belgaum, down to a crawl as we cross the city, and we are back to fast
flowing roads (albeit not six lanes) that are deserted save for a few hamlets. This
gives us a chance to stretch the Verna's legs over some fast sweepers. The
Verna is a large car by mid-size saloon standards but seems to acquit itself
quite well. There is less pitch and roll and it is composed over a series of
switchbacks. Grip is exemplary with nary a squeal emanating from the
195-section Bridgestone tyres. As we close in on Chorla, I can see a hazy mist
in the distance, a precipitation that can put a damper on things.
Our apprehensions turn out to be
true as our destination is drenched in unseasonal rain. Damn you, global
warming! Needless to say, we take it as a challenge and soldier on. Slow at
first, increasing the pace and exploring the grip levels in the wet, the
passing miles instilling confidence in the car's virtues. We are lucky though
as the showers abate after a while allowing us to up the game.
What makes a good driver's car? Is it the
ability to go faster than its rivals round corners? Is it the way the car
involves you in the process? The list seems never ending and we have driven so
far from home to see if the Verna can tick all the right boxes in this
department.
Let's start with the basics then.
Driving position. What point is it having a great-handling car if you are not
comfortable in it? The Verna comes with a well-bolstered seat with good
under-thigh support. The pedals are well placed, the meaty steering wheel sits
nicely in the palm of your hand and together they offer up a good driving
position. The view forward allows a wide, uninterrupted field of vision.
Next is performance and there
seems to be no dearth of it here. The Verna, as it stands, is the most'
powerful car in this segment, with more power than petrol sedans in its class.
The most important aspect of an engine over twisty mountain roads is
flexibility and the VGT-turbo equipped 1.6 delivers on that count as long as
you keep it above 1500rpm. The gearbox is just right - short, slick and
precise. The clutch is light and feel some and together allows you to revel in
the thick spread of torque above 2000rpm. The combination of it all is a joy to
use. The brakes are effective and well set-up. The ABS doesn't cut in early and
there's enough pedal feel to modulate the retardation. Stomp hard on the
stoppers and the car tracks true. There are histrionics to be had, even in the
wet, allowing you to revel in the task at hand - driving.
Then comes dynamics. There is no
running away from the fact that this is a large car and no, the size does not
seem to shrink away as you drive it. What it does though, is provide masses of
grip allowing you to attack a corner at speed. The trick with the Verna, like
any other front-wheel drive car is, slow in and fast out. You brake hard before
the corner, turn in and midway, start feeding in the power. Once past the apex
you floor the throttle, ride the 260 newton-meters of torque and give the front
tyres hell. The Verna shoots out of corners like a bat out of hell, with you at
the helm grinning from ear to ear. The stiffened rear holds the line really
well and mid-corner undulations do not seem to upset the car.
As dusk falls, we enter the state of Goa, and
with his pictures in the bag Vikrant is back to his horizontal recline. It
gives me time to reflect on the improvements of the Verna. There is noticeably
less wallow at speed, it excels at devouring the highway, it has a bomb of an
engine, the cabin is comfortable and well equipped, and NVH at speed is excellent.
A 500km drive and we were still fresh and smiling as we pulled into Infantaria
at Baga to dig into their excellent pork vindaloo and crab curry. That, in my
books, makes for a good driver's car.
Published by : EVO
India
Words by: Benjamin Gracias
