Verna Transformed

The Hyundai Verna gets a facelift — and stiffer suspension.

The Verna was always a good product — and the sales figures prove it. Despite not being eligible for the excise benefit thanks to large-capacity engines, the public lapped it up, especially the diesel. The year 2014 saw Hyundai introduce new suspension settings to the Verna, and it was much better, but it still required some fine tuning. Enter the 4S fluidic Verna for 2015. The '4S' stands for style, speed, sophistication, and safety.

 

The looks have been updated at the front with new projector headlamps and a twin-slat grille that has chrome accents. The fog lamps also are a boomerang design. The LEDs have been deleted from the previous design. At the back, the tail-lamp lenses have a different design to give the impression of LEDs. The rear bumper has a new design with boomerang-shaped reflectors and a hidden exhaust tip. On the inside, everything remains the same but the front passenger seat gets an 'ergo lever' which is a lever that the rear seat occupant can use to change the inclination of the seatback in front. ABS is now standard on the Verna, and the top-spec variants get six airbags. It also gets a six-speaker audio system with 1GB internal storage space and a cooled glovebox. As far as looks and features are concerned, everything else remains the same, with the good telescopic steering, a mile-long features list.

The surprise is the steering feel — it now gives you confidence to go enthusiastically through a corner. It isn't the best in class, mind, and the rear ride still needs to improve to be truly comfortable, but the Verna is now probably the best car to do long trips in, with its newfound highway confidence.We aren't too sure whether trying to make the Verna look like a Sonata has succeeded, but it sure makes it look distinctive.

Published By : Motoring World

Words By : CHARLES PENNEFATHER