TWIST & SHOUT

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