From the early days of the automobile, when cars were little more than horseless carriages, to the sleek, aerodynamic designs of modern vehicles, automotive design has come a long way. Like the 2023 Hyundai Verna; for instance, from its 1st-generation design language back in 2006, some 17 years ago, life took a full circle, and in its 6th generation, the Hyundai Verna looks like this a leaf drawn from the future. It has been touted as futuristic and ferocious by the folks at Hyundai, but the design language is polarising. Still, the fact is- I had rubbed my eyes in disbelief when I first saw it in pictures, and I continued rubbing my eyes in disbelief when I saw this in the flesh; it is actually beautifully sculpted.
Verdict
Hyundai Verna in 2023 has definitely made the mid-size sedan segment very exciting. It's fun to drive, but I don't know if it's really ferocious. It is radical in design; chances are more of you will love it, and less of you will hate it. It does not have fog lamps, and window blinds would have been nicer, but it packs in level-2 ADAS and has a plethora of advanced safety features. It's aggressively priced, competing with the just-launched facelift Honda City, Skoda Slavia, and Volkswagen Virtus. It does raise the design bar and ticks in almost every feature expected from a sedan of its class, and for that, it deserves all your attention. You must take a test drive before you freeze your choice.
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I got to sample the driving of both a 1.5-l MPi petrol engine with 6-speed intelligent variable transmission, which produces 113.4 bhp of power and 143.8 Nm of Torque and also a 1.5-litre Turbo GDi Petrol engine mated with 6-speed MT which churns out 157.6 bhp of power and 253 Nm of Torque, could not get behind the wheels of the seven-speed DCT and historically dual-clutch transmission (DCT) gives better mileage than continuous variable transmission (CVT) and also peppier to drive with lightning-fast gear changes without any interruption. The non-turbo variant is refined and comfortable to drive and be driven around, and perfectly does the job of a mid-size sedan. The steering inputs were also precise, and it was able to maintain its poise as the revs were going up. I did drive it at 120km/h for a considerable amount and found the 2023 Verna confident while doing it. The ride quality was enhanced, and the speed limit of 120 km/h was possible because we were driving it on the Sohna Elevated Corridor leg of the partially opened Delhi–Mumbai Expressway, which is a beautiful 8-lane expressway coming up and will reduce travel time from Delhi to Mumbai from 24 to 12 hours.
Moving back to the turbo variant, it immediately brought back a smile to my face. Firstly it was the MT, and the manual transmission of any car or any variant is always going to be fun, especially because you can do the handbrake turn and shake things around in the car. The turbo builds up power rather quickly, unlike the non-turbo, which is a gradual building up. Apart from that, steering inputs and drive height were all spots on. Both of them had electrically operated front seats, and even if you decide to sit in the rear seats, the leg room is ample. From the earlier Verna, the wheelbase has increased by 70 mm to 2670 mm, and even the width has increased by 36 mm, offering very roomier legroom. The driver and their co-passenger would enjoy the sunroof more, and it's a shame that the side window blinds were not there. However, the rear windshield had blinds. The turbo variant has a bit of compromised driving comfort compared to the non-turbo variant, but I guess the turbo buyer will want excitement more than comfort. The McPherson strut with coil spring set up in front and the rear gets the Torsion beam axle with vertical shock absorber is low in manufacturing cost and usually found in lower to mid-size cars. The design does not accommodate any lateral movements. Still, it just allows the wheel to move up and down on road bumps, so at cornering, the shock and noise can inevitably be transmitted to the car body. Still, for most city and highway driving that I did, the 2023 Hyundai Verna did offer a decent ride quality, as is expected from a car of its segment.
The biggest highlight has to be the ADAS Level 2 safety features, with forward collision avoidance, blind spot collision warning, lane departure warning, and front collision warning being the most useful among the other 17 features, and all of that is possible because of the presence of cameras and radars. It is packaged with 65 + safety features, including the hill-start assist control, front parking sensor etc. Getting six airbags and an ISOFIX for the child passenger comes as standard. I loved the 64 colours of ambient lighting, and it's visible even in daylight in the door trims. The driver seats are electrically adjusted, and both the front seats are ventilated with hot and cold options. The HD infotainment with 10.25 inches has a lot of plastic around it and could have been designed more towards the bezel-less concept, but it is fluid and easy to operate. Another highlight is the 8 Bose speaker system with clear and rather loud badging of BOSE, and the sound immersive ness is moderate level, not the theater like which is claimed. What has been a significant change from the earlier Verna is the boot space; with 528 litres, it is enough to swallow much of your luggage needs.
Design preferences vary according to each individual, and the new Verna continues the design language of its global line of products. The front is marking the very familiar trapezoid-shaped parametric grille, which also houses sensors for ADAS tech. The split LED headlamps have been tastefully housed within the grilles. The full-width light bar spanning across the bonnet definitely gives it a bit of futuristic appeal. On the sides, the sharp cuts and creases, along with the coupe-like rear end, make it look more sporty and appealing. Just like on the front, Verna also gets a full-width LED light bar at the rear. It gets 16-inch alloy wheels and even comes with a red caliper in the turbo variant, It gets a massive boot of 528 litres, enough to swallow a lot of your luggage. On offer are eight colour options, including something like Tellurian brown, and two of these options come with dual-tone exteriors - Atlast white and Fiery red comes with a black roof. The design from the front with the continuous LED light bar reminisces of it being an EV, or they may remove the fuel tank and put a battery pack in the future. At least design-wise, it's an EV-ready sedan.
The 1.5 Turbo GDi petrol variant event gets more exciting. It gets all-black seat upholstery, an electric parking brake, a rear disc brake and enthusiast badging at the rear of it being the turbo variant.
Specifications
Engine- 1.5 l MPi Petrol
Power - 113hp
Torque- 143.8 Nm
Price - 10.90 lakhs to 16.19 lakhs
Engine - 1.5 l Turbo GDi Petrol
Power - 157 hp
Torque- 253 Nm
Prices
Price - 10.90 lakhs to 16.19 lakhs (1.5-l MPi )
Price- 14.84 lakhs to 17.38 lakhs (1.5-l Turbo GDi)
