Hyundai “Fluidic” Verna automatic in India test drive – diesel power


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With sales figure touching more than the 25k in barely two months since its launch, the 2011 Hyundai Verna can be called as chart topper for Hyundai Motors. If statistics are right, not even the facelifted Hyundai i10 received such response. This definitely is a sign of good things for the Korean manufacturer. Infact, Hyundai is the only manufacturer in this segment who has now started the trend of bringing in many engine choices for a single car. The i20 comes with a truckload of features and many engine options. Sadly enough, there is no auto variant for the diesel. Come to think of it, there is no autobox for the C segment as far as diesel power plants go. In comes Hyundai with a choice of both petrol and diesel power plants with auto boxes. This should be really interesting now. Earlier on, we had compared the Honda City petrol auto with the Hyundai Verna petrol auto (Hyundai “Fluidic” Verna automatic vs Honda City automatic – the H battle) but that was in the petrol form. This time around, there is no comparison and hence we have got the test drive of the Hyundai “Fluidic” Verna automatic in India. Check on Road Price

Since the looks part has been already taken care of in the (Hyundai Verna “Fluidic” CRDI vs Maruti SX4 DDiS vs Volkswagen Vento TDI vs Fiat Linea Multijet) comparison and various other articles, we would leave it at it. The interiors also have been vastly spoken about in our various other articles and also the fact that they are nicely appointed and needless to say fully loaded. The main and important part of this car is its heart and it is what matters. The engine of this car is a 1.6 liter common rail turbocharged one which has a power output of 126 Bhp of power and 263 Nm of torque. However, the disappointing fact is that it is mated to a 4 speed auto version. This auto gearbox has been carried over from the previous Verna and this is a sore point of the whole package. While being effortless to drive around in town, the car doesn’t feel quick at the start. Its only when the pace is picked up, does the engine exhibit some enthusiasm. Since there are only 4 ratios to tinker around with, the Hyundai engineers have placed the gears to be around the longer side and this means good cruising ability. On the positive note, this long legged nature also translates to higher fuel efficiency. For the 0-100 kmph run, the Verna takes only 11 seconds while the top speed is close to 180 kmph. The engine is a nice revvy unit for a diesel motor and this in itself is a boon. With the auto transmission, turbo lag is eliminated to a great extent and the Hyundai delivers a linear power delivery than its manual variant.

As for the ride quality, it is well good enough for this class and the soft suspension setup enables most of the road irregularities to be kept at bay. However, this same soft setup means that the Verna has some major stability issues on the highway. The entire cabin never feels settled enough and sudden big potholes would actually lead to the front scrapping and even under heavy braking, the car would pitch and bob. As for longer journeys, the rear is better left on its own. This is because of the low set seats, underthigh support is lacking and this can be a tiring factor in the long run.

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Highway runs is what is best for the Hyundai “Fluidic” Verna automatic in India’s fuel efficiency. Being taller geared means city fuel efficiency comes to 11.4 kmpl while the highway figure ranks in close to 16 kmpl. However, being powered by diesel means that your wallet would still stay thick inspite of revving the nuts off this car. The Verna comes with 6 airbags, reverse camera plus sensors, Bluetooth connectivity, electrically foldable outside rear view mirrors and also an audio system worth the money. However, all this adds up to the overall cost of owning this car. The Hyundai “Fluidic” Verna automatic price in India is Rs 10.82 lakhs. This is the ex-show room price in Thane. At this price, the Honda City petrol can be obtained, but then the cost factor of petrol and diesel does come into picture. As an everyday runabout, there is nothing like having auto convenience and diesel fuel economy. The other manufacturers would still have to find an answer to Hyundai’s onslaught in the midsize segment. For the time being, this remains our favourite car for the automatic diesel category in the midsize segment. Other factors like Hyundai’s huge dealer network and reasonably priced spare parts mean ownership experience would be great.