Introduction

Being relevant is perhaps more important in the fast changing automotive market than serving the required purpose. Hyundai Verna faces the same dilemma at the moment, it has everything that makes it competitive in the C-segment but is far away from the limelight after the launch of the Honda City and Maruti Suzuki Ciaz.

Hyundai’s recourse has been to make a facelift to infuse the novelty factor in a sedan that is already the most powerful and contemporary looking in the segment. We drive the new Verna ahead of the launch to find out if Hyundai has given it enough teeth to take on the new segment leaders.

Design & Interior

One expects minor changes in a facelift that retains the basic spirit, just altering a few things to make it look fresh if not more attractive. The Verna with the fluidic design sculpt is a good looking car and it is evident that the revision has been forced due to the market dynamics.

Hyundai has worked mainly on the fascia of the car, not fiddling with the side and rear section of the car. Even the changes at the front are limited, but the overall effect is drastic. The Verna facelift tiptoes on the styling of the Toyota sedans. The front grille with the two horizontal chrome slats has shape similar to that of the Hyundai Genesis logo. The car reminds me of the Corolla Altis and even the Etios to some extent. The bonnet lines have also changed; the grooves at the centre have moved apart depicting a bulge at the centre, while the lines on the side have disappeared. The front bumper is new and it houses the bold and trendy fog lamps. The headlamp cluster is also slightly revised and along with it, the new grille makes the face look aggressive. The side profile is the same and the minor changes to the back include redesigned tail lamps, a two tone rear bumper and a concealed exhaust.

Personally, I will prefer the looks of the outgoing model over the facelift, but looks are subjective. The fact is, it is still the most modern and stylish car in the segment and will continue to get attention for its design.

The changes to the interior are minimal, there is no change in styling or layout and the update is restricted to the addition of a few features. It gets the upgraded music system with 1 GB internal memory, sliding centre armrest and an interesting ergonomic lever that allows you to move the front passenger seat from the rear bench. The Verna still misses out on rear AC vents that are part of the features list on the Honda City and Volkswagen Vento, however it gets projector headlamps and I will happily trade vents for having these on my car. The rest including the boot size and 195 / 55 R16 tyres are the same from the previous car. Hyundai is known for offering maximum features, but it is not the case with the Verna. The City and Ciaz are loaded with features and the Verna now just about matches up to them.

The Verna is the only car in the segment offering six airbags and that is a big plus on the safety. Hyundai has also committed to offer ABS as standard on all variants and a big thumbs up to them for this decision. However, the company has omitted the rear disc brakes that were available with the previous model.

Performance

The facelift does not involve any changes to the engine option. Hyundai offers the car with a choice of two petrol and two diesel engines. The higher capacity (1.6-litre) petrol and diesel engines are the most powerful in the segment producing 121bhp / 155Nm and 126bhp and 260Nm respectively.

We drove the 1.6-litre diesel and the power it offers is beyond par. There is hardly any turbo lag and with the more than decent torque and power spread it can cruise at over 120kph easily. This also means that the engine is never under pressure, mostly running under 2,000-rpm, so getting efficiency of over 18kpl in the real world is not a big challenge.

Even the previous diesel Verna had enough grunt to become a driver’s car, but it failed as it had a terrible suspension setup and also steering feedback. Hyundai has worked on both these fronts and this car has definitely improved. The suspension has been recalibrated and it manages rebound better. Unlike the previous car, this one settles down quickly in case it hits a bad patch at high speed making manoeuvring easier. The suspension is marginally stiffer and the car is not as bumpy as before. The steering has also been worked upon; while it is still light at low speeds, it does weigh up past 70kph infusing some amount of confidence.

The fine tuning has definitely helped – where earlier I was afraid of even getting behind the steering of the Verna, I won’t mind taking the new one for a drive. That is an achievement; however, this is still not a driver’s car.

Verdict

This is a very basic facelift, Hyundai has ironed out all niggles in the ride and handling and also improved on the external design to make the Verna look new once again. Overall, the Verna has everything to make it a worthy competitor in the C-segment. It has the looks, a decent features list, performance and with the facelift it is also as relevant to people looking for a new product. The only thing it lacks compared to the current segments leaders is the cabin space.

The pricing may play a key role in the success of the facelifted Hyundai Verna, but either ways it deserves due consideration if you are looking at buying a C-segment sedan.