New-Gen Verna will pack in smarter looks and more features

The Verna has been underperforming its potential for the last couple of years. The Maruti Suzuki Ciaz and the Honda City have outshone the rest in the segment. The entire segment could do with some fresh blood and the key takeaway for a car-maker looking to be the disruptor is to offer the buyer in this segment the big car experience.

This means more features, more space and more power. For Hyundai the answer then lies in making the Verna seem like a smaller, but no less significant sibling of the Elantra.

The time is ripe for the new generation of the Verna, and Hyundai is officially launching the model by the last week of August 2017.

The new 2018 Hyundai Verna, the fifth generation of the mid-size sedan, gets a whole new platform. Internally called the new ‘K2’ platform, it is intrinsically more rigid and involves an increased use of high strength steel (50 per cent of it in the new Verna). The platform boosts the overall structural integrity and safety of the sedan. The new model also gets a design overhaul, though it still obediently follows the Fluidic 2.0 Design language. Also, while there are clearly identifiable elements from the Elantra in the new Verna, it still refers back to the lines of the outgoing Verna model. The large signature bonnet grille with chrome slats now adopts a variation in design internally called the Cascade design. The curved headlamps, the tail-lamps with the signature LEDs have been inspired by the Elantra, but reinterpreted in the Verna.

The new Verna is also bigger, though the exact figures for the India-spec model haven’t been revealed yet. The only observable bit about the dimensions, which we didn’t like was the roof, which sloped down and makes it quite tight for rear passengers. The tightly curved roofline means less headroom, so it will be a bit of a squeeze for six-footers.

With the addition of LED DRLs, the new 16-inch diamond cut alloys and the LED tail-lamps, the new Verna’s exterior gets more premium looks. The interior of the new Verna tells a better story with a distinct improvement in material and finish quality.

Quality of plastic parts, knobs and controls get a big jump in touch and feel quality. The new Verna gets a big jump in the number of features and many of them seem to have been brought in from the more expensive sibling. Cruise control, ventilated front seats, smartphone connectivity, rear aircon vents, electric sunroof, cornering lamps etc, are some of the new premium additions in the Verna. There is also a new eco-coating tech for the evaporator to make the cabin air odour-free.

The new Verna gets revised versions of the same petrol and diesel engines that were offered in the outgoing model. The 1.6-litre Dual VTVT petrol engine now offers 123 PS of peak power. This petrol engine is now paired with a six-speed manual transmission and a new torque converter six-speed automatic transmission. The diesel engine is the 1.6-litre U2 CRDi mill. This engine now produces 128 PS of peak power and is mated to the same two (MT and Auto) transmissions. More details regarding the engines’ torque outputs and fuel efficiency figures are awaited.

Light-weighting and increased torsional stiffness, thanks to the increased use of high strength steel means that the new Verna’s handling gets better than the predecessor. Together with increased width and the longer wheelbase, the new Verna doesn’t understeer as much as the outgoing model.

We got to test drive the new Verna on the test track at Hyundai’s Chennai plant and the first impression is very positive. The new-gen Verna’s handling seems to be much better. The overall ride quality is good. Steering precision has also improved, and though it still lacks in feedback and feels over-assisted, there is a lot more confidence while taking corners in the new Verna. We were driving on smooth, well-laid black top tarmac, so the suspension quality can’t be commented on.

But, Hyundai officials say that the suspension has been tuned for improved rear seat ride quality. The rear suspension geometry has been modified by increased vertical angle of the shock absorbers and coil springs on the coupled torsion beam axle. Front suspension gets a hydraulic rebound stopper.

The new Verna is a clear step up from the model’s previous iteration. The bump up in quality and features will unsettle the competition even more if the Verna gets an aggressive price tag too. For the buyer in this segment, the new Verna is good news because it will deliver more bang for his/her buck.

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