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super-supercarfrom lambo & ferrari

set to woo

driven: volvo s60+

VERNA COOLER

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VERNA COOLERA cool new Verna from Hyundai TexT: gauTam sen

hyundai’s Verna has sold well since its launch in india in 2006 –particularly the 1.5-litre diesel version which many saw as a ‘running-cost-efficient’ alternative to the segment leader, honda’s City. in addition to many features, it also had a reasonable price range (from rs 6.7-9 lakhs). The diesel version, with variable geometry turbo, is very smooth, plus the surge of power once the turbo starts singing, transforms a middle-of-the-road mid-sizer into a fairly sporty saloon, the only downside being the suspect roadholding and light steering. The car looked pleas-ant, with its soft, rounded looks, but the design was downright boring. and short overhangs at the front and rear made the car shorter than the compe-tition and it looked smaller too. and in india, size matters.

hyundai’s all-new Verna, the seventh generation since hyundai’s very first car, the Pony – a car that will be launched soon in india – addresses these issues fairly well. For one, the car has grown significantly. The new Verna is built on a 2.57-metre plat-form, some 70mm longer than the outgoing car’s, and hyundai promises more space for both front and rear seat passengers, though the overall height has come down by 13mm to 1.46 metres, thus relocating the h-point – the point at which your hip is parked on the seat – lower and aft than earlier, which could work against the gain in wheelbase. hyundai claim that the leg room for the front row – as much as 1112mm – is on a par with that of a car a segment higher.

35April 2011 Auto IndIa

The new Verna is also wider and longer than its predecessor by 5mm and 90mm at 1.7 metres and 4.37 metres, respec-tively. The new car still remains smaller – as in shorter and lower – than its main target, the honda City.

But the design has transformed it into a very stylish coupé-like profile with a sweeping greenhouse which curves down to a rakish fastback C-pillar (and hyundai claim that head room has not been affected in the process). That, along with the aggressive hexagonal face flanked by a pair of eagle-eyed two-tone bezel headlamps, makes for a very dramatic design. The new model continues hyundai’s ‘fluidic sculpture’ design philosophy that is supposed to reflect a calligrapher’s ‘orchid stroke’ into the shape of a vehicle. distinctive l-shaped fog lamps flank the hexagonal front grille which is becoming the trademark hyundai face.

i think the new Verna will find a lot of admirers in india, though personally i

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find it too cluttered and not particularly elegant and i suspect the design will age rapidly. But inside it is another story. Though the sweeping character lines of the exterior find some echoes inside, the y-shaped crash pad with its bilateral symmetry gives the fascia a sense of strength and stability. The use of high-gloss black and metallic colours in the centre of the fascia and on the console gives the interiors a futuristic and high-tech look.

Choice of powertrains for the new Verna include two diesels and two petrols. Most will opt for the diesel. The most popular will probably be the 90bhp 1.4 diesel (which develops 221nm of torque), though we are sure some may prefer the very promising 128bhp 1.6 (260nm). Both are mated to six-speed manuals. Petrols include new 1.4 and

1.6-litre dohC fours that feature multiport fuel injection with CVVT. The power and torque of these new Gamma engines are 106bhp and 122bhp respectively for the 1.4 and the 1.6, with torque at 136nm and 156nm for the two. a five-speed manual is standard, though with the 1.6 petrol it’s possible to opt for a four-speed auto.

what we drove at the launch of the new Verna in dubai was the latter – a 1.6 auto. with a 400km-odd run between dubai and Fujairah and back on an almost arrow straight highway, in a convoy, at velocities hovering around the legal speed limit of a bare 110kph, it was rather difficult to make a clear assessment of the new Verna. But what was obvious was that the new power-pack is nicely powerful, with a very linear power delivery which along with the

Hyundai Verna 1.6spec cHeckprice (lakhs): estimated 6.5 onwardsengine: 1591cc (petrol), inline 4122bhp; 156nmdrive : Front-wheel-driveGearbox: 4-speed autoBrakes F: Ventilated discs with aBs/eBdBrakes r: Ventilated discs with aBs/eBdTyres: 195/55 r16dimensions: L/W/H (mm): 4370/1700/1450Wheelbase: 2570mm

equipmenTalloy wheels ✔

anti-lock brakes ✔

airbag ✔

audio system/mp3 ✔/✔central locking/remote ✔/✔climate control/rear a/c vents ✔/ ✔electric mirrors/retracting ✔/✔electric seats ✔

parking sensor ✔

Tilt steering ✔

Traction control 8

four-speed auto makes for a very refined cruiser, though at higher revs the engine can be quite vocal. in the handling department the new Verna comes through as markedly more competent than the last gen, but not particularly characterful. it threads through corners with no major problems, but it’s not a car you would choose for an involving driving experience. it’s more at home cruising on long straights, and ride comfort is compromised thanks to stiffer suspension settings, other than low-profile 16-inch rubbers (195 55). For india, other than the top end version, the Verna will be shod with 15-inchers (185 65). either way, there is no denying that the new Verna is a significant improvement over the last gen version, and hyundai, from the looks of it, have another winner on their hands.

37April 2011 Auto IndIa