New Hyundai 'Fluidic' Verna AT

With the Verna making its debut in our long term fleet this month, I knew I just had to get my hands on the keys. I've driven the petrol and diesel versions before, however they came fitted with a manual transmission. This car however is essentially the top of the line 1.6 Petrol variant with an automatic gearbox

Ever since Hyundai unveiled the all new Verna earlier this year, I must say that I have been smitten by its good looks. The sleek sculpted body, chiseled lines, swept back headlights and its aggressive sporty stance definitely got me staring, and if the sales figures are a testimony to the success of the Verna, I can very confidentially add that I am not alone in my thought that the Verna is a striking car that has the potential to dominate its segment. 

With the Verna making its debut in our long term fleet this month, I knew I just had to get my hands on the keys. I’ve driven the petrol and diesel versions before, however they came fitted with a manual transmission. This car however is essentially the top of the line 1.6 Petrol variant with an automatic gearbox.  About two weeks ago, my jet black Verna was delivered to me with just 2560 kilometers on the odometer, making it a pretty new car. In fact it still has the new car smell lingering in it! Ever since I got my hands on the wheel, the Verna has literally been on the move non- stop thanks to a wedding in the family and everyone is familiar with the sheer amount of running around that goes with a great Indian wedding. Regardless, over the last two weeks I have managed to clock over 500 kilometers and 99 per cent has been in city traffic. The automatic gearbox has been a boon in the mad rush of stop/go traffic, however I was disappointed to find out that it is only a four speed gearbox. It is offered with a tiptronic function; however the four speed box doesn’t seem to draw on the maximum potential of the engine. Ride quality is decent thanks to the soft suspension set up and that has been a blessing on my manic dashes between work and attending family functions. I do intend on taking the Verna AT out on a nice highway jaunt  on one of these weekends and I do hope that the car performs equally well in that environment as well. 

Apart from charging around Delhi, my journey with the new Hyundai Verna AT has been also about unraveling the little gizmos and gadgets that are standard on the top of the line version. It’s quite a surprise to see a car come so packed in this this particular segment and in these early days the two items that I have really come to enjoy are the rear view camera and display as well as the keyless entry system.

There’s still a lot to unravel in Hyundai’s latest offering and I am looking forward at doing so in the coming months, however, right now I personally need to get done with the mad rush known as Delhi’s wedding season first!