Hyundai Verna

The all-new Verna has improved in most areas. With an attractive price tag and baby Elantra looks, it’s now a more compelling package.

- Saumil Shah

We loved the fluidic Verna for its snazzy styling and laundry list of features. It was a car welcomed by buyers and it went on to dominate its segment for a pretty long time. However, the introduction of the more comfortable and more spacious new-generation Honda City and the all-new Maruti Ciaz sidelined the Verna. But now, six years after the launch of the previous-generation model, the company has pumped in Rs 1,000 crore to bring us the fifth-generation Verna, to grab a significant slice of the mid-size sedan segment pie.

Built on an all-new K2 platform, it’s more rigid than before and uses a greater percentage of high-strength steel. This new car can easily be mistaken for the more premium Hyundai Elantra. Even its silhouette is more like the Elantra than the previous-generation Verna. The chrome-lined ‘cascading’ grille (like the Xcent’s) dominates the face, and the swept-back projector headlamps add some definition. It also gets integrated daytime running lights (DRLs) which turn off when the handbrake is engaged, just like in the Xcent. New and segment-first projector fog lamps are housed by chrome-lined pentagons that look a bit quirky. However, the rest of the exterior design has soft character lines and the design is a lot more contemporary and very European. The chrome door handles and window belt line, the 16-inch diamond-cut wheels and the coupélike sloping roof lend a classy touch to the side profile. However, the rear bumper looks a bit bulky, but the unique black plastic accent on the lower half of the rear bumper does help break its bulk to an extent. Its new, stretched tail-lights make the car appear wider than it actually is, and includes striking LED elements. This new Verna has grown in dimensions but doesn’t appear as large as the Ciaz or the City; instead, due to its balanced proportions, it looks well-rounded.

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