I am not biased in favour of any particular make..
the comment (subject that is) is based on a calculated opinion after having
owned a Fiesta for just over a month & test driving a Verna today – with a
view to purchasing a second car for the family.
[I would, secretly, admit though that Hyundai has never appealed to me and this was my first time driving one.]
At the outset, I never really liked the road presence of a
Verna. While bigger, more expensive compared to an Accent, it actually always
looked smaller to me. The abruptly ending boot was so upsetting & the shape
overall, that of a toy car.. but I guess that;s just personal preference so
I’ll leave accessories & looks out for the sake of this review &
concentrate on performance & handling...
POSITIVES
1.
POWER:
Verna is an extremely powerful car. As soon as the TurboCharge kicks in (at
2000 rpm), the car just rockets off - this is consistent with most other
feedbacks here.
a.
Comparing this with my Fiesta – Fiesta is
reasonably powered with its DuraTorq engine and although it’d be slightly slower
getting to a 100kmph, it does the job more than satisfactorily.
That, unfortuantely, is it for my list of positives here.
NEGATIVES
1.
*SUNK
SEAT:** I test drove the lower model (I think it is CRDI) and the drive
position was a shocker. It felt like a Swift dressed up in expensive clothes. At
5ft 9, my shoulder sat parallel, if not slightly below, the window. Ok, I know
sporty cars generally have lower seats, I have owned several myself but they
usually also have lower windows, lower height etc etc to go with it. There is
also an option to get the higher end model, which comes with a height adjuster
but really – there was 6 inches between my head & the roof and about 8
inches for me to get a better position… so..do your own math & you would
know that it wouldn’t make sense anyway, let alone the par 9lac cost of this
higher end model (with ABS that is – which is a quintessential for EVERY car,
let alone this power machine). While the car also lacks a solid thigh support, I’d
easily eliminate this car purely on the basis of the window height.
2.
*DRIVE
FEELING:** Honestly, even after being the longest (nearly) in the segment, it
felt like a small car. That’s thanks largely to it’s over-engineered steering.
While I was zooming past everyone, I was least comfortable at higher speeds as
the steering was just as smooth as it would be in lower speeds. Having lived in
Australia for most of last decade, this greatly compromises safety. Power
steering, in most cars, especially faster ones, is also speed sensitive – so the
smoothness reduces when speed goes up so you don’t end up turning too sharp at
higher speeds, potentially causing fatality.
3.
*BOOT
SPACE:** At under 400litres, this is a certain downer for a car this length. I
couldn’t pick-up someone from the airport in this. Looks like Hyundai has wasted
a lot of space on the bonnet & to make up for it, they have cut the boot
short, while still maintaining a good interior space. Again, bad designing for
a car this price.
4. DASHBOARD: A shockingly plasticky, bland & cramped dashboard. This reminds me of the Mercedes A-Class debacle.
5. SPEEDOMETER etc: Ok, it’s not the worst thing in the car but there could have been more thought put into it, especially around new computer technologies such as the famous Ford DTE (Distance to Empty - which is AWESOME), Average Speeds, Average Mileage etc..
6. SPACE: I felt that Fiesta could have been wider
(especially as it’s little brother, Fusion, is 1720mm - i.e. 2cm less
than the very comfortable Logan) - to comfortably sit 5 average to big
sized males. Like Ford, Hyundai didn’t do any thinking here too - at a
width which is only 0.4cm more compared to a Fiesta. That is less than
half the thickness of your little finger. In saying that, a small family should find this car quite comfortable, as they would a Fiesta.
NEUTRAL
1. MILEAGE: This is an endless debate between
Logan, Fiesta & Verna. My observation is that Fiesta heads the charts (@
~18km/l in city conditions), followed by Logan & then Verna (@ ~15 km/l), however,
the difference isn’t massive so that’s a neutral for me.
FINAL VERDICT
In conclusion, regardless of how much people would recommend
this to me and sell it to me on the basis of its image & power, I can NOT
make the compromises this car is yelling at me to make. I’d rather have a bad
looking car which gave me a feeling of safety & a good drive position
(which is also a safety feature btw) and perhaps wasn’t projected so well &
was less powerful.
How I see it, I already have the best car for my needs in this price
range & the distant second option is Logan. For it’s funny shape at the rear,
it’s badly projected image, wrong user targeting and all that jazz – Mahindra-Renault Logan would have to be my
second car after all, albeit with a few ‘cosmetic’ compromises. Ford Fusion is another one that begs a thought - may be the 3rd car?
That is my opinion and you can form your own.
A few hours post this test drive now, I have already booked myself a Logan.