autoX Awards 2023: Hyundai Verna Performance, Quality and Value for Money Ranked

autoX Awards 2023: With rivals like the Honda City, Volkswagen Taigun, and Skoda Slavia, the new Hyundai Verna has its work well and truly cut out. On one hand, it has to match the practicality and comfort of the City, and on the other, it’s supposed to keep the VW cousins at bay in terms of performance and driver involvement. So, how does the Verna fare?

Aesthetically, the new Verna has the car community divided – some love its unconventional spaceship design, while others call it an appliance. To each his own, we say. Even all of us on the jury had different takes on its design, although most agreed that its design is something that will slowly grow on you.

Inside, the Verna gets all the latest bells and whistles – large screens, a neatly designed cabin with driver-focused controls, ventilated seats, ADAS, and so on. The most impressive aspect is the space inside. All the previous-gen Vernas used to feel claustrophobic and cramped at the rear, but the new one has got acres of space in comparison, meaning it’s a more complete sedan now. It also feels quite premium inside, although the all-black interior in the top-spec turbo petrol versions does make the cabin look a little drab.

However, to realise the Verna’s true worth, you must keep all that aside and focus on the way it drives. Propelled by Hyundai’s 1.5-litre turbo petrol unit, which churns out 158bhp of max power and 253Nm of torque, the Verna is now the most powerful sedan in its segment. There’s a 6-speed manual and a 7-speed DCT on offer, but irrespective of the choice you make, the acceleration is always ferocious. While it’s the same engine that powered the Seltos we had on the test, we definitely enjoyed it more in the Verna, given that it’s lighter and lower to the ground. And then there’s the handling. Gone are the days when the Verna would handle like a boat. This new generation version is a pointy handler. It’s light on its feet and turns on a dime. The all-disc brake setup inspires huge confidence. Overall, it’s a fun and capable machine when you’re pushing it on a track day. Want proof? The Hyundai Verna was quicker than the Audi Q3 and BMW X1!

Also Read: 2023 Hyundai Verna Review: Striking the Balance Between Performance, Features and Comfort

The icing on the cake is the recently released Global NCAP crash test results, wherein it scored a full 5 stars! The Verna is all the things that you would want from a sedan, except for its slightly polarizing design, perhaps. In fact, it was one of the best cars to have come out this year. And if you check the final scores, it missed out on winning a trophy by just a whisker.

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