UPDATE:
I took the car down to HMP the other day tocheck the alignment. This was a major manufacturing defect in the older cars. They drove the car and claimed the original issue has been resolved and my car just has a wheel alignment prob that will be done during 1st service.
The second issue is that all gears shift smoothly, except when shifting to 2nd
gear. He claims this is a minor wiring issue that will be dealt with during
service.
I was told during purchase that there will be a pickup and drop facility when I
give the car in for service. HMP now says they have a driver shortage and that
I will have to personally do the dropping and picking up. While this is an adv
as I can test the car before bringing it home after service, why does the
dealer promise all this if they cant live up to it? What do other hyundai
owners do?
I have driven the car around 500km. So far the FE seems to be around 12 or 13
under pure city driving conditions with AC always on. The car is fantastic,
though I find lack of thigh support on the seat does cause mild discomfort in
heavy traffic. Overall have not seen any other issues with the car apart from
those mentioned!
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Hi Everyone,
I bought a Hyundai Verna SX Diesel with ABS on the 14th of October 2008. Its
just been 2 weeks since I got the car and haven't clocked too many kms yet in
it but finally I get to write a review on MS.com
I had decided on a diesel car right from the beginning. After slowly ruling out
all the small car variants, I finally settled down on either the Verna diesel
or the Ford Fiesta diesel.
My uncles fiesta was impressive, but the car was a little rigid and quite large
in terms of the body structure, and wasnt very comfy. The expensive maintenance
meant that I ruled it out.
I had my eyes on the Verna Diesel for a long time and once I test drove both
the petrol and diesel variants I immediately fell in love with the diesel. The
petrol lacked power and was no fun. It felt like any other random car. The
x-factor was lacking. While I test drove it from DSC motors Chennai, I
eventually ended up completing the purchase at Hyundai Motor Plaza, Chennai.
The salesperson Venkat, was absolutely brilliant throughout and his services
were impeccable. He was quite honest with any issues the car may have and gave
a complete run through of all details. I would recommend HMP to all people in
Chennai.
Coming to the car, I had the unfortunate luck of having some idiot on a Pulsar
scratch the front left part of the bumper when I had parked the car near a shop
on the 4th day. I was quite livid with the way people behave here. Complete
ignorance towards basic road discipline and rules makes me want to run my car
over myself.
The mileage so far seems to be around 13 or 14km. Not judged precisely but it
is approximate for this short time. There is no noise what so ever from the engine.
Once the windows are closed and the ac on, you are completely isolated from the
outside noise. The ac is fantastic and will chill you to your bones at its
lowest temperature. The climate control system is also very effective for a
comfy drive at the end of a tiring day. Adjustable steering and driver seat
height are useful for shorter people like me. The car is perfectly crafted to
make driving both forward and in reverse easy unlike in cars such as the SX4
where reversing was a nightmare during the test drive. The steering is not too light
and not heavy as in the fiesta. The car is quite responsive in turns. Many
people talked about understeer, but so far I find handling it a breeze.
As many people mentioned, the power and acceleration of the 110 bhp engine is
quite addictive, although 2nd gear pickup is a little poor and the turbo
charger kicks in only around 2000rpm. But this ensures that in traffic you
don't keep zooming off, and that you don’t lag behind on an empty road. Quite a
brilliant balance! The turbo charger does mean that from 3rd gear onwards the
car surges forward even if you remove your foot from the throttle and this is
an amazing feeling. Its almost as if the car has a life of its own and doesn't
want to be held back. The gear transitions are relatively smooth, but somehow
don't seem to be as great as when I test drove it. The stick needs to be
handled delicately and gear shifts need to be done quickly once the clutch is
engaged to allow a smooth shift. Hoping that it gels in better with greater
use.
The interiors are spacious though slightly bland, but not something that should
deter people from buying the car. The light colour of the interior is conducive
to dirt marks and should be maintained by cleansing regularly.
The kenwood sound system supports a rear end aux jack which I fitted in for rs
150/- and also plays cd and audio cassette and comes with a remote. It is more
then sufficient and the speakers are very effective.
Suspension is decent, though it could help to perhaps have it tinkered with a
bit during service. Overall ride quality is pleasurable. The one issue that I
have found is that the car does veer to the left noticeably at speeds from
35km/h onwards. I thought that HMIL would have ironed out this problem already
but clearly that is not the case. The wheels also can be upgraded to a bigger
dimension (probably alloy wheels) after the present ones wear out for greater
stability. The ABS system is brilliant and is a real necessity because this car
really takes off, and with the way people behave on roads it'll be a reassuring
safety factor since there are no airbags available on any of the models.
The only other disappointing factor was that the HMIL does not provide enough
free accessories with the car despite its high pricing. At least a free car
cover should have been provided along with the free floor mats and the mud
flaps (+ a key chain and a clock/photo frame). I had to pay separately for the
sun film as well which was deducted directly from the 20000 discount I got. The
monstrosity that is its engine is the one thing that makes the verna worth the
extra couple of lakhs over its competitors. The stock headlamps need to be
upgraded as they are terrible for night driving. It shouldn't be too much of an
investment.
A few suggestions
1) Avoid buying seat covers and other accessories at the dealership. They are
priced much higher. There are plenty of car accessories shops with better
variety and lower prices.
2)Take a long test drive to get a complete idea of the car. Pester the sales
person regarding all the features in the car, any issues that it may have, and
potential maintenance related issues. If there are petrol and diesel variants
available make it a point to drive both. As proven by the Verna, the diesel
model is light years ahead of its petrol variant.
3)Maintain a good repertoire with the sales person because they can be
contacted for any queries you may have. The chaps at HMP were more then
friendly and prompt.
Thanks to all you car lovers out there. Your inputs on this great site were
very valuable. Remember that you invest a lotta time and money in buying a car.
Don’t mess it all up by becoming rash. Happy and SAFE driving!
