Cutting through the commuting competition

SUMMARY: An eye-catcher, that bundles both diesel engine performance and efficiency with an automatic gearbox and comfortable seating posture, space, and features in a way that makes it a very, very easy-to-drive car. Enthusiasts will not like the relatively archaic 4-gear automatic. However, anyone who is not a car enthusiast and at the same time wants a fairly responsive car that gives you power when you need it will be more than satisfied with the package that the Hyundai Fluidic Verna offers. FULL REVIEW: When the Verna fluidic first came out, it was a groundbreaking evolution over the previous generation's Verna. Shape and design was completely overhauled, and it went from a car in the DZire segment to one above. Beautiful headlamps, front and rear, and curvy contour makes this car a beauty to look at, in the garage or on the road. Moving inside - with keyless entry, of course - the car is ahead of its time in terms of interiors, and holds up in 2018 without feeling overly outdated. Spaciously designed, 5 people can sit with relative comfort, as long as nobody in the back is a 6 footer. Plush leather upholstery, a superbly strong air conditioning unit - that doesn't seem to draw much power from the engine - and very comfortable seats make this car a pleasure to sit inside. The gearbox, an automatic 4 gear, is as usual, where the indian cars let us down. My 1997 Toyota Corolla in USA came with a 5 gear automatic, and I can't understand why on earth Hyundai chose a 4 speed. That being said, for a 4 speed, the city performance is punchy, and the gear ratios are well designed for city driving and even a good bit of overtaking. With just 4 speeds, it's not the best on the highway; also, the 4th gear is kind of short for the highway speeds, and the car, while relatively quick to get to triple digits, does not like to go far beyond 110. Long distance highway drivers, look away. The manual, version, with 6 gears, is far, far superior in this regard. But, for the city, the gearbox is fine, and changes to the optimal gear 90% of the time, if you're not driving like an enthusiast. End of day, the automatic is not an enthusiast vehicle. The steering is sufficiently responsive, but nothing to write home about. Not exactly clickable. But most drivers will find no problems with it. Servicing and maintenance with Hyundai is always straightforward, easy, and relatively inexpensive. With automatics in India, the clutch setup is the only thing that will get expensive, but so far, 50,000 km and it's all running well. So, the pros of the automatic fluidic diesel Verna: 1) Ticks all aesthetic boxes, inside and out 2) very comfortable 3) can be purchased in 2019 and will not feel too out of date 4) ease of service, sturdy workhorse 5) despite being automatic, mileage is great at 12-13 in city after 50000 km. 6) NRIs and other automatic-only drivers find this car a blessing at this price point. Cons: 1) automatic gearbox has only 4 gears 2) not suited for high speed highway drives 3) Bluetooth system can only connect to mobile when the car is at a standstill and the gear is in P. CONCLUSION: A stellar car for anybody who is not an enthusiast or a consistent long-distance highway driver at speeds above 110 km/h. Stylish, comfortable, quick, efficient, and great customer care from Hyundai. Definitely a car worth looking at, even more so as second hand purchase as late as 2019.