Hyundai Verna SX CRDi A/T (Old)

Hyundai has added yet another feather to the Verna’s cap with the automatic option

Published on Sep 07, 2009 07:00:00 AM

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The talking point is the Verna CRDi’s four-speed auto ’box, which is similar to the one on the i10 Kappa. The only difference is that the mechanicals have been strengthened on the Verna’s motor to cope with the higher torque output. The gearbox is very simple and conventional. It doesn’t have an option of paddle shifts or a manual mode. Instead, it has ‘L’ mode and a second gear where the gearbox is kept in a lower gear ratio for steep climbs and for emergency overtaking manoeuvres.
The Verna CRDi is known for its shattering performance, so the question is how much has the auto ’box blunted it? The Verna is still quick, but what’s missing though is the fiery acceleration that you get with the five-speed manual transmission. The auto has only four ratios to play with and the gears are taller, so it can’t extract the maximum from the engine.

The slow-shifting auto ’box doesn’t help its cause either. Response from the ’box is slow and it often hesitates to downshift. The plus side is that the Verna auto accelerates in an extremely relaxed and linear manner. It’s like an aircraft, slow to start with but after a certain point it gets going. The auto ’box eliminates some of the turbo lag which is prominent in the manual version. As a result, the car is easier and smoother to drive in the city and the convenience of an automatic considerably reduces driving stress.

On the highway, the Verna cruises nicely and doesn’t feel taxed even at max speed. There’s adequate power for overtaking but the slow-witted gearbox with its lethargic kickdown calls for some planning when passing fast-moving traffic. This is telling on the Verna’s flat-out performance. It goes from 0-60kph in 7.03 seconds, which is more than two seconds slower than the manual version. And 100kph comes up in 14.1sec, as compared to the 11.35sec taken by the manual. On the driveability front, the Verna is not that bad. It takes 9.43sec to reach from 20-80kph and 12.16sec for 40-100kph.
Being an automatic, fuel consumption takes a slight hit. The Verna manages 10.3kpl and 16.1kpl in the city and highway cycles respectively. While in the city, the Verna is almost 2kpl off the manual, it does redeem itself on the highway thanks to that tall fourth gear.