Call Of War

With the third-generation Verna, Hyundai India aims to unsettle two of its strongest competitors – the Maruti Suzuki Ciaz and the Honda City. We take a short drive in the new Verna prior to its launch to see if it can really shake up the segment.

- Ishan Raghava

Ever since the arrival of the first generation of the Verna that Hyundai sold in India, the sedan has been a staple seller for the Korean manufacturer. However, with the competition stiffening in recent years, things for the second-gen Verna had become quite difficult as the car has grown long in the tooth – not to mention the fact that the competition has, in the interim, launched some very capable products. And with the latest generation of the Verna, this is exactly what Hyundai hopes to remedy in the quest for market share and increased sales numbers.

In the past few years, we’ve seen Hyundai’s design language progress substantially – and the new Verna doesn’t deviate from this path. With its large cascading grille – a new design highlight for the brand – and clean sides, featuring a sharp shoulder line, the Verna now resembles a shrunken Elantra. And with its large 16-inch wheels, the car features a good stance – with its ample ground clearance meaning that it won’t have problems dealing with our pothole-ridden roads. Thankfully, in the Verna, Hyundai hasn’t overdone chrome appliques, so the overall design of the car looks confident and classy.