A SHOT IN THE ARM

The all-new Hyundai Verna has the potential to renew interest in the sedan segment in India

-  Pablo Chaterji

A question that I was repeatedly asked by Hyundai officials at the Verna media drive was 'What do you like most about the car?' My answer on every occasion was 'Its design', and I'm going to repeat that here.

When I saw the design sketches that Hyundai released shortly before the car's launch, I was impressed, but also a little skeptical - it's not often that a production car matches its design sketches. Thankfully, Hyundai has stuck to the sketches very closely, resulting in a car that's by far the most striking-looking in its class. The design language is very clearly in keeping with Hyundai's latest lineup of cars, and on the Verna its been executed to a nicety; there are no elements that look like they're out of place or have been added as afterthoughts.

The front end is the most arresting part of the car, with that slim LED strip running the width of its nose, and sleek headlamps placed below it. The grille isn't very large - thankfully - and has a 'parametric' design, similar to that on the Tucson. I have a feeling the front end will be too radical for some tastes, but I'm a fan - it helps differentiate the car in a sea of lookalike designs. The Verna's profile is equally impressive, with its lines moving smoothly from front to back; there are some slick lines and creases down its shoulders and skirts, with prominent bulges above the tail lights at the rear; chrome-lovers will appreciate the fact that the shoulder line has been executed in chrome on the doors, culminating in an inverted comma shape connecting to the roof, which is of a fastback design. The wheel arches are properly filled out by the 16-inch alloys, which in blacked-out form look very good, especially with red calipers on the front wheels.