New 2015 Hyundai Verna 4S Facelift Review: Vernacular Renaissance

The Hyundai Verna, when it was first introduced back in 2006, was a rather mature looking sedan for its time, which carried a design that did not offend anyone, though it didn’t either manage to evoke any wows. In an interim effort till Hyundai got their fludic lines right, they launched the ‘Transform’ variant, which didn’t look good, to put it gently. However, when the young and dynamic Hyundai Verna emerged, it took the car market by storm, striking many bolts through its competitors. But then that was four long years ago, and given the number of updates a vehicle receives these days, like some sort of an annual mandatory health check up, an upgrade was long overdue. Say hello then to the new 2015 Hyundai Verna 4S, which, though more cosmetic in nature, should help the car to sustain its allure, until the all new next-gen sedan arrives.

What we really appreciate is the respect Hyundai has towards the Indian car market, as they did not waste much time to get the updated Verna to us, which as a global product, is available in similar-spec across 66 countries. Elaborating the 4S in the nomenclature, Hyundai insists that it is an abridgement of Style, Safety, Sophistication and Speed, this new Verna will try to lure car buyers with. They are rather serious about it, as the New Hyundai Verna 4S has been tested across the globe, ranging from the vodka freezing frosty environs in Russia, to the throat parching, tricky terrain of the Death Valley in the US, and even around the treacherous mountains in China. What will iron out forehead frowns is the fact that the Hyundai Verna has received a 5-star safety rating by N-CAP, across different parts of the globe and has also been rated “Good” by the US Government Insurance Institute for highway safety.

So let’s twist the key as we tell you more about this cosmetic treat from Korean, Oh hold on! There is no key. So when you can’t twist, all you do is, push!

Styling and appearance

Hyundai has followed the “If it ain’t broke, don’t try too hard fixing it” approach with the new Verna 4S. However, although the visual changes on the car are minor, they go a long way in escalating the appeal of the Fluidic Design that will now look to appease a wider audience. Starting with the face, the horizontal single slat grille encased within the Hyundai hexagon, has now become wider. The earlier ellipsoidal grille has been replaced with an upward sweeping grille, that now has two wing like horizontal chrome slats, flanking the ‘H’ logo. The angular, hexagonal Hyundai face has given way a more organic, curvy shape.

The headlight follows a new design pattern. It looks more modern now, cutting deeper into the bumper near the grille, drooping slightly on the opposite side, then rising up in a curvaceous fashion at the flanks to meet the bonnet’s shut line. The headlamp also gets a projector setup, encapsulated in a chrome ringed cylinder, surrounded by a brushed aluminum insert that mimics a DRL, while a curving chrome stripped partition separates the blinkers.

Coming to the lower part of the new front bumper, where the earlier car incorporated the grille and the air-dam in an trapezoidal environment, the air-dam on the 4S Verna has become shorter, but has also gained more width at the same time. ‘L’ shaped fog lamps have been replaced by a boomerang design, while a wide crease  continues from the front wheel arches extending itself onto the lower portion of the bumper, lending that added character to the front. Overall, Hyundai has been successful at making the Verna 4S look more global now, where although the earlier car looked dynamic and enticing, the front revealed its roots at the very first glance.

Sideways, it continues to be a clone of the existing car, except the 16” alloy wheels which follow a diamond cut design pattern now. At the finishing end of things, the tail light has undergone minor changes and now displays a more pronounced LED effect. The rear bumper too has been slightly tweaked to incorporate reflectors that compliment the fog lamp’s design. At the bottom, a blackened out strip does a neat job of hiding the exhaust pipe. However, we still prefer the exposed twin pipes coming out at the back, adding to the sporty appeal. We also noticed that the Verna badge has switched sides from right to the left, while that space is now occupied by another moniker that gives away the engine size and the variant.

What remains commendable is the top notch quality of paint. The shutlines which fit flush at most places, widen as you move backwards, the gap between the boot and the tail light could’ve been thinner.

Next page for interior and features..