Let me compare both these cars in the simplest way possible. Here, we are comparing mainly about the 1.5 turbo petrol automatic of both cars.
Acceleration: Both are at par in real life. On paper, there might be a difference in BHP and torque figures but for all practical purposes, you won’t find any significant difference in power. The Hyundai engine revs more freely and provide more thrust whereas you’ll hear the Virtus engine inside the cabin a bit more which adds to the drama. Its like saying, the better insulation of Verna robbed it of the aural drama associated with performance.
Ride Quality: Verna has a neutral suspension setup (Not soft like Honda City or stiff like Virtus) and gives a plush ride in almost all conditions. Virtus has a stiffer suspension with a bit of bumpy ride quality at slow speeds and it smoothens out as you go faster, but again nothing which is a deal breaker – Depends on personal choice.
Build Quality and Safety: Virtus’s Kerb weight is 1275kg and is 5 GNCAP certified. Verna’s kerb weight is 1245kgs (marginally less than Virtus) and build quality seems good (if nothing exceptional) and is also 5 star rated now. The heft of doors is more in Virtus but the interior fit/finish is better in Verna. With respect to safety features, Virtus provides ESC, Isofix and 5 adjustable headrests skipping 6 airbags in lower models whereas Verna provides 6 airbags as standard skipping rear centre rear headrest. Verna has an edge in active safety tech, albeit in the top spec variant with the addition of Level 2 ADAS tech!
Steering Feedback– Virtus’s steering is precise and weighs up from very low speeds and provides feedback that is confidence inspiring. Coming to Verna, earlier versions were lifeless but this one is decent (You need to drive to feel it). At low city speeds, it is effortless and very pleasing – at high speed, it is still artificial in feel. But finally, steering feedback is not a deal breaker for Hyundai now!
Handling– Virtus is the benchmark (could be better with lesser ground clearance) but Verna is not far behind (can’t rate it poor). Still, if we want a winner, Virtus is the one to have. We are eagerly waiting for Verna N-Line, Hyundai are you listening?
Features/Looks– Looks are subjective but feature wise , Verna is a clear winner. Especially, in the interior, Virtus doesn’t feel like a 20+lkh car, the plastics feel dull but Verna looks like a premium luxury sedan from the inside. Steering can be flat bottom though!
Braking– Virtus has a brake bite from the very beginning but new drivers would take time to adjust their muscle memory as sometimes it might end up feeling like panic braking. Verna has very progressive braking which helps in smooth driving. So though brakes are equally powerful, I liked Verna’s braking which is more progressive.
The bottom line is, that both are equally good – Kudos to VW and Hyundai for coming up with these fun-to-drive sedans for India. Now it is up to personal choice to pick one. Again, you won’t regret spending your money on any of them.
