Fiat Linea vs Hyundai Verna Transform

Hyundai's Verna was never acclaimed for its looks and a facelift has been needed since inception. Now, a year after AUTO BILD INDIA fi rst revealed the Verna Transform (Vol1 Issue 26), the company has launched it in India. The Fiat Linea meanwhile has been having a good time with brisk sales. So we pitched these two diesel sedans against each other to find out which one’s the better car to buy.

Linea's large dash looks smart but is more executive like. It also gets steering mounted controls. Instrument panel gets a comprehensive MFD

The Linea is a better handling machine and takes corners more comfortably

The Verna Transform gets a redesigned front, including a new bumper grille and headlamp combo. Although the changes are quite minimal, the Hyundai now has a sporty edge. However at the back, changes are limited to a new bezel for the lamps and a large and fancy chrome exhaust tip. The new Verna surprisingly has lost a few millimeters in length during this ‘transformation’. In profi le too, the only visible difference are the LEDs on the ORVMs. The Linea on the other hand envisages Italian design fl air with large headlamps and a strong and well defi ned shoulder line, looking more polished than the boy racer looks of the Verna.

Inside the Verna, you are greeted by the same dash as before but with a redone instrument panel. While the blue illumination all around looks good, the fake wood fi nish isn’t really exciting. The switches on the dash operate with positive clicks and feel good. The quality of plastics too are better than in the Linea. The Hyundai also boasts a better driving position, thanks to better adjustability options for the seat and steering. However the seat itself is not very comfortable. The Verna's design offers better all round visibility too.

Inside the Linea, you are greeted by a two-tone dash as well. The instrument panel looks good and the red illumination looks better than the Hyundai's blue. The steering wheel on the Linea is a much meatier unit and also houses controls for Bluetooth telephony and the audio system. It also offers a more comprehensive trip computer which can be operated by a button on the wiper stalk. The seats on the Linea are more comfortable units too and can be adjusted for height as well. Not to mention the lever is easier to use than the rotary knob of the Verna. The Linea with the option pack also offers more features like airbags and a rear AC vent. Space at the back however is better in the Verna.

The dash is well fi nished and comes in two-tone scheme. The Verna also gets climate control. Steering mounted controls are sorely missed though

As a result the Verna outperforms it each time, be it acceleration or roll-ons

The Verna is a more softly sprung car than the Linea and absorbs bumps and undulations better at low speeds, transferring very little to the cabin. However as speeds increase, it tends to wallow over even slightly undulated surfaces. It's not too planted either. As the undulations get more severe the Verna begins to feel completely out of sorts.

It is here that the Linea fi ghts back with a superior ride package. The car feels planted at high speeds and it takes quite a bit to shake up the Linea and make it lose its composure. Being tauter than the Verna also means that the Linea behaves better through corners, especially when making quick direction changes.

Adding to this superior ride and handling package is the steering feel, which is more positive. Sure it is heavier, but it also gives more feedback.

The Verna on the other hand has a lighter steering setup, which is brilliant when manoeuvring in the city and for parking it in tight spots. But on the move it feels lifeless, especially if you enjoy going around twisties. However if you primarily drive around busy city streets, you will love the shorter turning ability of the Verna. Both cars offer equally good ground clearance, nonetheless. None of the two touched their respective underbodies on rough patches or any of the giant speed breakers that we encountered.

The Linea does have a lower nose though so you need to be more careful, particularly when you brake hard for a speed breaker or a bump and the car dives a bit as its bigger weight shifts to the front.

Fiat Linea The Linea is powered by the famed 1.3-litre Multijet engine. However t is not as power packed as the Verna's engine

While the Verna sports a 1.5 common rail diesel, the Linea's engine displaces 1248cc. Start them up and both offer a prominent diesel clatter with the former’s motor feeling smoother. Slot them into gear and the Verna’s gearshift feels better too than the rubbery shifts on the Linea. Once moving the Hyundai accelerates faster and overall, the car feels lighter too. This is primarily because the Verna offers more power but is smaller than the Linea both in size and weight.

Hyundai Verna Transform The torquier engine is more usable

Meanwhile the Linea's power defi cit hampers its driving characteristics. While the Verna has enough grunt to pull through from low revs in high gear, the progress in the Linea is at a snail’s pace. This results in more frequent downshifting in the Linea. However when it comes to cruising on long straight stretches both cars offer similar performance.