car&bike Awards 2024: Hyundai Verna Is Car Of The Year

While the market might be swaying towards SUVs, sedans are still in the game and the same holds true at our 2024 car&bike Awards with Hyundai Verna taking home the Car of The Year. The sedan did face some strong competition for the award not only from like-priced models such as the well-rounded Honda Elevate but also from some promising models from Europe. Now in its sixth generation, the new Verna arrived on the scene in 2023 loaded to the gills with tech and a pair of petrol engines.

The new Verna entered the segment with many segment first-in-segment and best-in-segment features such as a large suit of ADAS features, heated and ventilated front seats, 10.25-inch touchscreen, connected car tech, a powered driver seat, Bose sound system and more.

While the new-gen Verna dropped the option of a diesel engine buyers can still pick between a 1.5-litre naturally aspirated petrol engine and a 1.5-litre turbo-petrol mill – the latter the most powerful in the segment. The former makes a strong case for itself within the city with its refined and relaxed nature while the latter does offer some additional pizazz to those wanting a more enthusiastic driving experience. Both are offered with a 6-speed manual with the former getting the option of a CVT while the latter gets the option of a 7-speed DCT unit. 

The new Verna has also made a strong case for itself against the competition setting new benchmarks in terms of performance and technology when it arrived. The sedan also won carandbike’s comparisons featuring other models from the segment such as the venerable Honda City, and the VW Virtus.