Ocean to Orbit with the Hyundai Verna

On India’s eastern coast, two unlikely monuments to that spirit of discovery stand within a day’s drive of each other. At Visakhapatnam rests INS Kursura, a decommissioned submarine that once patrolled the deep seas for the Indian Navy. A few hundred kilometres south, in Sriharikota, lies the launch pad from which India reaches for the stars.

Bridging the distance between the depths of the ocean and the edge of space is a journey that demands the right companion. Enter the Hyundai Verna — a machine that’s more than just a sedan; it’s a statement of what modern engineering can deliver when ambition meets execution.

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From Depths to Dreams

Standing in the shadow of the Kursura, you can almost hear the echoes of the crew who once lived months underwater, relying solely on steel, diesel, and human will. It is a reminder that exploration begins with courage but survives only with technology. That thought alone made this road trip feel larger than a simple drive. We weren’t just going from city to city; we were tracing India’s evolution — from submarine periscope to rocket fairing.

The route from Vizag to Sriharikota is a stretch that could test any car. Long highways, humid coastal air, a mix of mountain bends and crowded towns. The Verna handled it all like it was built for this very mission. With nearly 160 horses under the bonnet in the turbo-petrol guise, it had no trouble eating up kilometres. But raw pace is only half the story. Long-distance driving is about comfort.

And the Verna gets you ventilated seats when the sun beats down, a wireless charger so your phone survives as long as you do, and a Bose sound system to soundtrack the road. Add ADAS into the mix, and you have a co-driver who has your back, always.

India’s Leap into the Cosmos

If the ocean once defined exploration, space is where the future unfolds. Sriharikota is more than a spaceport; it is the embodiment of Indian resilience. From launching small experimental rockets in a fishing village to landing on the Moon, ISRO has defied every odd stacked against it.

You know, only four nations have made it to the lunar surface. India is one of them. And we did it on a budget that, famously, was less than a Hollywood space film. And deserves praises and appreciation in my opinion.

The Road Trip Rituals

Of course, no great drive is complete without its detours. Empty mountain roads that make your right foot heavy. Pit stops where hunger meets regional flavours. The Verna, with its turbocharged enthusiasm, made sure the drive wasn’t just about the destination. It was about the moments in between.

There’s something about chasing a sunrise on a near-empty ghats, music turned up, car humming at the sweet spot — it makes you feel like you are part of something bigger than the road itself.

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Beyond Machines, Beyond Limits

Reaching Sriharikota felt symbolic. At one end of the journey was a submarine that once guarded our seas at the other, rockets that now carry our dreams beyond the atmosphere. And in between them, the Verna carried us — steady, composed, efficient. It reminded me that innovation isn’t confined to laboratories or launchpads. It lives in the machines we use every day, the ones that quietly push boundaries while keeping us safe, connected, and inspired.

Just as ISRO proves that India can reach for the impossible, cars like the Verna prove that technology can make even the longest road feel effortless. This wasn’t a road trip; it was a tribute. To the explorers of the seas, the visionaries of the skies, and the engineers who make both possible.

From the submarine that dared to dive deep, to the rockets that now leap beyond gravity, India’s story of exploration is one of grit and genius. And the Hyundai Verna, in its own way, fits right into that narrative, a modern marvel that makes you believe that no horizon is too far.

Whether it’s the depths of the ocean or the vastness of space, the truth is the same: exploration never ends.