HYUNDAI AURA: DRIVING IN A FRESH WIND OF CHANGE

Hyundai seeks to reinvent itself by bringing in an all-new player - Aura, in the compact sedan segment. The car is a manifestation of Hyundai’s bold dreams to take the fight to direct rivals.

Aura is a manifestation of Hyundai’s bold dreams to not just mark its presence in the compact sedan segment but to possibly wear its much-coveted crown. With SUVs calling the shots in India, this car could well be a viable alternative.

SUBJECTIVE STYLING

The Aura gets a hexagonal ‘cascading’ grille with satin grey trim (or all black in the Turbo variant). The sweptback projector headlights and twin LED DRLs are imported into the Aura from Grand i10 Nios. The DRLs now sit on the grille. The bonnet has been sculpted with two vertical lines adding some definition. The styling from the rear is rather subjective because the Z-shaped tail lights and the chrome strip running between them appear a bit to overdone and unconventional. From the side, the R15 diamond cut alloys look nice while the short character at the start and then again at the rear are done really well.

ENGINEERING AN ENGINE AND DRIVING IT

The Aura gets a 1.2 litre petrol motor, a 1.2 litre diesel, a 1.2 litre petrol with CNG option as well as a 1.0 litre turbo petrol. All of these are BS 6 compliant.

The 1.2 litre petrol motor though is likely to seek maximum attention and could perhaps justify it as well. With peak figures of 82 bhp and peak torque of 114 Nm, it is eager but not overbearing. There is a 5-speed manual transmission while the 1.2 petrol and diesel variants also get AMT options.

The 1.0 turbo petrol too builds on more of the same and while moving towards the 2,000 RPM mark is a tad laborious, the extra punch is there for the taking from here on. The more powerful petrol offers 98 bhp of power and torque of 171 Nm.

The ride quality is several steps above the Xcent thanks to really wellcushioned seats which are especially bolstered.

FEATURE FOCUS AND INTENT ON INTERIOR

The biggest strength of Aura is how well Hyundai has laid out the cabin which, for a compact sedan, has adequate space for four to five adults. It is also rich in terms of feature list with the top variants enjoying several segment firsts. The dashboard has been done well with satin bronze or black finish, depending on the variant.

Leg and head room for rear passengers is adequate and there is decent under-thigh support on the bench seats here. With prices starting at Rs 5.79 lakh (ex showroom), Aura makes a compelling case for itself as a fresh package in an otherwise sedate compact sedan segment in the country. With plenty of engine options to choose from, plethora of features and decent drive and ride capabilities, it manages to tick most of the boxes.