Hyundai Aura Test Drive Review – Better Than Dzire?

2020 Hyundai Aura Review

Car Tested: 2020 Hyundai Aura 1.0-litre Turbo GDi; Road Test No. 1165; Test Location: Indore

Price OTR Mumbai: Rs. 6.82 – 10.97 lakhs

With its attractive styling and feature-loaded cabin, the Hyundai Aura is the best all-rounder compact sedan

Compact sedans enjoy great popularity in India due to the practicality and the prestige value they offer. The compact sedan segment is crowded with accomplished cars like the Honda Amaze, Ford Aspire, Maruti Dzire and the others. Hyundai entered the segment a little late, in 2015, with the Xcent. It quickly gained popularity with both private and fleet buyers. Now, Hyundai has revamped the i10-based sedan and re-named it ‘Aura’. Can the Aura manage to bring some aura to the segment? We find out.

Exteriors – The Aura has a familiar nose with cascading grille, pointed double DRLs and swept-back headlamps. We like those aggressive-looking air damps and the thick band of chrome around the grille. The side profile feels busy with too many lines and creases. But the Aura does look proportionate and some elements like the blackened C-pillars make it look upmarket. Chrome door handles and the new Vintage Brown paint shade looks nice. We also like the complex design of the alloy wheels.

Elements such as the blackened C-pillar, boot-lid spoiler and plenty of chrome give the Aura an upscale look

But the rear-look of the car is quite questionable and subjective to the buyer. Having said that, it does not look stubby or awkward like the Xcent. Part of the credit goes to the spoiler-like treatment to the boot-lid which looks neatly done. We like the new design for the taillights and the bold ‘Aura’ nameplate. Hyundai could’ve used chrome judiciously in this part as it looks a tad overdone. The loading lip high and wide. It might cause trouble getting the luggage in.

Interiors – Step in and you are greeted with a familiar cabin. You will appreciate the driving position and the ergonomics instantly. The high-mounted touch-screen infotainment system is a joy to use as it is easily reachable and slick in operation. There are also physical buttons which feel well damped. The 8-inch touchscreen supports Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. You also get a part-digital instrument cluster, similar to the one in the Nios. We like how, unlike, some other car manufacturers, Hyundai has preferred keeping the tachometer analogue and the speedo digital. The instrument cluster is perfectly legible and gives you all the information you need.

Being a Hyundai, the Aura is loaded with features, has a good amount of space and good quality materials all around

The finish and quality of the cabin is really good. The unique approach to the texture of the seats and the Bronze coloured trim on the dashboard makes the Aura stand-out from the usual beige offered on other cars of the segment. The cabin may lack the solidity of the Volkswagen Ameo but is better than the Maruti Dzire. The front seats offer great support and should be comfortable on long journeys. Even the rear seats score well on comfort with good legroom and decent headroom. The space is not lavish but should suffice. The middle passenger won’t complain as the cabin has sufficient width and there isn’t much intrusion from the rear-AC vents. And the availability of the central AC vents is definitely a plus.

Hyundai is known for putting a lot of features in their cars and the Aura follows the same. The top-end variant gets single-zone climate control with air-purifier, wireless charging, cruise control (1.2-petrol-only), cooled glove box, driver-seat height adjust, leather-wrapped steering and others. Even lower variants are well equipped. The cabin is also practical with ample storage spaces and the boot seems accommodative.

Performance – The Hyundai Aura is offered in a total of 6 powertrain options, 4 of which are old. Just like the Nios, the compact sedan gets a BS6-compliant 1.2-litre Kappa petrol engine along with a now BS6-compliant 1.2-litre diesel engine offered with both a manual and an automatic transmission. What’s new? It is the addition of a 1.0-litre turbo petrol engine lifted from the Venue but detuned to offer less power; 20 PS to be exact. Last but not the least, Hyundai is also offering a 1.2-litre Bi-fuel petrol engine with a factory-fitted CNG kit. While the first two engines are tried and tested before, the 1.0-litre turbo petrol bought in a little bit of surprise. Even though it has the ‘turbo’ in its name, it doesn’t really kick in the pants. The gears are extremely tall as the first gear will take you to 60 kmph, the second will touch 100 kmph in no time and so on. Basically, you don’t miss the sixth gear as the Aura offers a 5-speed manual and a 5-speed automatic transmission. It’s a bummer that the turbo-petrol is offered with a 5-speed manual only.

The turbo petrol engine suffers from turbo-lag lower down but has a good mid-range and top-end

Driving Dynamics – The steering lacks any feel and feedback and gets a little scary at high speeds. Having said that, it is quite better than other Hyundai models. The suspension is neither too soft or stiff, it tackles the potholes and undulations with ease and without causing too much unnecessary movement in the cabin. When you pass over really bad patches of roads, it does tend to get slightly unsettled but otherwise, there are no major complaints. The brakes are strong and offer good stopping power.

Safety and After Sales Service – The Aura gets standard dual-front airbags and ABS. Hyundai is promising an extremely crash-worthy body structure and of course, the car meets the upcoming crash-test norms. Hyundai has a service satisfaction record you cannot go wrong with.

Verdict – When the Xcent was taken off the shelves it left a gaping hole for Hyundai to fill. Now with the Aura, the carmaker aims to fill that place, and achieve much more in terms of market share and position among rivals. As looks are subjective to buyers, keeping it aside it will be a crime to not applaud Hyundai for offering – the first turbo-petrol engine in this segment, a cost-efficient BS6-compliant diesel automatic, at a starting price of Rs. 5.79 lakhs, the petrol variant undercuts all its rivals and last but not least, it offers a class-leading warranty of 5 years. Hyundai has laid all its cards on the table and in my opinion, has managed to tick all the right boxes.

What’s Cool

* Feature-loaded cabin with good amount of space
* Punchy performing frugal engines
* Good ride quality

What’s Not So Cool

* Steering could have offered more feel and feedback
* Rear-end styling

Alternatives: – Maruti Dzire, Volkswagen Ameo, Honda Amaze, Ford Aspire

2020 Hyundai Aura Specifications

* Engine: 1197cc, 4-Cyl, Petrol | 998cc, 3-Cyl, Petrol | 1186cc, 3-Cyl, Diesel
* Power: 83 PS @ 6000 RPM | 100 PS @ 6000 RPM | 75 PS @ 4000 RPM
* Torque: 114 Nm @ 4000 RPM | 172 Nm @ 1500-4000 RPM | 190 Nm @ 1750-2250 RPM
* Transmission: 5-Speed MT, AMT | 5-Speed MT | 5-Speed MT, AMT
* Fuel Type: Petrol | Diesel
* Tyre Size: 175/60/15 (Front & Rear)
* Suspension: McPherson Strut (Front), Torsion Beam (Rear)
* Brakes: Disc (Front), Drum (Rear)
* Safety: 2 Airbags, ABS with EBD

2020 Hyundai Aura Dimensions

* Overall length x width x height: 3995 mm X 1680 mm X 1520 mm
* Wheelbase: 2450 mm
* Boot Space: 402-litres
* Fuel Tank Capacity: 37-litres

Further Reading –

2020 Hyundai Aura Video Review

[wp-review id=”249596″]