Skoda has just launched the updated Rapid while Volkswagen launched the updated Vento yesterday. MotorBeam does a quick comparo of the German siblings with its Korean rival, the Hyundai Verna
The C-segment consists of various competitive vehicles in the Rs. 8-12 lakh price range. All of them offer petrol and diesel mills but until now, only the Verna offered an automatic gearbox mated to a diesel engine. To start some more intense competition with the Verna, Volkswagen and Skoda have launched updated versions of the Vento and Rapid respectively. Both of them get an updated diesel engine mated to a slick 7-speed DSG transmission.
In terms of looks, the Hyundai Verna looks straight funky. It has an abundance of sharp curves and lines and while it does look appealing, the styling isn’t really preferred by elder people or someone who desires something discrete. For them, the ultimate choice would be the Vento and Rapid. The Vento looks very classy and the minimalistic styling lends a very premium feel to the vehicle, just like the Polo. The Rapid on the other hand looks similar to the Vento from the side, but the front and rear come with redesigned parts. Overall, we feel that the Vento looks a tad better than its sibling.
Moving to interiors, again the Verna is jazzy with its blue illumination and nicely-styled buttons and panels. The Rapid and Vento again have a straight-forward design which looks quite good. The Vento’s dashboard looks even better with the new steering wheel that is shared with the Polo. The white instrument cluster lights look dope and overall the new Vento is much better than the outgoing one. Skoda too offers a multi-function steering wheel with the Rapid but somehow again we feel the Vento is much better.
The Verna comes with a 1.6-litre CRDI diesel engine that produces more power and torque as compared to the Germans. It is mated to a 4-speed automatic transmission. The Vento and Rapid both come with a 1.5-litre TDI unit that is actually a downsized version of the older 1.6-litre unit. But what makes the Germans better than the Korean is the addition of the 7-speed DSG transmission which provides lightning quick and slick gear shifts. It is the same transmission that is found on the Polo GT TSI and Vento TSI.
Coming to the price, the Verna is the most expensive followed by the Vento and Rapid. The Rapid offers good value and it also gets projectors which are missing on the Vento. For someone who doesn’t mind the Rapid’s looks, it is definitely a better choice than the Vento since the power and transmission are exactly the same. The Black Edition Rapid looks sweet too.
So while the Verna is a good choice for someone who wants features and visual appeal but doesn’t really care about handling and dynamics, the Vento and Rapid are for enthusiastic drivers who like to have a little fun with their machines, along with having the latest tech.
