The compact sedan is the segment much heated with the competition, be it Maruti Suzuki Swift Dzire, Honda Amaze, Tata Zest, Ford Figo Aspire or more. Each of these brand cars have something different to offer. These cars basically focus on offering the best of both the worlds i.e. comfort of a Sedan and economical price. This time I got a chance to ride a brand new Hyundai Aura SX Petrol 2021 edition. A car lesser seen on the road but to my amazement I found this compact sedan car to be quite engaging to drive. Keep your seat belts fasten and enjoy the experience of the first ride review.
LOOK AND DESIGN OF HYUNDAI AURA SX-
On the design front Hyundai Aura SX resembles a lot to Hyundai i10 Nios, on the front side, the car might not be exhilarating for some but again the response varies from person to person. The most dominating part is the front grille in honeycomb design in black color which not only gives a pleasant look but also helps in better dissipation of engine heat. This Hyundai Aura compact sedan car also houses the arrow-shaped LED DRL’s which adds to the elegance.
The front headlamps being HALOGEN-based, integrate with the turning indicators giving the car sharp as spear look. Overall the front is designed aerodynamically so that the wind blast reduces.
Coming to the side view of the car, the overall length is 3995mm. The chrome finished door handlebars give the compact sedan car a premium look. Further to this the design of the alloy wheel enhances visual appeal. The rear view department is well handled by the Spoiler on the trunk. The shark fin antenna , LED Z shaped rear lamp, the name AURA embossed on the boot add to the overall look of Hyundai Aura compact sedan. The chrome lining between the LED Tail lamps makes it look virtually connected. The side profile is the best thing I found in the overall design profile of this car.
The diamond-cut alloy wheels are a sheer pleasure to your eyes.
Interiors and Comfort-
The interiors have been given a nice touch and finish. The dual-tone choco finish dashboard housing the black color AC vents looks subtle. The 8” touch screen display with 4 speakers and ANDROID AUTO & APPLE CarPlay support makes Hyundai Aura one of the best in class infotainment systems among its peers. The all-new digital console with a digital speedometer paired with an analog tachometer looks attractive. The steering mounted controls have volume control buttons, call receiving and rejecting buttons along the mode of audio selection button. The round-shaped front AC vents look quite different. The AC temperature controls are given on a conventional knob; the same is the case with the fan speed adjuster. Below the AC controls you will find space for keeping a smartphone and one 12V charging point, one USB port, and one USB charging port, hence giving the passenger ample options for connectivity.
The right hand side of the steering is empty which can house the settings button of the Digital Console, maybe you can find the same in the higher variants.
The glove box is spacious enough to easily fit a 1Litre water bottle and also has an AC vent for cooling. On the top of this glove box, there is some space given to fit the smartphone or other things.
Seats and Ergonomics-
The beige-colored seats give Hyundai Aura a classy look along with proper comfort. I must mention the lumbar support of the driver seat is quite good. The armrest for the driver seat is missing in this variant but that should not be a deal-breaker for all. The door opening knob is given chrome treatment which gives a premium look. Window controls are located on the driver side that includes the navigation keys for outside rearview mirror adjustment (opening, closing and angle adjustment), automatic door locking and unlocking button. One thing to mention is that this variant of Hyundai Aura SX Petrol 2021 does not have the automatic outside rear view mirror closing feature. While locking the car, you have to do this manually with the button provided, which I found to be quite troublesome due habit of leaving it open.
The rear seats are also comfortable for 3 people. As for the comfort level is concerned for the rear passenger seat the car provides rear arm rest with cup holder, rear AC vents (a features less found in competition) and a 12V charging point. There are two head-rests for the passengers. The legroom for the rear passengers is adequate for an average height of 5.8 ft to 5.10ft person. The under-thigh support is also adequate so as not to make you feel uncomfortable in long journeys. The head-room for the rear passengers is lesser for people of 6ft and above height due to the design of the car, as you cannot always sit with your back straight.
Going for a family trip? Now comes the best part of this car i.e. the boot space. Hyundai Aura SX Petrol 2021 edition is having a boot space of 402L which is sufficient to fill with 2 large size and 2 medium size trolley bags. Not to forget to mention that the boot lamp is missing in this SX Petrol 2021 variant.
Drive, Engine and Performance Of Hyundai Aura SX-
The moment you drive this car, you start to feel the difference. The throttle is quite responsive, meaning to say that you will get a punchier response out of the 1.2L KAPPA engine having 1197cc, as compared to the other cars from Hyundai having the same engine configuration. I felt that the gearbox lacks that smoothness as of Hyundai i20 but the acceleration is slightly better than that. The car easily pulls up to 20kmph in the first gear around 35kmph to 40 kmph in the second gear and so on. Gear shift indicator is also present in the digital console. The maximum power output of HYUNDAI AURA SX Petrol 2021 edition is 81.86bhp@6000rpm and the torque figures max out at 113.7nm@4000rpm. The reverse parking camera along with the sensor is there but the gridlines is static while rotating the steering which requires an improvement to make parking more comfortable for the driver of the car.
The ride quality is also good as you can easily cross minor potholes without much pain getting inside the car. The steering wheel feels light thereby making the car easy to manoeuvre in the traffic and other close corners. The car will also not let you feel the length of the journey. The best thing about the Hyundai Aura I found is the horn which typically gives you a premium car-like feeling.
The noise isolation inside the cabin is also up to the benchmark of other Hyundai cars. You will not get the feel exactly at what speed you are driving by just taking the noise coming from outside the car into consideration. The drive quality is good at this price level. One will find it much engaging.
Safety and Braking-
The braking system comprises of disc brakes at the front and conventional drum brakes at the rear. ABS and EBD being standard across all the variants makes the braking experience much better. You will definitely not lose confidence while braking hard though. The 175/60R15 tyres does the job well.
This variant comes with two AIRBAGS, positioned at Driver and Co-passenger seats. There is an option to install isofix child seat which is a much welcomed step.
Other Features-
Let’s talk about some of the lesser noticed features in Hyundai Aura 2021 edition, which I felt makes the car better.
- 15″ alloy wheels
- Rear AC vents mostly common in Hyundai cars
- Apple Car Play and Android Auto, although nowadays common with every manufacturer.
- Impact Sensing Auto Door Unlock
- Push Button Start present on the right hand side other than being on the left seen on other Hyundai cars.
- Door sensing music stop feature, even if the engine is shutdown the music player continues to play unless the door is opened.
- Cabin lamp for both the front and rear passengers as well
Conclusion-
If you are looking out for a family car with ample boot space, comfortable ride quality, better fuel efficiency and fun to ride then Hyundai Aura will certainly give you the overall package. The only thing which I feel could have been better is the overall symmetry in the design of the car so as not to resemble a hatchback. There is still some room for improvement left in this car may be in the top end model more features will be there but still with 7.42lacs ex-showroom price this car has some serious package on offer.
Signing Off
MD AFZAL ANSARI
RIDE SAFE, RIDE LONG!
Very nice deals bolg
thanx u