We’ve been very keen to get the Hyundai Aura for long-term use from the time we did its review.
It did manage to impress us on all quarters — right from its styling and cabin quality to its torque-y diesel engine and excellent ride quality. And when we did manage to get one, everything came to a standstill because of the lockdown restrictions. Thankfully, things have opened up now and we can put the Aura to good use.
It sure looks like nothing else in the segment and takes the styling quotient up by a notch. We just adore the smoked-out projector headlamps, the sweeping hood, and the twin boomerang LED DRLs. This compact sedan with its stylish sloping roof-line and sorted proportions sure does look impressive. The cabin is equally unique, mainly because of the ripple texturing above the glovebox and the bronze treatment on the dashboard.
Our top-end SX (O) diesel manual long-term car is filled to the brim with creature comforts. These include an easy-to-use infotainment system, a responsive eight-inch touchscreen, Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, and the Arkamys music system. Plus, there’s a multi-function steering wheel to control most of the features, voice command, and even Hyundai’s iBlue app. The feature that I use more than anything else is the wireless phone charging dock.
The highlight of my long-term car is its frugal 1.2-litre diesel engine which comes with a five-speed manual transmission. It’s among the most engaging-to-drive small diesel cars available in the market now and I’ll surely be testing it thoroughly during my basic office commute and the inter-city travel I have planned during the festive season. So, watch this space.
Story: Ramnath Chodankar
Logbook
Driven: 3,952 km
Like: Cabin design, features
Dislike: Nothing
