Hyundai Aura

Hyundai Aura Review

It’s not a strange practice to stretch small hatchbacks into subcompact sedans in India. Many models like the Swift, Brio, and even the Polo have spawned subcompact derivatives like the Dzire, Amaze, and Ameo. Similarly, the Grand i10 Nios has paved the way for the Aura. However, while the rest of the models still look like properly finished sedans, the Aura does look like a bit of an afterthought, with the overall silhouette not coming along as well as the Maruti Suzuki Dzire, for example — the Aura’s chief rival. But where the Aura falls short on aesthetics, it more than makes up for in the features department. Does this make the Aura a serious contender in the subcompact sedan segment? Let’s take a look. 

Hyundai Aura Pros and Cons 

Hyundai Aura Exterior Design 

With the latest facelift, Aura’s earlier resemblance to the Grand i10 Nios has given way to a more distinctive front end, featuring a slim grille and an inverted trapezoidal air dam. The addition of inverted L-shaped LED DRLs, functional air vents, and a rear spoiler also infuses a sporty touch to the practical sedan. And also introduced with the latest facelift are new satin-finished 2D logos, and a new 'Starry Night' paint option. However, the rather awkward silhouette of the Aura still remains, which gives it a disjointed appearance.

Hyundai Aura Interiors

For a subcompact sedan, the Aura has rather premium and well finished interiors. The dashboard is neatly laid out and gets many nifty touches, such as circular AC vents, textured finishes, and a glossy housing for the 8-inch touchscreen. Quality of materials and fit and finish levels are also high. The facelifted version also gets new fabric seats which look and feel premium. And where the quality score is already high, the practicality score is even higher. There are large doorbins on all doors, front seats also get two cup holders, and there's also a slot to stow small items like your phone or wallet above the large cooled glove box. You also get a segment first wireless phone charger on the centre console. Perhaps the only two misses on the inside would be adjustable headrests for the front passengers, and a foldable armrest for the rear passengers. The 402-litre boot is sizable, though a high loading lip makes loading luggage a tad difficult.

Hyundai Aura Comfort 

The Hyundai Aura is not the roomiest car in its class, but it still makes for a comfortable one. It's not wide enough, so a fifth passenger in the cabin would make things uncomfortable. But for four passengers it is one of the most comfortable cabins in the price bracket. All seats offer good support, despite being a tad firm. Rear seats also get a good amount of legroom and knee room, and the headroom is good too. Rear seats also get adjustable headrests, which the front ones miss out on.

Hyundai has tuned the car to be a good city runabout machine, and the suspension is a good reflection of that. It works well at low and medium speeds, soaking most bumps and potholes along its way. Higher speeds though do make the ride a bit floaty, but that only happens above 80 km/h, and won’t be an issue on city commutes.

Hyundai Aura Performance and handling

The Hyundai Aura was initially offered with three engine options. The diesel engine was axed as BS6 norms kicked in, and with the facelift, even the turbo petrol engine has been omitted from the line-up. That has left the Aura with only one powertrain — a 1.2-litre Kappa engine that can be availed in either petrol or petrol+CNG fuel options. With the facelift, the engine has also been re-tuned to support E20 fuel. The engine is a very commuter friendly unit, and refinement is one of the key areas it excels in. Once it passes 2,500 RPM it gets wind in its sails, but the performance isn’t what you’d call spritely. Running about in city bounds doesn’t leave one wanting for more from the engine, and it is only when you go chasing triple digit speeds that you’d find the performance to be suboptimal. Part throttle responses are also good, making stop start traffic a smooth experience. 

The engine can be had with either a 5-speed manual or a 5-speed AMT gearbox (petrol variants only). The clutch action on the manual is light and easy, and even the gearshifts don’t require much effort. In fact, the manual gearbox is so effortless that it leaves no need to spend the extra money for an AMT, although if you were to opt for it, the AMT gearbox is one of the more refined units in the market. 

The handling reflects a similar picture, as it gets a light steering, a small turning radius, and good manoeuvrability — all great traits to have in the urban jungle. However, just like the engine, if you push the limits on a set of twisties, you’ll find the suspension to be too soft, and the steering wheel to be rather characterless.

Hyundai Aura Key specifications 

Hyundai Aura Safety Features

The facelift saw Hyundai add a few safety features to the Aura, making it a better equipped package. Six airbags are now standard across variants, which is a big improvement from two on the pre-facelift model. In fact, Hyundai has made a minimum of six airbags standard in all cars in its stable, across variants. There’s also an inclusion of a tyre pressure monitoring system, which helps in having a stress free drive. The pre-facelift model had been crash tested by Global NCAP, and it had returned a rather disappointing two-star rating. The inclusion of additional airbags is likely to translate to the Aura getting a higher crash test score, but the same is yet to be seen. Other routine safety features are also part of the package, like ABS, EBD, ESC, and seat belt pretensioners. The Aura also gets 3-point seat belts for all passengers, and ISOFIX child seat mounts. Other helpful additions are hill assist, and driver rear view monitor — which basically keeps the reversing camera on while driving, allowing you to use the display as a rear view mirror instead of mirrors themselves.

Hyundai Aura Technology and Infotainment

In typical Hyundai fashion, the Aura is loaded to the gills with features, and one welcome addition is a big 8-inch touchscreen infotainment unit, which is larger than all of its rivals. The screen also gets Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, but both need your phone to be plugged in via USB, which is a shame since the Aura also gets a wireless phone charger! Yes yes, asking for wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay from a subcompact sedan would be too much, but the Aura already packs so much that you crave for that last one bit. It also gets a 3.5-inch multi-information display on the instrument cluster, which displays basic information in a clean layout. The MID is flanked by an analog tachometer and speedometer on either side, giving the instrument cluster a familiar and clean look.

Is the Hyundai Aura for you?

Earlier, with the options of a turbo petrol and a diesel engine on offer alongside the naturally aspirated petrol, the Aura was much more of an all-rounder. Now with only one engine option on offer (albeit with the choice of CNG), the target audience for the Aura is more narrowed down. But with loads of features and a comfortable driving experience, it is still a very lucrative option in the subcompact sedan segment, if you don’t mind its slightly skewed proportions.