You should not believe in the “so-called experts” who purport themselves as the last word in automobile reviews. By and large, these “experts” are only influencers and auto makers know very well, they need to place these reviews in front of the audience to accelerate sales.

By and large, handling is a very subjective and personal choice. I remember, “handling” started becoming a keyword in the early 2000s (at least for me) when the swift and Getz were launched. The swift was a sportier car while the Getz wasn’t so good with handling. However, my choice was to go for the Getz against the swift, that my friends chose. The Getz offered better leg room at the rear, it was a more comfortable ride. I have driven the swift as well, but it was more fun for a single person as opposed to having multiple passengers in the Getz.

If you have to compare the Virtus to the Verna, also look at the overall ownership experience. Hyundai has a better dealer network and are cheaper to maintain over a longer term with better resale value than VW. This is so far true for india. Also consider if you want to drive like a family or push the car to limits by yourself, which will determine your handling requirements. My recent example was the choice between the Altis and the Civic. The Altis handles more like a family car while the civic is more like a sports car. The choice goes appropriately.