When you hear the word "Reina" you'll immediately associate it with the words royalty or nobility. Despite of calling this subcompact sedan a queen, it is far from being luxurious. In fact, it's quite the contrary as the new Hyundai Reina has a more modest personality which is perfect for almost anybody. So what is it like living with a Reina?
Exterior
Donning Hyundai’s familiar Fluidic Sculpture 2.0 design language. At first glance, the front looks kind of like its popular sibling, the Accent, but when you actually look at it you will notice that the Reina has blocked out fog lights and lacks the silver details on the front grille. It is also smaller considering that it is a subcompact sedan.
Moving to the rear, it doesn’t quite match the contemporary design of the front. It is like two pieces of jigsaw, each from different puzzles. Although the sides have well-ordered touches added putting more character on the Reina's exterior.
Interior
The interior is pretty straight forward, you get a basic AM/FM radio with USB port that you can use to charge your smartphone as it doesn’t support media from your mobile device. But you can always upgrade it into a touchscreen head unit for an additional amount so you can enjoy listening to your favorite tracks while driving. Everything else inside the car is essential and practical.
One thing I noticed is that the window switches are oddly placed below the A/C controls. Personally, taking the window switches off from the door panel is unnecessary since I want everything within reach especially when I am driving alone. Also, the back seats are spacious enough whereas you don't feel restricted.
Performance & Fuel Efficiency
The Reina houses a 1.4L gasoline engine with a max power of 94hp and max torque of 132Nm. Fairly higher than what other subcompact sedan manufacturers has to offer, but don't expect that you will be wowed. I mean it's for a day-to-day use kind of car; it will neither bore nor excite you. But not to brag, we did outran a Lamborghini in the freeway (well, because the Lambo was at 20km/h).
The break response is great, which I did not expect from an entry level vehicle. But what’s really notable in this car is its fuel efficiency, driving around the metro for a whole day cost me about 2 bars of gas and that’s with traffic of course. Even when you’re deliberately trying to waste some gasoline for half a day on a full tank, it will still leave you with at least 5 bars on your meter. Amazing!
Verdict
For an entry level subcompact sedan, don’t expect it to have an ethereal driving experience. The car is good if you are simply going from point A to point B or if you’re a first time driver and thinking of getting your own car, then try considering this car as it has decent breaks and economical fuel consumption rate, adequate for that everyday drive.
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