Hyundai India is ready to step into the compact SUV space with their all-new Venue. Honestly, the only thing that is compact about this vehicle is its size for it scores big points in just about every single department – including its plus-sized feature list! Clearly, Hyundai’s intention is to dominate the compact SUV segment and bring about a revolution and from what we got to witness at the preview, it sure looks like Hyundai holds all the Aces in their hand.
What Hyundai India has to say about the Venue
Mr. S S Kim, MD & CEO, Hyundai Motor India Limited said, “Hyundai Motor India is committed to lead the Indian Auto Industry by introducing world class products. Hyundai Venue will create quality time for customers making their life a Happy Life. Being India’s first connected SUV not only makes Hyundai Venue a new benchmark in the segment but also demonstrates Hyundai’s unwavering emphasis on offering the highest quality and feature-rich products to customers. We believe the Hyundai Venue will enable ease of life and empower the customers to have a safer, connected and more versatile car ownership experience.
Hyundai Venue – What you need to know
The Hyundai Venue boasts of a modern design mixed with quintessential SUV flair. It is a head turner no matter which angle you view it from and you can see that the designers got the proportions just right. It might be a compact SUV offering, but thanks to the way it looks, it stands out as a premium product. You’ve got a bold grille up front with a 3D mesh-style finish, sleek LED DRLS, flanked wheel arches and a very European treatment to the rear which is enhanced by those awesome looking taillights that look even better at night. The Venue carries a sporty aura and I feel that it’s a vehicle that will be equally at home in the city or out on an adventurous drive to a far corner of the country.
Hyundai has spent a lot of time in crafting the cabin of the Venue to be the place you will enjoy spending a lot of time. The materials are top notch and carry a nice premium feel. The seats are covered in a fine fabric and feel great to sit in. The rear seats are scooped out to give you a nice cocooned fit as well as improve seating space and you also get a decent amount of boot space that can carry enough for a nice weekend getaway.
One of the highlights with the new Hyundai Venue is the sheer amount of connected features it offers – 33 to be exact. Out of these, 10 are India specific features that enhance safety as well as overall vehicle ownership and convenience. With a tamper-proof device in-built with an eSIM provided by Vodafone, Hyundai’s Blue Link system includes advanced features such as remote start/stop, remote air-conditioning control, vehicle immobilization, vehicle tracking, SOS Alert, auto crash notification and push maps with real time traffic updates. This is one of the biggest moves to be made by an automobile manufacturer in India and Hyundai is clearly gunning for the top spot when it comes to offering a heightened level of connectivity in their cars.
The Hyundai Venue is offered with a choice of three engines. The all-new 1.0 litre GDI turbo petrol engine delivers 120 PS of power and 174 NM of torque. It is available with a 7-speed dual clutch automatic transmission which is quite the highlight for this segment of vehicle. The 1.2 litre petrol engine on offer delivers 83 PS of power and 117 Nm of torque. It is paired with a 5 speed manual transmission for those who are a little more price conscious. For those who love diesels, Hyundai is offering the Venue with a 1.4 litre unit that delivers 90 PS of power and 224 Nm of torque. This is available with a 6 speed manual transmission.
The Hyundai Venue will hit the market at the end of May and is expected to be priced competitively, however before we get on to speculate about the where Hyundai will slot this amazing product in, lets understand that the competition operates in the INR 8.00-12.00 lakh range. Hyundai has been known to offer their products with more features than the competition yet keeps their pricing very aggressive. It is a strategy that has worked and I see the Venue benefiting from this as well. It is a product that has the means to shake things up big time in the compact SUV segment and we sure hope it does!
P.S: We will be driving the Hyundai Venue next month, so keep an eye out for our review!