Hyundai Venue (Maruti Vitara Brezza Rival) Launched, Priced From Rs. 6.50 Lakh

Hyundai Venue is offered in three engine choices as the 120 PS turbo petrol motor is mated to a segment-first seven-speed DCT automatic transmission

Hyundai Motor India Limited (HMIL) has introduced the Venue subcompact SUV in the domestic market today and is priced from a highly aggressive Rs. 6.50 lakh (ex-showroom). The long-awaited model made its global debut at the 2019 New York International Auto Show and was concurrently showcased to the Indian media on the same day.

The Venue takes on Maruti Suzuki Vitara Brezza, Tata Nexon, Ford EcoSport, recently launched Mahindra XUV300 and Honda WR-V in the hotly contested segment. The South Korean auto major is planning to grab a big pie in the vastly growing sub-four-metre SUV segment and the Venue is packed with several interesting goodies.

On the outside, the Venue takes design influence from the latest Santa Fe and Kona sold globally as the dual split headlamp setup with LED turn indicators and the projector headlamps in the middle surrounded by LED Daytime Running Lights will attract customers.

Hyundai has managed to maintain an edgy shape for the Venue and despite being its length restricted to under four metres, it does not feel too limited in terms of styling elements. The side profile reminds us of the bigger Creta and has tall pillars allowing for ample headroom while the rear comprises of horizontal LED tail lamps and a sporty bumper while the shark fin antenna, 16-inch diamond cut alloy wheels and roof rails further enhance its appeal as an SUV.

The Venue features a premium interior loaded with equipment right from the base variant and on the high-spec models an eight-inch touchscreen HD infotainment system (segment largest) with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, sat-nav, as well as cloud-based voice recognition, multi-functional steering wheel with mounted controls, engine start/stop,electric sunroof, cruise control, reverse parking camera with dynamic guidelines, etc, are present.

Hyundai sells the Venue with an assortment of driver assistance and safety features including six airbags, Vehicle Stability Management, Hill Assist Control, Brake Assist System and ISOFIX child mounts. Just as typically the case with Hyundai, the Venue offers a wide buying choice to the customers.

It is offered in three engine options: a 1.0-litre turbocharged GDI petrol kicking out 120 PS and 172 Nm; a 1.2-litre MPI petrol producing 83 PS and 115 Nm and a 1.4-litre diesel developing 90 PS and 220 Nm. The more powerful petrol engine is connected to the segment-first seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission while the other two powertrain options get only manual gearboxes.

The second largest carmaker in the country wants to make the most of the new-age buyers – “Smart Young Progressive” professionals between 25 and 35 years – desiring to own a connected car with the Venue. It comes with Blue Link connectivity (3 years complimentary subscription) as the embedded Vodafone-Idea SIM card helps in gaining access to 33 in-car connective features (10 specific for India) such as location-based services, alert services, safety, security, remote based functions, artificial intelligence and vehicle relationship management.

The Venue is primed to make a compelling impact in the segment and could shake up the pecking order in a month or two. Some of the key equipment onboard are a wireless charger, wheel air curtains, cornering lamps, cooled glovebox, projector fog lamps, arkamys sound, eco-coating, 3-year/unlimited km warranty, and 3 years RSA (Road Side Assistance).

The Venue measures 3,995 mm in length, 1,770 mm in width and stands 1,590 mm tall with a wheelbase of 2,500 mm and 350 litres of bootspace. It is constructed out of 69 per cent advanced high strength steel and high strength steel. As for the mileage, the 1.0-litre six-speed MT returns 18.27 kmpl, 1.0-litre seven-speed DCT returns 18.15 kmpl, 1.2-litre five-speed MT at 17.52 kmpl and 1.4-litre six-speed MT at 23.70 kmpl.

The 1.2-litre petrol engine is only sold in the entry-level E and S variants while the 1.0-litre turbo petrol with DCT is available with S and SX+ trims. The Fully-loaded SX (O) trim can be had with either the 1.0-litre petrol MT or the 1.4 diesel. Hyundai has spent four years developing the Venue with a budget of 100 million USD.

The brand acknowledges India as a strategic market for global first models and is getting ready for future mobility with development of open vehicle manufacturing architectures. The Venue can be purchased in seven single-tone and three dual-tone colours (Lava Orange with Phantom Black Roof, Polar White with Phantom Black Roof and Denim Blue with Polar White Roof).