Hyundai Venue N Line may only get styling updates and sit at the top of the range while a fully-blown N variant is not ruled out either
Hyundai made a significant impact at the 2019 NYIAS by unveiling the new generation Sonata and the all-new Venue. The latter is the smallest SUV within the brand’s global portfolio and it will go on sale in India on May 21 before entering other markets such as South Korea, Australia and the United States.
The second largest automaker in India has targetted selling 8,000-9,000 units of the Venue per month in its first year and it will be offered in a 1.0-litre turbo petrol engine developing 120 PS and 172 Nm, a 1.2-litre petrol making 83 PS and 114 Nm while the 1.4-litre diesel motor kicks out 90 PS and 220 Nm.
The Venue will have major highlights like seven-speed DCT mated to 1.0-litre turbo petrol engine and a whole host of connectivity features made possible with Blue Link technology. In order to shine above the crowd, Hyundai could be introducing a souped-up variant of the Venue in the international markets.
With the lineup of N Line vehicles steadily growing, the Venue could get a similar treatment and it has been confirmed by Hyundai North America’s Chief Operating Officer, Brian Smith to Drive magazine. However, unlike the highly praised i30 N Line and the upcoming Sonata N Line, do not expect the Venue N Line to feature performance upgrades.
As Hyundai has pitched the Venue as an urban-friendly budget SUV, the N Line could not go as far as getting strapped with a hardcore engine and instead it may only have styling updates as the Elantra GT N Line, ruling out the possibility of firmer suspension, bigger brakes and stiffened chassis.
Seeing its response though Hyundai is expected to go all-in on a sportier fully-fledged N version to satisfy the thirst for performance. Hyundai, on the other hand, is also working on Tucson N Line and Tucson N, which will reportedly get a 340 horsepower engine besides the exclusive N mechanical updates.