After around six years of sales, Hyundai has finally launched a new generation of Venue in India. Prices start from Rs 7.9 lakh (Ex-sh) and it is a holistic upgrade when compared to the model it replaces. This update is not just evolutionary, it is revolutionary in many regards, projecting new Venue as a potential new segment leader.
In the B SUV Segment, new Venue and new Venue N Line takes on Tata Nexon, Maruti Suzuki Brezza, Mahindra XUV3XO, Kia Sonet, Skoda Kylaq, Kia Syros and others. The main mantra for new Venue is what Hyundai does best, which is packaging. This mantra has made Creta a runaway success and is poised to do something similar in B SUV Segment. We drove the new Hyundai Venue in Goa as part of the national media drive and here’s what we think.
New Hyundai Venue First Drive Review – Muscular Design
The new Hyundai Venue is not just a facelift, it is a thorough 360-degree update including its exteriors, interiors, platform, features, equipment, materials and electrical systems. New Venue is Hyundai’s first experience-based vehicle and it will follow the new HX alpha-neumeric trim hierarchy starting from HX 2, going till HX 10. We drove HX 8 Turbo Petrol MT for the most part and HX 10 Diesel AT for a brief period.
Where design is concerned, new Hyundai Venue is an objectively good looking vehicle. It was designed to please the masses and it does that very well. The new fascia with its large grille, striking LED DRL signature, bold new bumpers, chiselled clamshell bonnet and other elements look quite dominating. N Line version takes things to the next level with many striking N Line specific elements for a sporty appeal.
Rear gets a new connected LED tail light signature, VENUE badging under a glass element and swanky design elements. Side profile has had a major change as well. We can now see the roof rails have gotten taller for a heightened road presence. While the angular door shapes have been retained, we can now see a new C Pillar area which gets a stylish panel with VENUE lettering and a quarter glass for increased sense of space and airiness on the inside.
Wheel arches have been flared in new Venue for a dramatically muscular appeal and even the ORVM has a distinct design about it. The key is new and there is a request sensor only on driver’s side door handle. Speaking of, new Venue gets more upmarket door handles for a premium appeal. Alloy wheels are 16-inches in new Venue and 17-inches in new Venue N Line.
Much-Deserved Interior Update
Venue’s interior wasn’t its forte since its inception. With new Venue, Hyundai could have just made some necessary updates and called it a day. But the company went all-out to create what could potentially become this segment’s benchmark. While the new dual 12.3-inch curvilinear takes the centre stage of new Venue’s interior, the new Navy Blue and Dove Grey interior theme is equally impressive.
Now the screens. The HX 8 variant Hyundai assigned us at the media drive came with smaller screens. Both are housed in a curved panel with the infotainment screen tilted slightly towards the driver. They come with exceptional resolution, brightness and contrast. Powered by Nvidia, the UI is slick and buttery smooth. Android Auto and Apple CarPlay is wireless natively and without any adapter (about time). Bose audio system is available only with HX 10. So, we couldn’t experience it.
Steering wheel is new and it gets Hyundai’s new quad-dot illuminated logo. Audio controls and cruise controls along with instrument cluster controls are present on this steering wheel. There is a single-zone automatic climate control, cooled glovebox, a single-pane sunroof, an auto-dimming IRVM, auto-folding ORVM and other features. 360-degree camera, blindspot monitoring, Level-2 ADAS and other features are exclusive to the top-spec HX 10 trim.
Space & Comfort
Starting with boot space, new Hyundai Venue comes with a reasonably large 375L boot, which can be further expanded by folding down the second-row seats in a 60:40 split format. Boot capacity has been increased by around 25L, when compared to its predecessor. For practicality, there’s a hook and a boot light (halogen) along with a spare wheel.
With new Venue, Hyundai is offering new seats that are quite comfortable and supportive for the upper body. They are hugging and hold you in place with decent lumbar support (not adjustable, though). Under-thigh support is one area where Hyundai could have worked on. Driver’s seat is electrically adjustable, while both front seats are ventilated. There’s a centre armrest between driver and co-driver seats which also houses a storage unit beneath.
Second-row seats are quite comfortable and they even get a 2-step recline feature. The recline angle is not dramatically low when compared to standard setting, but something is better than nothing. There’s a centre armrest for rear passengers with two cupholders. They also get dedicated AC vents along with two USB Type-C ports.
Because of the slightly longer wheelbase and increased width, new Venue feels noticeably more spacious than before. Just like front seats, under-thigh support for rear occupants is a little lacking, especially for a tall individual like myself.
Powertrains & Performance
New Hyundai Venue comes equipped with three engine options. These include the Kappa 1.2L MPi 4-cyl NA Petrol engine, Kappa 1.0L GDI 3-cyl Turbo Petrol engine and a U2 1.5L 4-cyl Turbo Diesel engine. Gearbox options include a 5MT for 1.2L NA Petrol, 6MT or 7DCT for 1.0L Turbo Petrol and a 6MT or 6TC options for 1.5L Turbo Diesel.
All three engines are familiar and driveability factor remains the same. 1.2L MPi engine is for everyday commuters, 1.0L GDi engine is the most performant and exciting, while the frugal 1.5L Diesel is for highway warriors looking to clock lakhs of kilometres in the odometer. 1.2L MPi engine is by far the smoothest in this trio, followed by 1.5L Diesel and then 1.0L GDI. We drove 1.0L GDI MT and 1.5L Diesel AT at the media drive in Goa.
The 1.5L Diesel AT combination is new and we were more interested in testing this combination. We could only drive it briefly and it is an impressive setup and feels effortless in the way it drives. It doesn’t like to be hustled. With oodles of torque (250 Nm), this gearbox is all about its effortless tractability and refined performance along with great fuel efficiency figures.
We experienced the 1.0L GDI engine with a manual gearbox which is quite a bit of fun. This is a good gearbox. Throws are positive without any notchy feeling and the throws are relatively short. Clutch action is quite light and all these factors combined, lends a pleasurable driving experience. This engine and gearbox combo likes to be hustled and doesn’t disappoint when you do so.
Drive & Dynamics
Handling characteristics is typically Hyundai. Steering is very light for an effortless feeling and the suspension is quite soft, which lends a plush and absorbent drive. The way new Venue handles rough patches of road is quite remarkable. It filters through bad roads and the suspension is not noisy as well.
It is not for sporty drivers, though. Hustling new Venue around corners will result in quite a bit of body roll. Steering feedback for everyday drives and highway performance is more than adequate, but will not impress a corner carver. Braking performance was decent on HX 10 variant equipped with all-four disc brakes and ordinary on HX 8 variant we drove which came with rear drum brakes.
Conclusion
Finding faults with the new Hyundai Venue is a daunting task as it is a remarkably well-packaged vehicle for B SUV segment. With packages as perfect as this, we go into nitpick-mode. Some of our nitpicks include lack of cornering fog lights, un-painted body cladding, missing co-driver-side request sensor, lack of adjustable lumbar support, rain-sensing wipers and rear ventilated seats. These are not deal breakers in any way.
Pricing is our one concern where buyers might find more VFM quotient with rival vehicles offering Turbo engines as standard and undercutting new Venue. However, new Hyundai Venue cannot be quantified by spec sheets and brochures as it is an experience-based product. One test drive on new Venue, prospective owners will appreciate the new materials, overall fit and finish, the premium quotient, overall ambience and the total package. We would recommend test-driving the new Venue before shortlisting a rival.
