Hyundai's trump card is finally on the table. After seeing it over and over again in the spy pictures, anticipations about the Hyundai Venue were going through the roof. Finally, Hyundai has unveiled India's first connected car and we now have a clear idea of how it looks like in flesh. On May 21, when the Venue will go on sale in the Indian Market, it will enter one of the most burgeoning but highly competitive segments in the country- the subcompact SUV segment which has products selling like hot cakes. Being the second largest carmaker, Hyundai is likely to cash in the growing demand for sub-four meter SUVs, more so when backed by the popularity of the Creta. However, being the latest entrant, it will also need to give a tough fight to other well-established players in the segment.
Also Read: 2019 Hyundai Venue Subcompact SUV Unveiled In India
| Dimensions | Hyundai Venue | Maruti Suzuki Vitara Brezza | Mahindra XUV300 | Tata Nexon | Ford Ecosport |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Length | 3995 mm | 3995 mm | 3990 mm | 3994 mm | 3998 mm |
| Width | 1770 mm | 1790 mm | 1820 mm | 1811 mm | 1765 mm |
| Height | 1590 mm | 1640 mm | 1620 mm | 1607 mm | 1647 mm |
| Wheelbase | 2500 mm | 2500 mm | 2620 mm | 2498 mm | 2519 mm |
Also Read: New Hyundai Venue India Launch - Live!
The Hyundai Venue sticks to the design of the Carlino concept it is based on. It retains the quadrate proportions, typical of an SUV, and has an identical silhouette and a tall stance. The Mahindra XUV300 and Maruti Suzuki Vitara Brezza with their straight and squared proportions come close to it while the Tata Nexon is the most radical of the lot. The Ford Ecosport, not being on either of the extreme ends, maintains a good balance. It looks butch yet urban.
The Hyundai Venue sticks to the design of the Carlino concept it is based on and retains the quadrate proportions which are typical of an SUV.The Hyundai Venue is closest to the Vitara Brezza in overall dimensions and has the same length and wheelbase. The Mahindra XUV300 is the widest of all and has the longest wheelbase as well.
Also Read: Hyundai Venue Bookings Open At Dealership Level
| Specifications (Petrol) | Hyundai Venue | Mahindra XUV300 | Tata Nexon | Ford Ecosport |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Displacement | 1.2 L / 1.0 L | 1.2 L | 1.2 L | 1.5 L / 1.0 L |
| Max Power | 82 bhp / 118 bhp | 110 bhp | 108 bhp | 120 bhp / 123 bhp |
| Peak Torque | 114 Nm / 172 Nm | 200 Nm | 170 Nm | 150 Nm / 170 Nm |
| Transmission | 5-Speed MT / 6-Speed MT, 7-Speed Dual Clutch | 6-Speed MT | 6-Speed MT /AMT | 5-Speed MT / 6-Speed AT |
Hyundai will launch the Venue with two petrol engine options- a 1.0-litre, three-cylinder turbocharged motor and the i20 sourced 1.2-litre, four-cylinder naturally aspirated engine. The 1.2-litre motor at 82 bhp and 114 Nm of peak torque is the most humble of the lot and is mated to a five-speed manual transmission as standard. The 1.5-litre dragon engine in the Ford Ecosport remains the most powerful by a margin. The 1.0-litre Turbo unit of the Venue is a direct rival to the 1.0-litre Ecoboost variant of the Ford Ecosport, however, the Ecoboost still makes more power. That said, the 1.0-litre, Turbo motor in the Venue is mated to an optional seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox which should make for a smoother drive and to some extent could wipe off the bottom end lag which is typical of a 1.0-litre, turbocharged engine.
Also Read: Hyundai Venue To Come With Free Data Service For The Warranty Period
| Specifications (Diesel) | Hyundai Venue | Maruti Suzuki Vitara Brezza | Mahindra XUV300 | Tata Nexon | Ford Ecosport |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Displacement | 1.4 L | 1.3 L | 1.5 L | 1.5 L | 1.5 L |
| Max Power | 89 bhp | 89 bhp | 115 bhp | 108 bhp | 99 bhp |
| Peak Torque | 220 Nm | 200 Nm | 300 Nm | 260 Nm | 205 Nm |
| Transmission | 6-Speed MT | 5-Speed MT / AMT | 6-Speed MT | 6-Speed MT / AMT | 5-Speed MT |
At 89 bhp, the 1.4-litre diesel engine in the Hyundai Venue is at par with the Vitara Brezza and at 220 Nm it develops more torque than the Vitara Brezza and Ecosport. However, it's the XUV300 which at 115 bhp develops more power and by far produces more torque at 300 Nm. Diesel variants of the Hyundai Venue, Mahindra XUV300 and Ford Ecosport get manual gearbox as standard while the Maruti Suzuki Vitara Brezza and Tata Nexon are offered with an optional AMT gearbox.
Also Read: Hyundai BlueLink Connected Car Technology Unveiled In India
Being a connected car, the Hyundai Venue comes with a bundle of segment-first features.Hyundai is always up in their game when it comes to features and the Venue is no different. In fact, being a connected car, it comes with a bundle of segment-first features like SOS alert, Indian-accented English voice assist system, remote engine-start and climate control operation among others. The Hyundai Venue also comes equipped with an in-built eSIM card, powered by Idea-Vodafone. Hyundai will provide free data to the owners up to the warranty period of the car after which the SIM can be recharged with regular data packs. Other segment-first comfort features include wireless charging, air purifier, 8.4-inch HD display screen, eco-coating, Arkamys sound system and wheel air curtains. Hyundai has also started working on programming the BlueLink connected car technology to recognise Indian regional languages.
Also Read: Hyundai's BlueLink Technology To Be Programmed To Recognise Indian Languages
The Hyundai venue will get a sunroof which is also on offer in the Mahindra XUV300 and Ford Ecosport, however, the Vitara Brezza and Nexon lack one. All SUVs also get smartphone connectivity options, but the Nexon is only equipped with Android Auto and not Apple CarPlay. In terms of safety, the Venue and Ecosport get six-airbags while the XUV300 is equipped with seven airbags. The Vitara Brezza and Tata Nexon come with front airbags only. Impressively, the Nexon has scored a five-star rating at the GNCAP crash test. Anti-Lock Brake System (ABS) with Electronic Brake Force Distribution (EBD) are standard in all of them.
