[sri_tesla]

Originally Posted by GTO

[b]
Hyundai wants to push the 1.0 turbo over the 1.2 n/a. That’s why the latter is available only in the entry two variants. It’s a risky strategy for sure as the price difference between the 1.2 & 1.0 petrols is 1 lakh on the “S” variants, thereby pushing the price of the Venue petrols up (for the well-kitted variants).

This is so true. There is Rs 3 lakhs on road price difference between Petrol 1.2 S variant and 1.0 turbo petrol SX variant. S variant has many features missing and there is no SX variant with 1.2L petrol.

Venue SX 1.0 turbo petrol costs same as Honda City SVMT variant which is beyond ridiculous. Manufacturers are milking the SUV fad nicely.

[srishiva]

Really have to give it to Hyundai for keeping the quality consistent whatever the segment is. I took a test drive of diesel version and touch and feel was good compared to others in the segment.

Regarding the width, I find it small inside especially at the rear. Maybe TBHP should start publishing the interior width of the rear seat (from seat end to end). Most vehicles are designed in a tapering fashion going up from the width at the wheels. Maybe the seat base width too !

[NFS2024]

Originally Posted by GTO

Interestingly, the price difference between the petrol & diesel is just ~24,000 rupees. This is obviously because the 1.0 petrol engine is now a direct-injection turbo-charged unit. Tough pick between the two, as the price of fuels is closer than ever too (~10 bucks / liter between petrol & diesel today). However, the fuel economy of that 1.4L diesel will be superior to the petrol’s.

That is one detailed and comprehensive review, thanks.

GTO, if price is not a consideration, which one would you propose to buy, the Diesel or the Turbo Petrol? Asking, since the review mentions the Diesel to be as easy to drive as the Turbo Petrol? The mileage of the Turbo petrol is pretty bad as per initial reviews.

[CrAzY dRiVeR]

Thanks for the final and most comprehensive verdict, Aditya. It was a great learning experience assisting you for the media drives, especially the way you drove testing the car properly, but in an extremely smooth and efficient fashion that none of the passengers were even a bit nervous! We have a Hyundai Xcent in the garage, so was looking forward to seeing how different is the Venue compared to the Grand i10. Must say - Hyundai has a very decent allrounder in the Venue, and it should sell in truckloads - but it is more of a jack-of-all-trades car and hardly pulls heartstrings in any parameters! Should please all and offend none - except perhaps those looking at space and packaging.

Looks like a mini-Creta from the front and sides with a beefed-up Grand i10 look from the rear. Everyone disliked the chrome when launched, but over time - people seem to have forgotten it. Split headlamp design is executed well, but DRLs should have been in the upper element. Rectangular DRL unit looks plain. For all the emphasis on making the car wide at the front, Hyundai has made the rear very hatchback-ish. Only the skid plate differentiates it as an SUV compared to the Grand i10.

I find the ‘Chevrolet’ (+ with a slight slant) logos all around the car funny!

The build quality is better than the segment average but has some rough edges compared to Hyundai levels, spot welds are seen inside door frame elements, etc. Bonnet has a central bulge which is very visible from inside the cabin. This is the main aspect which lends it an SUV feel, whereas otherwise, the cabin is narrow! Not even close to the Ecosport or XUV 3OO in terms of cabin size when looking at the dashboard. Even felt several features were kind of missing compared to my expectations from the Xcent - the sun visors, for example, are real plain-jane, touchscreen positioning looks like an aftermarket tab, no adjustable seat belts, no auto-dimming mirrors, etc. Fast charging is a nice touch. So is wireless charging!

At the rear - Legroom and especially headroom is less than in the Grand i10. Feels better than the cramped Ecosport, but both XUV 3OO and Nexon are more spacious. The sunroof isn’t very visible from the rear but helps avoid a claustrophobic feel. Hyundai could have used lighter colours though - I got a bit dizzy at the back due to the dark interiors + all the cornering we were doing in Meghalaya. Rear width is good for two, but I felt much better after getting out of the Venue and spending some time in the Grand i10 instead. If backseat is your priority, pick the hatchback! Good boot space though.

Engine refinement is above average for a 3 cylinder. But not comparable to the ultra-silent four-cylinder 1.2 Kappa! Engine visibly shakes during idling when seen inside the bonnet. Vibrations can be seen on open doors. Cabin, however, is well isolated at idle and you don't feel any of it, but the three-cylinder thrum is evident when pushed. Turbo lag is well controlled. Under part throttle inputs, the car pulls well from low speeds in higher gears. The engine truly comes into its own in the midrange, which is easily better than the 1.2. Good cruising efficiency with the midrange punch + tall 6th gear! Gears feel a bit notchy, but gates are well defined.

The suspension is compliant. Feels stiff at lower speeds. Soaks up bumps well once the speeds pick up. Not a boat anymore! Handles well around corners. Slightly bouncy at the rear, but doesn’t feel like losing grip. However, twice the suspension bottomed up when I was driving. The second time it happened, caught me completely unaware as the suspension bottomed out with a loud thud over what I thought was a minor mid-corner undulation on the road. MRF Wanderer Ecotred 215/60 R16 have a good grip.

Hyundai expects the target buyers to be young professionals in their mid-20s to early 30s, 30% of them being first-time car buyers. I think they got the formula right for this target market - a good mix of Exterior styling, desirability, reputation, features/technology, performance, etc. I was particularly disappointed with the space management. Evidently - the venue follows form over function and it looks like the formula has worked well for them anyway.

A casual shot with the Grand i10 -

[Rajeevraj]

Great review as usual Aditya and CD. Thanks for sharing. Had done a test drive of the DCT and was pretty impressed. Lack of a sports and/or paddle shifts is a big miss. But otherwise, just like the Creta, a very neutral car which you cannot really dislike in any way. Has just enough of everything and in some cases a little more (the Turbo Petrol, DCT, Connectivity Bling). A perfect recipe for success. A car you cannot go really wrong with and that's exactly what a typical buyer wants.

[nikhilthegunner]

Originally Posted by CrAzY dRiVeR

A casual shot with the Grand i10 -

Why'd you park 2 i10s next to each other?

Good review by the team, I think the reason for the Venue's sales has been elaborated on quite well.

[ValarMorghulis]

Finally the review is here!!!
Thanks Aditya and CD for the comprehensive review. Loved it.
I was disappointed by the lack of TPMS in EcoSport but it's missing in SX+ DCT too! Disappointing. Also missing are the airbags and the 5th alloy wheel. My ubiquitous confusion between EcoSport Vs Venue seems to be clearing out a bit (I Think )

@Aditya/CD: Was the issue of the transmission over-heating (as reported by few) encountered ever in bumper-to-bumper traffic, or to levels near over heating?


Thanks again for the comprehensive review.

[aniyo]

Thanks for a such a detailed review. Had couple of questions,
1. How is the Turbo petrol compared to Nexon and XUV300
2. is it safe to assume for Ride quality WRV>XUV300>=Nexon>Venue>Brezza>= ecosport

[vb-saan]

Another nice attempt from Hyundai; among the recent launches this one impressed me the most. Though, as usual Hyundai did not manage to spec the variants properly.

I feel this can (or already is) eat into Creta’s numbers, more than the Kia Seltos. My sister-in-law drives a Creta and she saw a Venue in the apartment parking lot, and the instant remark was “oh Creta’s front looks different now!”

[wheelguy]

Thanks for the exhaustive review Aditya and CD.

If we have to sum it up in few words then it must be called "Killer-Package".

Hyundai just nailed it in the packaging department. That aside, Venue had hatchback vibes more than any other car in the segment. Hyundai always comes up with good looking alloys. What more to say, Venue became my newfound love of the segment after Ecosport and Nexon. Go Hyundai go, challenge Maruti's leadership segment by segment and force it to give us more.

Addition: Loved the tail-lamps, they had some European car like vibes to them, is it only me who felt like that?

[neil.jericho]

Another great official review from the TBHP team. I am always amazed by the amount of hard work that you guys put in and more importantly, the corresponding output that can put any international publication to shame.

As for the Venue itself, Im on the fence regarding it being a true premium compact SUV. CrAzY dRiVeR's posts about the lack of space speak volumes about how Hyundai went overboard while focusing on the compact part of the compact SUV mandate. Somebody was telling me that the top end variant costs Rs 13.5 L on the road here in Kerala which is quite insane pricing to me for such a small car. The premium pricing however doesnt seem to be a deterrent and the Venue is doing quite well in terms of sales here in Kerala.

It's really sad that the automatic transmission is not available in the SX(O) trim level. It misses out on stuff like rear wash & wipe, 6 airbags, leatherette upholstery, sliding front armrest, rear center armrest and 60:40 splitting rear seat. Hopefully, Hyundai corrects this soon.

Originally Posted by Aditya

Hyundai has had presence in the crossover space too with the Creta & has enjoyed enormous success with it. The company now wants to replicate that in the lower segments. Some of the Creta's success will definitely rub off on the Venue. The Creta is an expensive crossover and those who can't afford the Creta will very well buy the Venue. That's exactly Hyundai's plan. This car does give you a mini Creta-like experience. To ensure that the Venue sells well, Hyundai has given it a plethora of equipment, including many first-in-segment features.

I think Hyundai have ended up outsmarting themselves with the Venue. I might be wrong but from what I have seen, customers want a well built Hyundai SUV, not the well built Hyundai SUV that is the Creta. I have noticed a sharp drop in the number of new Cretas in Cochin that seemingly corresponds with the launch of the new Venue that I see quite often. I strongly believe that many customers have realized that they are getting all the goodness of the popular Hyundai SUV (i.e. the Creta) in a smaller and cheaper package with the Venue and are opting for the more wallet friendly Venue.

I am sure that Hyundai was making a lot more profits off the older Creta and so in the long run, they are not going to be happy with the lower profits coming in from the increase sales of the Venue + lower sales of the Creta.

So rather than taking customers up the offerings ladder where each rung is usually more profitable, Hyundai might have just ended up taking them down the ladder instead.

[hemanth.anand]

That's a nice all-rounder to Hyundai's lineup...The Indian Cricket team will love to have someone like this in their side

The way it offers to search for a fuel system on the Navigation when the fuel is low is really nice and smart.

Being a GT TSI owner, I just have one question...How does the Hyundai DCT compare to the VW DSG? The Ford DCT on the Ecosport was average at best.

[Elito11]

Red hot competition for Brezza! Other than that another boring tin box.

[Mafia]

Wow! fantastic review!

The overall size of the car seems to be the biggest deal-breaker if at all.
For the price range, it fits mostly above the competition.

Disappointed with the petrol engine options. 1L seems too small for this car. 1.2 at least would be the right engine.

[N33raj]

Originally Posted by nikhilthegunner

Why'd you park 2 i10s next to each other?

How very apt! From that angle. it does look like 2 i10s!

Originally Posted by neil.jericho

from what I have seen, customers want a well built Hyundai SUV, not the well built Hyundai SUV that is the Creta.

Hyundai might have just ended up taking them down the ladder instead.

You echo my thoughts on this car. I went to see it after the initial hullabaloo died down and it left me cold. For comparison, i have the 1st gen i20 which i felt had better interior ambience compared to the Venue.
Would i buy this car? No. I would rather buy another Creta and that too before the hideous new one comes in.

On a separate note, the Review is as fastidious as always, as high quality as always and as neutral as can be. It gives you all the information to make an informed decision to buy or not to buy or just to file away in your brain's attic box of things. Simply super!