Hyundai is one of the strongest automobile players in the Indian market. With Hyundai Venue, they plan on to increase their reach in the Indian automobile bazaar. The subcompact SUV segment is jampacked with an offering from every major carmaker in the market- Maruti Suzuki, Tata, Ford and Mahindra. However, the second-largest car manufacturers of the country, Hyundai, has been missing in this ultra-competitive sector. Hyundai Venue is their offering to this every growing segment. The car will be placed against almost every car of the segment cause the competition is just that high. One can’t simply ignore any vehicle of the segment when introducing a new option. It is so because every car presented simply has something to offer. As stated in many of our reviews before, this segment is very popular in the Indian market because it manages to fulfil two very important features which Indian middle class look for in a car: style and size. Indian families are big, they need spacious vehicles simply to make sure that everyone can sit comfortably. At the same time, they don’t need a portable iron box as an excuse for a car, they want it to be stylish. This range manages to offer them both. So without going more in detail about the segment let’s take a closer look at the car and what it offers.
EXTERIOR
The front end of the car is dramatic. It has an essence of toughness because of the cladding, something buyers in this segment prefer. It also looks funky, again something that attracts buyers. The chrome light placement simply adds to the overall effect the car is trying to establish. The car manages to hold attention and make one check out the overall structure of the car. The split headlamps, with an LED-equipped strip at the top and a kind of square housing bordered by LED DRLs look the way they should, that is striking. The rear, on the other hand, is a bit less chaotic. The tail lights are bit small and take one immediately away from the kind of dominance the front look had established. The side indicators have been placed on the inside edge rather than the outside, which in simple words can be described as interesting. You like it or not is a different conversation altogether. The square taillight designs are fair. Overall the rear fails to hold on to the impactful look that the front established. One might simply ignore the car if viewed from the back. The car wheels are very attractive and nicely painted. Some similarities from the Breeze can be seen. The curtains around the front wheel are an interesting addition, they provide better aerodynamics and help in cutting off air-sound. The wheels have been nicely done. From a distance, the car also fails to look as bulky as it looks from the front. It is one of the shortest in its segment and despite adding cool cladding the car fails to hide this. The car starts strong with it funky look but soon fades.
Interior
The first word that comes to your mind when you enter the car is neat. Thanks o its dashboard which looks as if it has an assigned place for everything on it. Starting from the non-reflecting dashboard to the grip on the gear, everything is top class and gives a very good feeling. Things like these even tend to enhance the driving experience. The plastics, apart from lower down in the cabin, are all of the good material and smooth to use. The floating 8.0-inch screen looks as if it was installed later. Giving a feeling that the makers simply forgot about the control set-up. However, it manages to do all of its work properly and at no point breaks the neatness the car establishes. What makes the car special is its connectivity feature. Hyundai Venue has introduced sim-card based connectivity options which are very impressive. This means that multiple connections can be by the car to multiple portals/ platforms. This car also allows you to lock and unlock the doors, start the car engine and switch on the aircon from your phone. You can do it all from anywhere in the world, as long as you are connected to a cellular network. Other cool features include tracking the vehicle’s location, speed, tyre pressures and even enabling geofencing. The car at first gives the impression that it is very small. This is due to the fact that it has small windows and uses dark interiors. However, soon you get comfortable and realize that there is enough room for you. The seating position for the driver is high which is excellent and results in a great view. However, what does act as an inconvenience is that the overdone cushioning. It is not uncomfortable but after a very long drive, it starts irritating at the back. It almost feels as if it is pushing you. The cabin provides good storage area and allows you to stretch your leg once you get comfortable to the design. For safety, the car provides six airbags, ABS with EBD and brake assist, ESP, hill-start assists, Isofix child seat mounts and speed-sensing door locks and more. The car also onboard has some premium features like a sunroof and wireless phone charging, and kit like projector headlamps with DRLs, cornering lamps, LED tail-lamps, cruise control, Arkamys sound, rear aircon vents, and an 8.0-inch touchscreen infotainment system with Android and Apple connectivity, aside from the much-talked-about connectivity tech, which the company has christened ‘Blue Link’. Blue Link is a special feature, it is India’s first SIM-card-based service offered in a car. It allows users to manage and perform a host of functions thanks to a dedicated server the SIM talks too. The car has a total of 33 unique features. That is A LOT. Hyundai adds everything one could expect from an SUV of this price range.
Driving
The car provides two versions: diesel based and petrol based. Let’s start with Diesel. The engine in the diesel version makes sure that there is little vibration. The car pulls up well even when off-boost. The driving in this version is smooth and provides no problem for a major portion. The turbo lag at points can be irritating. The petrol version is better. The driving is smoother and more comfortable. The turbo lag is handled better and the driving experience is simply enhanced. The twin-clutch gearbox is quick to respond, relatively jerk-free and works well with the engine. Overall it is the car to go with.
Should I buy One
The car is ranged at 6.5-11 lacks. For that range, it simply offers way too much. The car is loaded with features and the driving too is fair. The car looks good for the price range. However, this is true only for the price range. If you want a premium looking car, you have better options than the Venue. Also in terms of size, the car could have been a bit bigger. Overall, one has to say that the car will be a tough job for The Mahindra XUV300, Maruti Brezza and Ford EcoSport to deal with.
