Hyundai Venue

Close to 30 configurations. That’s where the Hyundai Venue stands right now, with three engines and five gearbox options across the range. But does all that choice actually translate to a good buy? After spending time with the lineup, what stands out is how well each powertrain suits a different type of buyer.

Start with the 1.2 petrol. It makes 83 PS and 114.7 Nm, paired exclusively with a 5-speed manual. Not a performance setup. Throttle response is predictable and linear, fine for daily stop-go driving where you’re rarely pushing past 3000 rpm. It won’t impress you on a highway merge, but for someone doing mostly city kilometres on a budget, it does the job without fuss. The absence of an automatic option here is a miss, though. Want an affordable auto petrol? You’ll have to look elsewhere or step up to the turbo.

The 1.0 turbo-petrol with 120 PS and 172 Nm is a different car altogether. With the 6-speed manual, it feels alert during mid-range pulls and overtakes. Pair it with the 7-speed DCT and you get a smooth city-highway mix, though the DCT can feel a bit hesitant at very low crawl speeds in bumper-to-bumper traffic where your right foot is barely touching the pedal. Sport mode sharpens things up when you want it. For mixed-use driving, test-drive this one first.

The 1.5 diesel (116 PS, 250 Nm) remains the most practical option if your monthly running is high. Low-end torque is genuinely useful when you’re carrying a full car on the highway or climbing a gradient. The 6-speed automatic makes city driving far more relaxed than the manual, and it’s one of the few diesel autos you can get in a sub-4 metre SUV right now. ARAI claims 20.99 km/l for the manual and 20.2 km/l for the automatic. Real-world? Expect 15-16 km/l in the city and 19-20 km/l on the highway. Still competitive for this class.

How does it ride? Sorted for Indian roads, mostly. At city speeds, the suspension absorbs regular potholes and sharp edges without constant cabin fatigue. On the highway, the 2520 mm wheelbase and 1800 mm width give it a planted feel that you don’t always expect from a sub-4 metre car. Body roll shows up on quick direction changes, and it’s not built for corner-carving. But for normal family driving, it feels composed. Steering is light enough for tight parking, and the higher seating position helps your visibility in traffic.

Inside, the cabin feels well put together from mid trims upward. Control placement is straightforward, the touchscreen interface doesn’t take long to figure out, and general fit-finish feels a step above what this segment averaged a few years ago. Upper variants with the dual 12.3-inch curved displays and Bose audio feel genuinely premium for the price you’re paying. Ventilated seats on HX8 and above? Welcome in Indian summers. One complaint: the best tech, including ADAS, surround view monitor, and those curved displays, is locked to HX10. If your budget sits around the mid-range, you won’t get these.

Rear seat space works for two adults. Knee room is adequate thanks to the 2520 mm wheelbase, and the rear recline on higher trims helps on longer trips. Three at the back will be a squeeze, but that’s true of every sub-4 metre SUV. The 375-litre boot takes a couple of medium suitcases and soft bags for a weekend trip without much rearrangement.

Six airbags standard. Strong baseline. ESC, VSM, hill-start assist, and ISOFIX come across the range. The HX10’s Level 2 ADAS suite, with forward collision avoidance, lane keep assist, and smart cruise control, does make highway driving less tiring when you use it right. No Bharat NCAP or Global NCAP rating is available for the current Venue yet. Worth keeping in mind.

Where should you be cautious? Variant pricing. The gap between the base HX2 at ₹7,99,900 and the top HX10 DT at ₹15,69,100 is nearly ₹8 lakh. Big spread. At the upper end, you’re overlapping with larger SUVs. Mid trims like HX5 and HX6 tend to offer the better value balance for most private buyers, and that’s where the Venue’s price-to-feature ratio is strongest. The jump to HX10 only makes sense if ADAS and premium audio are non-negotiable for you.

Ownership is fairly straightforward. Hyundai’s service network is wide, parts availability is rarely an issue, and the Venue has established resale demand in this segment. Running costs depend on which engine you pick. The turbo-petrol DCT in dense traffic can return noticeably less than its ARAI figure, while the diesel manual on open roads will come close to claimed numbers.

A practical compact SUV that doesn’t try to be exciting. It covers real-world needs without drama, and it works best when you pick the right variant for your actual driving pattern rather than chasing the top trim’s spec sheet.