Hyundai Venue Compact SUV: Segment-first features, transmission details revealed

Hyundai, the second-largest carmaker in India has revealed the details of the upcoming Venue sub-4m compact SUV. The all-new SUV is based on the Hyundai Carlino concept and will take on the likes of Maruti Suzuki Vitara Brezza, Ford EcoSport, Tata Nexon and Mahindra XUV 300. Even though Hyundai will be a late entrant in the already well-established segment, the Venue SUV will offer a bucket full of segment-first features that will ensure that it gets enough attention in the segment.

The all-new car will be unveiled officially on 17th April at the New York International Auto Show (NYIAS) and the Indian-spec version will be showcased soon after. The Indian version is expected to be different from the international version as Hyundai has always tweaked most of its products for the Indian market.

Hyundai revealed that the Venue will offer 33 features in the upcoming Venue. 10 features of all the 33 features will be available only in the India-spec cars and have been developed for the Indian market. The upcoming Venue will be the only car in the segment to offer connected features. The Venue will offer Blue Link connectivity solution that will allow the owners to control the vehicle remotely as well as make the vehicle much more convenient to drive around.

The car will get an eSIM that will be available only with the DCT automatic variants of the Venue. It will allow users to track the car, add geo-fence, get updates about overspeeding, tow-away, time fencing, the vehicle remote on a smartphone, SOS calls, customer support, real-time traffic information, remotely check the car status, find the car and India-specific voice assistance.

Mr Puneet Anand, Sr. General Manager, Marketing, Hyundai Motor India said,

“We are extremely delighted to share that the Blue Link Connectivity Solutions will debut in the Hyundai VENUE, making it India’s first Smart Connected SUV. The Blue Link Connectivity will be the most practical, concrete and convenient technology available in the Indian market to make the customers life easy. We have undertaken all the measures across all our touch points to ensure that our customers can get a firsthand experience of the Blue Link Connectivity. Our team of Blue Link Wizards & trained sales consultants will make the technology truly accessible to all our customers. The connected car technology is built on the theme of – Your Connected Friend On The Go and will help us realize our vision of becoming Lifetime Partners in Automobile and Beyond.”

The transmission details of the upcoming Hyundai Venue was revealed during the presentation when a slide showed that the BlueLink app will be available only with the DCT variants of the vehicle. The Hyundai Venue is expected to offer a 1.0-litre turbocharged petrol engine and a 1.4-litre diesel engine from the Verna. The petrol version will be offered with the dual-clutch transmission system, which again will be a unique feature in the segment. Ford earlier offered a DCT with the EcoSport but that transmission has been replaced with a 6-speed automatic in the latest model of the car.