Hyundai Venue compact SUV to be officially revealed in India on 17th April: Teaser out

The Hyundai Venue will be the latest sub-4 meter SUV to join the burgeoning compact SUV segment in India. Hyundai has announced that the Venue will be revealed for the Indian market on the 17th of April, 2019. While the compact SUV will make its global debut at the New York Motor Show on 17th, Hyundai will reveal the SUV concurrently in India on the same day. Here is a teaser that shows more of the SUV including the design lines it will feature.

As is evident from the teaser, the Hyundai Venue will looks like a mini Creta of sorts in terms of overall profile but the front and rear ends of the SUV will be totally different, giving the sub-4 meter offering a distinct identity. It’ll be a front wheel driven, monocoque SUV with no all wheel drive layout on offer, even as an option. The interiors of the Hyundai Venue were revealed through a leak a week ago, and going by the pictures, the Venue could be the best appointed SUV in its segment.

The dashboard of the SUV has a touchscreen infotainment unit sticking out prominently and most other parts, including the seats, steering and dashboard plastics seem of high quality – a-la-Hyundai i20 Elite. Given the high levels of fit and finish, Hyundai could bank on its pricing power in the Indian market and price the Venue at a slight premium when compared to its rivals such as the Tata Nexon, Ford EcoSport, Mahindra XUV300 and the Maruti Brezza. This is a similar approach Hyundai took with the Creta, which continues to sell nearly 10,000 units each month despite its premium pricing.

As for the Venue’s sales, Hyundai will be hoping that the compact SUV clocks at least 10,000 units a month given its lower pricing. We expect the Venue to be priced between Rs. 7.5 lakhs and Rs. 10.5 lakhs, and this pricing will ensure that there is minimal overlap with the Creta’s price, which starts from Rs. 9.6 lakhs. As for mechanicals, the Venue is expected to be offered with a 1.4 liter petrol engine with 99 Bhp-132 Nm on tap, and a 5 speed manual gearbox, a 1 liter-3 cylinder turbo petrol engine with 110 Bhp-170 Nm, and a 1.4 liter turbocharged diesel engine making 89 Bhp-220 Nm.

The turbo petrol engine is likely to get a 7 speed twin clutch automatic gearbox – a first for Hyundai in India, while the diesel is expected to make do with a 6 speed manual gearbox. Hyundai has been driving home the point that the Venue will be India’s first ‘connected SUV’, with a range of connectivity features that include remote starting, remote AC operation, car tracking and more. The SUV will also have a dedicated sim-card, which will allow a Smartphone to control many of its functions.