Hyundai VENUE N Line: What makes it India’s perfect enthusiast SUV

VENUE N-Line is the first and only performance-oriented sub-4m compact SUV available in the Indian market.

While Hyundai India has become the leading SUV maker in India, only a few people know about the brand’s rich history in motorsports. Hyundai Motorsport is a heavyweight in the World Rally Championship, and its N Power cars bring technology straight from race cars to road-legal vehicles.

Last year, Hyundai introduced all-new i20 N Line to give India a glimpse of the brand’s rich motorsport history. Following the success of the i20 N Line, Hyundai has now introduced Venue N Line. With the rising popularity of the SUVs, the Venue N Line will serve a perfect stepping stone to enthusiasts who do not want to bother about the potholes and speed breakers.

As Hyundai plans to sell more than 16,000 units of the N Line cars in the Indian market and introduce new models from the family in the coming months, let’s look at how the newly introduced VENUE N-Line is a perfect enthusiastSUV for the Indian market.

A price tag to lure you

Let’s face it, performance-oriented cars do not come with a lucrative price tag. However, Hyundai wants a wider audience to experience what it feels to be in a N Line product. This is why the Hyundai VENUE N Line gets an affordable price tag of INR 12.16 lakh, ex-showroom. Hyundai only offers the turbocharged petrol engine and Dual-Clutch Transmission (DCT) with the VENUE N-Line. While there is no direct competition of the Hyundai VENUE N-Line in the segment, Kia’s SonetX-Line comes close in terms of only engine and transmission specifications. The SonetX-Line is much more pricier,with prices starting at INR 13.39 lakh.

A head-turner

The Hyundai Venue facelift looks much more than just a facelift, especially because of the heavily updated front grille and the rear tail lamps. The N Line variant goes a step further. The attractive “Parametric jewel grille” gets an update with a sporty mesh pattern. The VENUE N Line looks very interesting with the new front bumper with split skid-plate like elements. The whole set-up looks very sporty with red accents all over.

Hyundai has also updated the alloy wheels to new 16-inch wheels that are only available with the N Line variant. The red accents appear on the lower part of the doors on the profile. The rear of the Hyundai VENUE N Line gets a new skid plate design and a protruding dual-tip exhaust. The dual-tip exhaust system is not just a cosmetic add-on. It makes the VENUE N Line sound properly sporty.

Even the cabin is designed to bring out the enthusiast in you. The cabin is all-black with contrasting red inserts, and a leather-wrapped steering wheel. With the digital colour-changing instrument cluster and paddle shifters, the VENUE N Line feels like a cockpit.

A perfect size

With the shrinking space on the city roads, the Hyundai Venue strikes a perfect balance in its size. It is a sub-4m car, and does not feel too big for the crowded city roads. While the Hyundai Venue feels at home in the slow-moving traffic, it has more than enough pep to thrill on the highways. With a ground clearance of 190mm, the VENUE N Line can take on broken roads without a fuss. To sum it up, it is a perfect combination of a city car and a highway cruiser.

Raging power underneath

The VENUE N Line gets power from the tried and tested 1.0-litre turbocharged petrol engine. The 1.0-litre engine remains extremely smooth and at idle, the engine is almost imperceptible. It generates a maximum power of 118 PS and peak torque of 172 Nm. The turbocharged GDI engine has a linear power delivery and it is mega fun to drive, especially with the 7-speed DCT.

Hyundai only offers the dual-clutch transmission with the Venue and you can take full control of the set-up with the paddle shifters on the steering wheel. The Hyundai VENUE N Line feels exhilarating to drive, especially on the winding roads.

All the above factors come together in the Hyundai VENUE N Line, making it India’s perfect enthusiast SUV.