Hyundai Venue: How does it stack up against the competition?

The Hyundai Venue has just broken cover in grand fashion and is the new buzzword when it comes to sub 4-metre SUVs in the country. In fact, its positioning as one puts it up against stalwarts like the Maruti Suzuki Vitara Brezza, Ford EcoSport and Tata Nexon, as also the recently launched and very impressive Mahindra XUV300. With so much might to take on, it should be interesting to see how the Hyundai Venue fares.

The sub 4-metre SUV segment is one that is not only one of the biggest volumes drivers for mainstream manufacturers currently, but also one that has eaten into sales of similarly priced hatchbacks and sedans and even SUVs positioned a rung above! Hyundai has revealed a lot of information about the Venue, which allows to see how the Korean car maker's smallest SUV stacks up against the competition, on paper.

The Hyundai Venue isn't just the newest sub 4 metre SUV in India, but is easily one of the most important launches this year considering it will compete with some of the biggest volumes drivers for mainstream manufacturers like the Maruti Suzuki Vitara Brezza, Mahindra XUV300, Ford EcoSport and Tata Nexon

Engines

Interestingly, Hyundai will offer the Venue with the choice of two petrol engines and one diesel engine. The petrol engines will be Hyundai's new Kappa T-GDI engine which is a three-cylinder, 1.0-litre turbocharged petrol motor and offers an impressive 120PS and 172Nm. Its outputs are in fact higher than the second petrol engine to be offered in the Venue, which is Hyundai's popular 1.2-litre, four-cylinder petrol engine which offers 83PS and 116Nm. This is the same motor that also performs duty in the Hyundai Grand i10 and Hyundai Elite i20 in India.

The Hyundai Venue will come with the option of two petrol engines and one diesel engine, making it only the second sub 4-metre SUV after the Ford EcoSport to offer multiple petrol engines

In comparison, the Ford EcoSport comes with the option of Ford's three-cylinder, 1.0-litre EcoBoost engine that offers 125PS and 170Nm as also a four-cylinder 1.5-litre naturally aspirated petrol engine producing 123PS and 150Nm. This makes the EcoSport the most powerful petrol engined SUV here. The Mahindra XUV300 petrol is offered with a three-cylinder, 1.2-litre turbocharged engine that offers 110PS and 200Nm. On the other hand, the Tata Nexon is offered with Tata Motor's three-cylinder, 1.2-litre turbocharged Revotron engine that puts out 110PS and 170Nm. Interestingly, Maruti Suzuki is yet to offer the Vitara Brezza with a petrol engine and since its launch in 2016, the Brezza has been on sale with a diesel engine only.

The Mahindra XUV300 has the most powerful diesel engine amongst sub 4-metre SUVs in India with its outputs of 117PS and 300Nm

That said, Maruti is expected to launch a petrol version soon, powered by its new 1.5-litre, four-cylinder naturally aspirated K15B petrol engine that debuted on the Ciaz and produces 105PS and 138Nm. Talking about diesel engine options, the Venue will come equipped with Hyundai's 1.4-litre, four cylinder oil burner which churns out 90PS and 220Nm. The Vitara Brezza's diesel motor on the other hand is Maruti's popular 1.3-litre, four-cylinder engine that produces 90PS and 200Nm. That said, Maruti will be launching the Brezza with its new, in-house developed 1.5-litre, four pot diesel DDiS engine which will offer 95PS and 225Nm. The Tata Nexon comes equipped with the manufacturer's 1.3-litre, four-cylinder Revotorq engine that offers 110PS and 260Nm. The Mahindra XUV300 is the most powerful diesel SUV here though, powered by a 1.5-litre four-cylinder engine that offers 117PS and a highly impressive 300Nm.

Gearboxes

In what is a first for the sub 4-metre SUV segment, the Hyundai Venue will come with the option of a dual-clutch automatic gearbox. DCTs are usually seen on more expensive SUVs, but its addition to the line-up should allow Hyundai to attract more educated buyers. The DCT will be offered only with the 1.0-litre petrol version though and other versions will get either 5-speed or 6-speed manual gearboxes. Mahindra is currently selling the XUV300 with a six-speed manual gearbox only, but we do know that an AMT-equipped version is on the cards. Maruti Suzuki offers the Vitara Brezza with either a five-speed manual gearbox or a five-speed AMT. Similarly, the Tata Nexon can be had with either a six-speed manual or a six-speed AMT.

The Hyundai Venue will be the first sub 4-metre SUV in the country to come with the option of a dual-clutch automatic gearbox

Dimensions

Given that the segment is defined by the very fact that all SUVs measure less than four metres, there's barely in difference in their overall lengths. The EcoSport is the longest though at 3,998mm, followed by the Hyundai Venue and Mahindra XUV300 at 3,995mm and the Tata Nexon at 3,994mm. The XUV300 is the widest of all at 1,821mm, followed by the Nexon at 1,811mm. The Vitara Brezza slots in next, measuring 1,790mm, followed by the Venue and EcoSport at 1,770mm and 1,765mm respectively.

The Ford EcoSport is the longest and tallest of all, but is narrower than the Maruti Suzuki Vitara Brezza, Mahindra XUV300, Tata Nexon and Hyundai Venue

The EcoSport is the tallest of all though at 1,647mm followed by the Vitara Brezza at 1,640mm. The XUV300 is 1,617mm tall while the Nexon is 1,607mm tall. The Venue is the shortest at 1,590mm. Moving onto wheelbases, the Venue and Vitara Brezza are identical at 2,500mm and are only taller to the Nexon which has a wheelbase of 2,498mm. The XUV300 has the longest wheelbase at 2,600mm though, followed by the EcoSport in second place at 2,519mm.

Features

Over the years, manufacturers have focused on offering increasingly improved in-car experiences to buyers by means of more features and equipment and it's interesting to compare the key features of the five SUVs here. The Hyundai Venue will have an edge here, as it will be India's first 'connected' SUV and will come equipped with an e-SIM that will allow you to access the car remotely via a mobile app. You will thus be able to start the engine, control air-conditioning and lock/unlock the doors even if when not inside the SUV. Of course, the feature will help in emergency situations as well by sending alerts and letting you contact emergency services.

The Hyundai Venue will come equipped with an e-SIM that will have full-time data connectivity and will offer it an edge over the competition, this being a segment-first feature

The e-SIM will use network services from Idea-Vodafone for data and Hyundai will be providing free data for the Venue's warranty period, following which, owners can get data packs through regular recharges. The Venue will also get voice-assist and include a wireless charging pad for phones, features which none of its competitors get. The infotainment touchscreen will an 8.4 inch unit and will be the largest in class. In comparison, the EcoSport has an 8 inch screen, while the XUV300 and Vitara Brezza both use 7 inch screens. The Nexon has the smallest screen, which is a 6.5 inch unit. Needless to say, all SUVs here support Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity.

The Hyundai Venue will also have one of Indian car buyers' favourite features, an electric sunroof. In comparison, the Nexon and Vitara Brezza do not get a sunroof, though the XUV300 and EcoSport do come with the option. Another segment first feature in the Venue will be projector fog lamps, while the main headlights will employ projector beams as well. The XUV300, Nexon and Vitara Brezza also get projector headlamps, while the EcoSport is the only SUV here to use HID lights. The Venue, XUV300 and EcoSport also come equipped with cruise control, while the Nexon and Vitara Brezza do not.

The Mahindra XUV300 is the only SUV here to come equipped with upto seven airbags and front parking sensors, though rear sensors and reverse cameras are also offered in the Maruti Suzuki Vitara Brezza, Ford EcoSport, Hyundai Venue and Tata Nexon

On the safety front, the Venue will come equipped with up to six airbags, ABS with EBD, ESP, hill assist and ISOFIX seats. The XUV300 though has seven airbags, the highest in the segment, followed by the EcoSport which gets up to six, while the Nexon and Vitara Brezza make do with two airbags each. The Nexon and Brezza also miss out on ESP and hill assist, though the XUV300 and EcoSport get the function. The XUV300 is the only SUV here to get front parking sensors, though all five SUVs get rear parking sensors and reverse cameras. That said, another important feature exclusive to the Venue will be its ventilated front seats, something Hyundai has been offering in its cars in India and also something none of the other SUVs here get.

Pricing

Well, how can we not talk about pricing – the most important factor influencing buying decisions in India! The Nexon has the lowest starting price of Rs 6.36 lakh for the base petrol version, going up to Rs 9.89 lakh for the fully-loaded petrol version. Its diesel variants are priced between Rs 7.40 lakh and Rs 10.80 lakh in comparison. The Vitara Brezza, on offer with a diesel engine only, is priced from Rs 7.67 lakh to Rs 10.64 lakh. Petrol versions of the Ford EcoSport retail from Rs 7.82 lakh to Rs 11.37 lakh while its diesel versions are priced between Rs 8.42 lakh and 11.89 lakh. The petrol XUV 300 is priced from Rs 7.90 lakh to 11.44 lakh, while its diesel versions are priced from Rs 8.49 lakh to Rs 11.99 lakh. The Hyundai Venue will be launched on May 21 and when launched we expect it to be priced similarly, especially since Hyundai has always been known to do so while offering more features and equipment in comparison.

Also see: Hyundai Venue Compact SUV Unveiled In India First Look Video