Hyundai India will be launching yet another SUV this year. It is a subcompact SUV that so far was codenamed QXi. It will now be called the Hyundai Venue and will compete with the likes of Mahindra XUV300, Maruti Suzuki Vitara Brezza, Ford EcoSport and Tata Nexon.
Hyundai needed to bring in a smaller compact SUV than the Creta to compete in this segment, as the Creta is a little more expensive compared to the rest of the competition. Hyundai calls the Venue a “connected SUV”, which we assume means it will have telematics on board, allowing users to track & interact with it on different parameters.
This subcompact SUV will be officially unveiled on 17 April at the New York Auto show as well as in India, where select media will be given a preview of the vehicle. It will likely launch a month later.
The Venue has been spotted testing a number of times over the past year. It was also rumoured to be called the Hyundai Styx at one point of time. It is based on the Hyundai Carlino concept that was showcased at Auto Expo 2016.
The company is likely to load the Venue with a lot of features, given that it has competition like the Mahindra XUV300 and Ford EcoSport to reckon with. While a fancy infotainment system is a given, it will probably also have connected car solutions – with some onboard telematics – allowing for more interaction between the car and users.
There’s no clarity on the engine options that the Venue will come with, but being a sub-4 metre SUV it will have to comply with the rules of having a diesel motor of less than 1.5 litres capacity and petrol motor less than 1.2 litres. AutocarIndia reports that it may come with a 1-litre turbo-petrol and 7-speed automatic transmission, as well as 1.4 litre diesel with a six-speed manual.
Expect the Hyundai Venue to be priced between Rs 8 lakh and Rs 12 lakh. There will be some overlap in prices with its stable-mate the Hyundai Creta, that’s in a slightly higher price segment.
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