Introduction

Hyundai India has kickstarted its plans for 2022 with the launch of the new Venue. Introduced back in 2019, the Venue compact SUV has received its first mid-cycle update. The 2022 iteration of the Venue debuts the carmaker’s new design language, gets loads of new features, and offers a wide range of engine options. We have seen the new Hyundai Venue in person and here are our initial impressions of the refreshed SUV.

What’s changed on the outside?

In terms of exterior design and styling, the Hyundai Venue retains the silhouette of its predecessor. To add a dash of gleam, the Venue gets a new front grille which is part of the carmaker’s ‘Sensuous Sportiness’ design philosophy. The fascia is dominated by this chrome-studded grille with black surrounds that extend up to the new turn indicators which now get a three-piece horizontal graphic. The projector headlamps are mounted on reprofiled bumpers where the fog lamps have been omitted for wider air inlets and silver faux plates.

On the side, the Venue is easily recognisable with its flat roofline, silver roof rails, and body cladding on the doors. The tinge of chrome on the window line along with redesigned dual-tone alloy wheels lends the Venue a fresh and upmarket look.

The rear profile is where the Venue looks truly distinct. The split tail lamp clusters on either side with new graphics are adjoined by an illuminated light stripe that runs across the width of the car. The rear bumpers, too, have been reworked with reflectors and bulbs placed in a vertical pattern. Alongside the existing paint schemes, the Venue will now be offered in a new Phantom Black exterior shade and a two-tone Fiery Red colour with a contrasting black roof.

What’s changed on the inside?

Inside the cabin of the new Venue, one will find similar elements like a floating touchscreen infotainment system and silver accents on the aircon vents, door handles, and around the centre console. The front seats feel the right size with a sliding armrest that contains storage space. Hyundai says that the front seats have been scooped out to allow more space for the driver and the front passenger.

All four doors can hold one-litre bottles while the front door pockets can accommodate additional smaller knick-knacks. The highlight of the rear seats is a two-step reclining function. This can be accessed with small levers placed on either side of the backrests.

What’s new on the feature list?

The 2022 Venue brings several segment-first segments to the table. This includes an electrically-adjustable function for the driver seat and two-step reclining rear row seats with a 60:40 split function. The use of black and grey colour for the upholstery gives a sense of space and makes the cabin feel airier. Besides this, the Venue is brimmed with features such as a cooled glovebox, keyless entry, an electric sunroof, ambient lighting, automatic climate control, and a wireless smartphone charger.

While the overall dashboard layout remains unaltered, significant changes have been made to make the cabin feel modern. There’s a new four-spoke steering wheel along with a fully-digital driver’s display sourced from the more premium models of the family. Then, the eight-inch touchscreen infotainment system gets an updated interface with 10 regional languages to choose from, along with Alexa and Google Assistant. Hyundai’s BlueLink connected car tech also sees new features and customers now have access to over 60 features.

In terms of safety, the new Venue is equipped with six airbags, a rear parking camera with guidelines, a tyre pressure monitoring system, hill assist control, and more.

Engine and gearbox

Hyundai Venue is known to offer multiple powertrain choices to its customers. The new model is no different and offers three engines and four gearboxes to choose from.

The first one is the 1.2-litre naturally-aspirated petrol engine that puts out 82bhp and 114Nm of torque and is mated only to a five-speed manual gearbox. Next up is the potent 1.0-litre turbo-petrol mill that is paired with a seven-speed DCT and a six-speed clutchless manual transmission. This motor delivers 118bhp and 172Nm of peak torque. The DCT version also benefits from paddle shifters and three drive modes – Eco, Normal, and Sport.

The last one is the 1.5-litre oil-burner alternative that pushes out 99bhp and 240Nm of torque. While most of the competition offers an automatic transmission with their diesel powertrain, the choice on the Venue is limited to a six-speed manual gearbox.

Pricing and competition

With several first-in-segment features, appealing looks, and a variety of powertrain and drivetrain options, the Venue will continue to remain a quintessential option in the compact SUV. With prices now starting at Rs 7.35 lakh (ex-showroom) and going all the way up to Rs 12.57 lakh (ex-showroom), the Venue is almost Rs 25,000 to Rs 40,000 more expensive than the outgoing model, depending upon the variant.

With its armoury replenished, the new Hyundai Venue will have to battle against the herd of SUVs like Kia Sonet, Tata Nexon, Nissan Magnite, Mahindra XUV300, Toyota Urban Cruiser, Renault Kiger, and soon-to-be-launched, the 2022 Maruti Suzuki Brezza.

We will soon be driving the new Hyundai Venue and our first-drive impressions will go live on our website in the coming weeks.