Hyundai Venue
The Venue has been part of the Auto Today fleet for more than 10 months now, and during its tenure, the compact SUV has travelled most of the North East India without breaking any sweat. I have been driving it this past month and even took it across Haryana during one of our outdoor shoot, but have primarily spent my time doing city commute. The 1.0-litre Kappa Turbo GDi three pot petrol engine might be the smallest option in the Venue but it is the most powerful one on offer. The other surprise is the 7-speed DCT unit with its ultra-smooth and slick shifts. Torque is available from as low as 1,500rpm, but the turbo only kicks in post 2,000rpm as it pulls all the way to 4,000rpm with ease before struggling to keep the engine noise from disturbing your music inside at around 4,500-5,000rpm. Overtaking is not a problem as a dab to the throttle commands the DCT unit to drop a couple of gears before lunging forward with all its might to make a comfortable and smooth overtake. Although the suspension is slightly on the stiffer side, the Venue makes up for its flaws with a smooth ride & handling. We felt the steering response could’ve been tuned better for a more spirited drive. The brakes do their job splendidly, but it took some time to adjust to the brake bite.
Now, we may not have said this a lot, but would like to mention here that Hyundai probably has one of the best music systems in the segment, if not the best. We will dwell more on this in the next report. Till then, stay safe & drive safe!
THE 1.0-LITRE KAPPA TURBO GDI 3-POT PETROL ENGINE MIGHT BE THE SMALLEST OPTION IN THE VENUE BUT IT IS THE MOST POWERFUL ONE ON OFFER