[rahilrai]

Originally Posted by SmartCat

DCT will feel like a proper upgrade. Go for it. Unless, you really need the side airbags from safety point of view. But then, if safety is your top priority, you wouldn't be looking at Hyundai/Kia brand at all (going by their crash safety record in India).

Isn't this self-contradictory? Shouldn't presence of more airbags be even more important, particularly when the safety record of Hyundai / Kia is so dismal.

I also remember reading somewhere that the Venue has scored a respectable 4 stars in Australian NCAP. But not sure whether this is relevant for Indian buyers since the variants sold in the West invariably have large amount of safety tech on offer by default.

However, I believe that what you are saying is that DCT > (iMT + Side Airbags + Rear Washer / Wiper + Rear Armrest) for roughly the same amount of money. Right?

[AjinkyaP]

Originally Posted by rahilrai

I totally get it that a DCT is significantly better than an iMT; but based on my short test drive experience, either of them would rock my boat since they are both an upgrade from my existing 5 speed manual. So, the real question here is whether the DCT is worth the extra dough (and potential trouble) over the iMT?

I was in the same situation a month back.
I too was more than satisfied with the iMT initially but then i took DCT for a spin and that was my ‘moment of truth’

I would suggest the same if you don’t have budget constraints, just make sure you purchase the extended warranty package.

Thankfully, we are yet to see any DCT tantrums for Venue in this forum.

[robincsamuel]

Originally Posted by rahilrai

So, what variant do you guys think I should buy? Thanks in advance for any advice that any of you may have for me.

I was in the same dilemma this time last year, and it’s the exact same reason I bought a Sonet instead of Venue. I wanted a non-AMT automatic, with 6 airbags, and rear wiper/washer was also a priority. I’d have got a Venue if there’s such a variant. I even asked the SA if the rear wiper can be fitted to the DCT variant.

Originally Posted by SmartCat

People use rear wiper only because it is there, not because they need it.

I beg to differ. I travelled from Kerala to Bengaluru two months back and it was raining throughout the drive. I used the rear wiper & washer many times because It was really a need for me (attaching a picture of the rear after the drive).

It may be a personal preference, but with that logic, the IRVM itself may not be required. I’m not saying it’s impossible to drive without a rear wiper but it really helps during a rainy highway drive.

Also, if you have a rear dashcam, it’d be completely useless without a rear wiper when it rains.

[ashis89]

Originally Posted by SmartCat

People use rear wiper only because it is there, not because they need it. Front windscreen needs to be clean during the rains because you are looking ahead all the time. We see the rear windscreen only momentarily. On highways, we use the side view mirrors more often. Do they have wipers?

Side view mirrors don't get sprayed with muck, unlike the rear glass. On a long drive, the rear windscreen will be rendered opaque rather soon. But one would need it to be clear even if they look at it only once in an hour. For someone like me who's used to glancing at all 3 mirrors once in a while, I find the wiper to be necessary.

[rahilrai]

Originally Posted by robincsamuel

I was in the same dilemma this time last year, and it’s the exact same reason I bought a Sonet instead of Venue. I wanted a non-AMT automatic, with 6 airbags, and rear wiper/washer was also a priority.

Unfortunately, Sonet is not a viable option for me because it isn't available in Canteen yet and the price difference is too large to ignore.

[SchumiFan]

Originally Posted by rahilrai

Venue Variant Choice Conundrum

I brought home a White Venue SX IMT on Dec 31. I brought it after booking the Sonet HTX Diesel AT. I know, it sounds weird. But I was not willing to wait 6 months for the car which was first mentioned as 3 month waiting period whereas this one was readily available.

I took two test drives of the car and decided that only clutch is a problem in traffic and not the gear itself. The creep function helps to an extent as well. My previous instance of driving a manual was back in 2007. The only other cars I have driven are automatics, which includes pretty much all the transmissions on offer thanks to the rentals.

But I realise the need for hill assist in every single slope. So sir, if you have the budget go for the one with these features.
The DCT wasn't that good when pushed harder. I tested the Sonet though. The power felt peaky and little unpredictable.

The IMT felt like best of both worlds. I understand why those who swear by manual & 'control' do so. The ability to be in the gear of our choice feels so nice and reassuring. The DCT might have paddle shifter and that will definitely help in being in the right gear. The DCT barely registers the shift and I was in 5th before I knew it. It's very quick and seamless.

So if you feel comfortable with the IMT, go for the top model. It is worth all the money for the rear wiper, extra safety features and the additional airbags. The rear arm rest is a big miss in mine. Have to get a cushion block ASAP.

The rear seat comfort was better in Venue with the seat squab being bigger than Sonet. The ride too a little softer and taut enough to not make the potholes bother me.

The car is small but I feel it was perfect. I drove a Brio AT earlier and the ease of entry and exit in this car is a boon. It's a baby Creta and crash test results not taken into consideration, it's a worthy upgrade to your i10.

Hope you find your next ride soon and enjoy many happy miles on it
A few pics of 'Phoebe', named after my favourite Friends character.

[rahilrai]

Originally Posted by SchumiFan

I brought home a White Venue SX IMT on Dec 31. I brought it after booking the Sonet HTX Diesel AT. I know, it sounds weird. But I was not willing to wait 6 months for the car which was first mentioned as 3 month waiting period whereas this one was readily available.

First of all, congratulations on your Phoebe. Your new year had a much better beginning than mine for sure. However, I do hope it is a lot less quirky than the character though.

Secondly, I am so glad and grateful that you wrote this post as I was also seriously considering the SX variant inspite of Hyundai replacing the alloy wheels with steel rims in the most recent iteration.

Originally Posted by SchumiFan

But I realise the need for hill assist in every single slope. So sir, if you have the budget go for the one with these features.

Really? I am so grateful for this information as I was under the impression that the creep function would act as a Hill Assist of some sort. If not, then coupled with the lack of ESC and VSM pretty much eliminates the SX variant from my shootout.

Originally Posted by SchumiFan

So if you feel comfortable with the IMT, go for the top model. It is worth all the money for the rear wiper, extra safety features and the additional airbags. The rear arm rest is a big miss in mine. Have to get a cushion block ASAP.

The rear seat comfort was better in Venue with the seat squab being bigger than Sonet. The ride too a little softer and taut enough to not make the potholes bother me.

The car is small but I feel it was perfect. I drove a Brio AT earlier and the ease of entry and exit in this car is a boon. It's a baby Creta and crash test results not taken into consideration, it's a worthy upgrade to your i10.

Thanks for serving this advice straight up and putting into words what I was feeling all this while.

[SchumiFan]

Originally Posted by rahilrai

First of all, congratulations on your Phoebe.

Thank you sir I am typing this from my mobile browser. Hence not able to quote all relevant bits of your post. Please bear with me. I shall answer your questions though.

And yes, I loved Phoebe because she was quirky. I know the quirkiness of this car and equipped myself to handle them. Just hoping there aren't any unknown qualities with her. OK for pleasant surprises though.

I didn't get the alloys as well. I opted for it as an accesory, 36K I think for a set of 4. Going to get a 5th one to change the 15-inch spare wheel and tire to a regular sized one as well to do 5 wheel rotation. The 'stylized' steel wheels are ugly.

The Brio AT had a strong pull or force at start. Hence it didn't need a hill assist. Whereas, this one doesn't have similar characteristics. It might hold once power becomes available but considering how close people stick to the next vehicle in traffic, you're better off having some assistance with you.

This car doesn't have engine start stop button. Hence not truly keyless. I think that giving this feature along with rear wiper would have made this vehicle perfect.

Do check out the other sub 4M vehicles as well. The Brezza, Urban Cruiser are capable too. But it might get a facelift soon and hence render the current one pretty antique soon.

Nexon was good but for the AMT. They have become expensive as well especially for one without a proper automatic transmission on offer. Too much of head nod even when slightly aggressive. Didn't check the Nissan and Renault stables or Mahindra for different reasons.

Overall, I felt it was a pretty satisfying experience to purchase the car and best suited for my requirements. If only it was 9.99L ex-showroom, it would have been the cherry on top especially since they removed the alloys that were offered earlier IIRC. All the best for your search

[prajwalmr62]

Originally Posted by rahilrai

Isn't this self-contradictory? Shouldn't presence of more airbags be even more important, particularly when the safety record of Hyundai / Kia is so dismal.

I also remember reading somewhere that the Venue has scored a respectable 4 stars in Australian NCAP. But not sure whether this is relevant for Indian buyers since the variants sold in the West invariably have large amount of safety tech on offer by default.

However, I believe that what you are saying is that DCT > (iMT + Side Airbags + Rear Washer / Wiper + Rear Armrest) for roughly the same amount of money. Right?

- More airbags does not mean more safe. If the structure itself isn't stable, airbags won't help much.
- Venue for India has completely different chassis than Aus/US models (QX & QXi).
- DCT is a better transmission option than IMT, but you do loose many features in SX+. If you are okay to compromise, go for it. Else take a look at Kia Sonet GTX (This also has a Diesel+TC option IIRC).

[rahilrai]

Originally Posted by prajwalmr62

- More airbags does not mean more safe. If the structure itself isn't stable, airbags won't help much.
- Venue for India has completely different chassis than Aus/US models (QX & QXi).

Thank you for bringing this to my notice. Guess our price sensitivity has forced global automakers to give us third-world treatment.

[SchumiFan]

Originally Posted by rahilrai

Thank you for bringing this to my notice. Guess our price sensitivity has forced global automakers to give us third-world treatment.

Take a look at this thread and make of it what you will. For the record, my Venue is listed as weighing about 1145kg in my RC book. It's not lightweight by any means. And airbags help. Greatly if the structure is stable for further loading but still nothing to pooh pooh about. Frankly having a few balloons absorb the impact will help than crashing the head into solid metal.

https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/techn...ml#post4890905 (Understanding car platforms, starting with the Hyundai Venue)

[deetjohn]

I actually prefer the tight design of the Venue compared to Sonet. The latter looks like a Puffer fish!

And Hyundai will do well to equip the Venue with the D AT. Why is this combo kept aside from the Venue alone??

I much prefer petrol drivetrains, but that D AT stands head and shoulders above the petrol offerings from Hyundai/ Kia in the feel of driving. This includes the turbo DCT as well. Just my personal opinion!

And if Hyundai can throw an N-line variant with D AT, that will be stellar. Rear wiper and disc brakes is what I will be looking forward to the most, especially the former. That's as exotic as it gets feature wise in the world of Hyundai!!

[ron178]

Originally Posted by rahilrai

I also remember reading somewhere that the Venue has scored a respectable 4 stars in Australian NCAP.

The Australian-market Venue scored an overall 4-star rating in the Australasian NCAP. India does not yet have its own NCAP but Global NCAP does test some cars for India under its Safer Cars for India project.

Every NCAP has different evaluation protocol and even if the cars were identical you wouldn't be able to compare star ratings.

The ANCAP test car had: six airbags, ESC, pedestrian+interurban AEB, three-point seatbelts for all seats, ISOFIX, etc.

In India the Venue gets as standard: 2 airbags and ABS brakes.

Now, that safety specification itself is good enough to score well in the current Safer Cars for India tests. But there is a possibility that both cars might also differ in their frontal performance, and there is a thread on the forum which makes an even bigger case for it: it turns out both Venues are also different in their body-in-whites: the Indian one has some missing hot-stamped reinforcements (see post). Now, we can't say what exactly this means in terms of the frontal crash performance, but the fact remains that the Indian Venue hasn't been independently crash-tested yet so it would definitely be unwise to assume that the ANCAP frontal score would be valid for India. (Note: The Australian Venue's frontal performance would have been enough for a comfortable five star score for adult protection in Safer Cars for India tests assuming all other extra requirements are met)

Global NCAP will soon release more results for India and while they never reveal which models they have tested, I would personally be surprised if they have not tested at least one of the Hyundai Venue or the Kia Sonet.

Originally Posted by rahilrai

Isn't this self-contradictory? Shouldn't presence of more airbags be even more important, particularly when the safety record of Hyundai / Kia is so dismal.

Please do not fall prey to the myth that side and curtain airbags are useless if the passenger compartment becomes unstable in the frontal test. It is true that they would likely not affect the star rating under Global NCAP's current protocols, which are primarily based on frontal score (heck, there's a car with 10 airbags that couldn't score a full rating because of seatbelt reminder issues), but that doesn't mean they don't make a difference to occupant protection. Side body airbags protect the chest and abdomen in side impacts and side curtain airbags protect the head in impacts with tall cars or roadside objects like trees and poles. They are potentially life-saving safety systems.

There is some truth to the statement that when there is high door intrusion in the side impact, side airbags may be of little help. But it is not correct to assume that this will happen in any car based on just frontal structural performance. It may or may not be the case. There could also be other anomalies like improper deployment or insufficient pressure etc. if the systems aren't well-engineered. Unfortunately Global NCAP hasn't yet started testing head protection systems in India. I would still recommend purchasing these systems if they are optional.

[rahilrai]

Originally Posted by deetjohn

I actually prefer the tight design of the Venue compared to Sonet. The latter looks like a Puffer fish!

Me too. Imho, the Sonet tries too hard to distinguish itself from its Hyundai sibling.

Originally Posted by deetjohn

Rear wiper and disc brakes is what I will be looking forward to the most, especially the former. That's as exotic as it gets feature wise in the world of Hyundai!!

This is exactly what infuriates me the most. My decade old i10 has a rear washer / wiper and there is absolutely no reason why high end variants of a modern car such as the Venue should be denied it.

I strongly suspect that this has been done on purpose to prevent more customers from choosing the Venue over the Creta.

Originally Posted by ron178

Please do not fall prey to the myth that side and curtain airbags are useless if the passenger compartment becomes unstable in the frontal test.

I was saying the same thing. Imho, everything is relative and irrespective of how many stars a car scores; a variant with more safety features (such as additional airbags) is likely to fare better than a variant devoid of these additional features.

[yashdeepsingh]

Originally Posted by agbenny

The stock filter is 2+ inches thick, but K&N is around 1 inch.

Hi - Did you install K&N on Verna Turbo [DCT Petrol]? How's the performance so far - been couple of months I guess. Do you think it's worth the investment?

TIA.