[libranof1987]

2022 Hyundai Venue Facelift Review

The Hyundai Venue facelift is on sale in India at a price between Rs. 7.53 - 12.72 lakhs (ex-showroom Delhi).

Hyundai Venue Pros

• A mini-Creta in almost every way! Same formula, in a smaller package
• Precise build & quality (including interiors) are easily among the segment best
• Competent engines mated to slick gearboxes
• Fast shifting dual-clutch Automatic gearbox available
• Balanced road manners. Very easy to drive as well
• Loaded to the gills with equipment (paddle shifters, drive modes, sunroof, BlueLink telematics, cabin air purifier etc.)
• Top safety equipment includes 6 airbags, BAS, ESP, HSA, ISOFIX and more
• Hyundai's competent after-sales & fuss-free ownership experiences

Hyundai Venue Cons

• Diminutive street presence. Looks more hatchback than SUV from some angles, especially the rear
• Strictly a 4-seater; the rear bench has very awkward seating for the middle occupant
• Missing kit (auto wipers, auto-dimming IRVM, steering reach adjustment...)
• Long term reliability of the DCT is a concern
• Engine noise is very prominent, more so in Sport mode
• AT only on the petrol, not the diesel. Kia Sonet gets a Diesel AT

This review has been jointly compiled with bblost. Thanks to him for his expert observations and photography.

[libranof1987]

Since the Hyundai Venue has already been reviewed by Team-BHP, this report will only focus on changes made to the facelift. To read the full test-drive, click here.

The 2020 1.0L iMT

• Link to review

[libranof1987]

The Hyundai Venue competes in one of the hottest segments of the Indian car market - the sub-4m SUV segment. It has been a very successful product for Hyundai, consistently managing to sell ~10,000 units per month. The Venue constitutes 22% of Hyundai India's revenue and is sold in 40+ countries. More than 50% of Hyundai's sales come from SUVs, with compact SUVs accounting for the majority.

In a cut-throat market that every manufacturer wants a piece of the pie of, Hyundai has brought out several updates to the Venue to keep it competitive in the segment. On the outside, the Venue gets redesigned lamp clusters, front and rear ends and new alloy wheels. While changes to the exterior have been mostly cosmetic, the interior sees a host of feature additions. The car now gets a fully digital instrument cluster, driving modes, paddle shifters (for the DCT), 4-way electrically adjustable driver seat, two-step reclining rear seatbacks and more. The car is equipped with BlueLink with more than 60 features. It can now be paired with Alexa for a host of Home2Car features such as Remote Door Lock/Unlock, Remote Climate Control, Find My Car among others. The infotainment system gets 12 languages.

The Venue gets the same 1.2L petrol, 1.0L turbo-petrol and the 1.5L diesel engine options as before. These are mated to various transmissions - 5-speed MT (1.2L petrol), the 6-speed iMT or 7-speed DCT (1.0L turbo-petrol), and the 6-speed MT (1.5L diesel).

Hyundai Venue Facelift Exterior Review

Front end features changes to the lights, radiator grille and bumper:


Rear end features a more squarish tailgate, redesigned LED tail-lamps with a connecting light bar and a restyled bumper:


The only change to the sides are the redesigned alloy wheels. While the length, width and wheelbase remain the same as before, height (including the roof rails) has increased from 1,605 mm to 1,617 mm:


Turn-indicators are restyled:


The indicators in action:


Headlamps now get LED projectors, instead of halogen projectors


Radiator grille is now more squarish with piano black and chrome detailing. Front bumper gets a more rectangular air dam and restyled skid plate. Foglamps have been dropped:


ORVMs get welcome and auto-folding functions:


ORVMs get puddle lamps underneath:


While the wheel and tyre size are unchanged, the design of the alloy wheels has changed:


Tail-lamp clusters get a complete change. From a boxy, rectangular design, they are now staggered across layers. Very smart!


The tail-lamps and light bar in action:


Rear bumper is new with rectangular black inserts, sleeker reversing lights, reflectors and a restyled skid plate:

[libranof1987]

Hyundai Venue Facelift Interior Review

While the overall design of the dashboard remains the same, it now gets a new dual tone theme with dark grey on the top, and beige on the lower part.


New, flat-bottom D-Cut steering wheel seems very busy with the top buttons for the various functions including voice commands, infotainment, MID and cruise control. While the new buttons do look sleeker than the outgoing steering wheel, they could have cleared up some real estate and made the steering controls easier to use, especially when driving.:


DCT variant now gets paddle shifters:


The Venue now gets a fully digital instrument cluster with a colour TFT MID:


The unit in the 1.0 DCT variant changes its colour according to the selected drive mode. Here it is seen in the Normal mode...


...Eco mode...


...and Sport mode:


Turn-by-turn navigation is displayed on the MID:


TPMS has been provided as well:


The detailing on the wiper control stalk has changed, while the design of the light control stalk has been altered in line with the omission of the foglamps:


Engine start/stop button is finished in silver and has a silver border. Switch for dash illumination adjustment has been deleted:


Dual-tone theme is carried over to the doorpads, with the armrest getting the beige treatment:


Driver seat gets four-way electronic adjustment. Height adjustment remains manual. While the material of the seat upholstery is the same as the outgoing car's the detailing has been changed to match with the rest of the interior:


8" HD infotainment touchscreen head-unit with BlueLink telematics offers 60+ connected car features. Prominent features include multi-regional support (12 languages - 10 regional and 2 international), OTA updates for the infotainment system and maps and Home2Car: integrated with Alexa:


Another new feature is, ambient sounds of nature. This will play a selection of sounds (Snowy Village, Fireplace, Waves among others) through the speakers. Bblost felt it is something only young adults would enjoy:


At the base of the center fascia, you now get a Type-C USB port along with a redesigned wireless charging pad, while a Type-A USB port and 12V power outlet have been retained:


Air purifier is now integrated into the center armrest. It comes with 3 modes - Auto Normal, Normal and Turbo. You can turn it on or off using a button located on the right side of the armrest:


Rear doorpad with the new dual-tone theme:


The front seats have redesigned seatbacks > They are scooped out to allow for better leg room. That said, rear knee room doesn't seem to have improved:


A look at the rear seats with the new dual-tone theme:


Rear seats get two-step reclining seatbacks:


The 12V power outlet below the rear air-con vents makes way for two Type-C USB ports:


Carpeting at the base of the seatbacks has been deleted. As a result, the child seat anchors and other bits are now visible with the rear seats folded:

[libranof1987]

Driving the 1.0 Turbo-Petrol AT

998cc turbo-petrol engine develops 118 BHP & 172 Nm:


Hyundai is offering a 7-speed DCT as an option (apart from a 6-speed iMT) with the Venue 1.0L petrol. The company has always been big on automatic gearboxes in India (right from the original Santro), and this is their first dual-clutch AT here. The DCT is available in the S(O) and SX (O) trim levels. Both are equipped with hill-start assist, vehicle stability management and electronic stability control.

7 ratios also result in a superior spread of gearing and the transmission does feel decidedly superior to its rivals and With this facelift Hyundai has also introduced paddle shifters and drive modes (Normal, Eco and Sport). The DCT gearbox is smooth and the entire package is very refined. The Venue DCT costs between Rs. 10.97 - 12.72 lakhs (ex-showroom, Delhi).

The Venue DCT is very refined at idle. It moves off seamlessly from a standstill. There is a slight initial lag though, as there is no torque-converter & the turbo-charger. Once you're moving, light accelerator input is all you'll need to commute in the city. The gearbox moves up early, while shifts are quick and smooth. Driving with a light foot, you'll never even know that the gears are being changed. They are almost imperceptible. The turbo-petrol offers brisk acceleration, while the power & torque on tap make the gearbox's job easier. We also liked how the gearbox is never found hunting for gears. Combine this smooth AT with the light steering, excellent ergonomics, properly placed dead pedal & clean frontal visibility and you have a sweet city ride. For bumper to bumper traffic conditions, there is a fair amount of 'crawl' available too. Just lift your foot off the brake pedal in 'D' and the Venue will crawl forward, allowing you to drive in bad traffic with just one pedal (the brake). Downside? The Venue is reluctant to downshift from 2nd -> 1st. Hence, you'll need to be patient if you want to suddenly close a gap in traffic (as an example).

Thanks to the powerful engine, the Venue AT is a competent expressway cruiser too. You can easily hit silly speeds and like in the MT, the mid-range is punchy. It sure comes in handy for overtaking. For long distance cruisers, the engine spins @ 2,600 rpm at 120 km/h (100 km/h = ~2,100 rpm). Kickdown response time is average. If the revvs are low, it takes a second or so for the gearbox + turbo to react. Sometimes, you'll find the gearbox to be hesitant to downshift too. But once the AT & turbo respond, this thing is very peppy. Will add that, when the engine is in the meat of the powerband, the reaction times are far lesser.

The Venue's 7-speed DCT shifts faster than the gearboxes used by its rivals. It's clearly the best AT among the Compact SUVs. Manual mode is useful when you want to prepare the car for overtaking a fast vehicle on a 2-lane highway, or when you desire engine braking. Move the gear lever to the right to engage manual mode. The response time to your commands is quick. What we found disappointing was that, even in manual mode, you can take the revvs to just ~6,500 rpm (which is the start of the redline) before the transmission shifts up on its own. Keep in mind that it's tuned very conservatively & won't allow aggressive downshifts if the rpm level is even a little high.

We'll keep our fingers crossed on the long-term durability of this gearbox. While it's reassuring to have a manufacturer with a track record for reliability backing it, the fact is that no dual-clutch gearbox has had a clean reputation in India. Not Ford's DCT, and certainly not VW's DSG. We'll be keeping a keen eye on reports from Venue owners. Be sure to take that extended warranty package!

The Venue turbo petrol DCT has an ARAI-certified fuel economy figure of 18.15 km/l. Owners are reporting 9 - 10 km/l in the city (a handful did say 8.5 too), and 14 - 15 km/l on the highway.

Apart from the regular Normal driving mode, there are two more available in the Venue DCT – Eco and Sport.

Eco Mode - Eco dulls performance, but makes for a very smooth drive which is perfect for the city. There is sufficient power available to keep up with city traffic. You won’t need to engage the other modes often. The transmission shifts up early to maximise fuel economy. Eco mode works well on the highway too. It’s apt for cruising and works OK even while passing slower vehicles. Only on undivided highways will you need to shift to one of the other modes, when you need to pass vehicles quickly. Or when you are in a mood for some fun.

Sport Mode - Sport mode sharpens everything up. Throttle response is better and the transmission holds on to a gear for a while longer. In the city, this mode can get a bit busy & jerky in stop-go traffic. It’s a joy on the open road though. You can really get a move on if you are an enthusiastic driver. Sport mode also gives you superior engine braking.

Venue turbo petrol gets a 7-speed DCT. Gear lever comes with a glossy black top, silver highlights and a leather boot. Looks smart. To engage manual mode, move the lever to the right. Push the lever up to upshift and down to downshift (just the way we prefer it):


Drive mode selector is placed behind the gear shifter:


Cap gets a marking to indicate the petrol car's diet:

Suspension

The Venue uses a McPherson strut suspension with coil springs at the front and a coupled torsion beam at the rear. Low speed ride quality is compliant & mature, with small bumps being absorbed well. However, there is a bit of a firm edge to the ride which you will feel on bad roads & large potholes. This is inevitable with most crossovers as manufacturers have to firm things up a bit due to the raised height. Even medium-sized potholes make their presence felt inside. Still, owners won't complain as the ride is compliant overall. At the rear too, it doesn’t get too bouncy. That said, things aren't as plush as in the Honda WR-V. The car feels quite comfortable on the expressway. While our test cars were equipped with 16" wheels, lesser variants get 15" rims with taller rubber. The ride quality on those is likely to be cushier. The suspension does its work silently as well.

As expected of a monocoque crossover, the Venue is very car-like to drive. Owners will appreciate this in the city & on highway drives alike. Out on the open road, straight line stability is good. While the car doesn’t feel twitchy, it has a tendency to wallow over expressway bumps & undulations. It is certainly not as planted as the segment-leading Ford EcoSport at high speeds.

In terms of handling, the Venue remains composed through fast corners. There is some body roll, yet it's controlled. The car feels sorted, even when being pushed through the twisties. It behaves just like you'd expect a family crossover to. The dynamics are clean with no nasty surprises at all. That said, once again, the EcoSport remains the segment leader in this department. Important to note that the SX(O) and DCT variants are equipped with electronic stability control (ESC), vehicle stability management (VSM) and hill assist control (HAC).

The grip provided by the Venue's 215/60 MRF Wanderer tyres was acceptable, but not exceptional. Enthusiasts with a more aggressive driving style will want to upgrade to stickier rubber. Drive to your friendly tyre shop straight from the showroom itself to get the best exchange price.

The electric power steering is light and butter-smooth at parking / city speeds. Along with its small size, this makes for a very easy car to drive in urban conditions. It's turning radius of 5.1m is as small as the segment-best Tata Nexon. On the highway, the steering is not nervous. Those days of crazy Hyundai steerings are gone. The steering weighs up alright and it's not overtly sensitive either. No owner will complain. However, enthusiasts aren't likely to find its feel & feedback to their tastes.

The unladen ground clearance is rated at almost 200 mm (we've heard 190 - 195 mm from different Hyundai people, but it's not put on paper). Suffice to say, the GC is more than enough.

All variants of the Venue come with disc brakes at the front and drums at the rear, with ABS + EBD and Brake Assist System. The brakes perform as expected. The car stops in a straight line sans drama when braking from high speeds.

Disclaimer: Hyundai invited Team-BHP for the Venue test-drive. They covered all the travel expenses for this driving event.

[Aditya]

Thread moved out from the Assembly Line. Thanks for sharing!

[CR07]

Any idea if both low and high beam are LED units? Or is it the cornering lamp that is halogen?

[prajwalmr62]

Originally Posted by CR07

Any idea if both low and high beam are LED units? Or is it the cornering lamp that is halogen?

It has only one light, high and low beam both are from the same projector unit. What you see there is cornering lamp, which is most-probably same halogen light from old model.

[niranjanprabhu]

Autocar was mentioning that this DCT is a DCT 2.0
Any one here has any info on what exactly are the changes?

[d3mon]

Originally Posted by libranof1987

Hyundai Venue Pros

• Top safety equipment includes 6 airbags, BAS, ESP, HSA, ISOFIX and more

Sorry, but it's high time we stop listing just safety equipment as a pro, when the bodyshell itself is pretty suspect. The Carens test with 6 airbags has clearly shown that any number of airbags will not help if the structure itself has been cheapened for India.

The cons must mention the poor expected crash test safety, going by the crash test results of its siblings (i20) and elder cousins (Seltos/Carens/Creta). After all, a quick glance at the pros/cons list in this review for a casual buyer would leave an impression of the Venue being a safe car, which it most definitely isn't (compared to the 4/5 star rated competition available in the segment).

[anthusiast]

Pardon if I missed noticing, would want to know if there are improvements in this facelift for the Suspension - the Seltos which too had a stiff ride had a reworked suspension in the facelift.

Has the bottom end torque improved any bit in the facelift ?

Basically what are all the improvements in non-visual areas of ride, handling, engine (paddles are one addition) ?

[turbowhistle]

This is a very good refresh to an already succesful product but I feel shortchanged as a previous owner that my 2 year old car feels outdated now.

Great thread too, covered everything I wanted to know. I like the exterior more than the first generation and the boxy rear looks much more mature now. I wish Hyundai had given wireless carplay as it already has wireless charging pad and you can not make full use of both features together.

Also I wish they would have retained a fully MT variant as I feel it's better than iMT and also provides peace of mind against the DCT. We were lucky to get the MT in SX(O) Turbo Petrol variant and it's super fun to drive this car on open roads.

We haven't had much issues with the car apart from the steering rack noise which was promptly covered in warranty. I concur with the fuel economy part, I have never seen two digit economy in city and in some case it has dropped to 7kmpl as well when the car is pushed hard.

[aniketi]

It was ugly earlier and it is ugly today as well, for me at least. Hyundai lost the opportunity here. They did rear so better but front just spoiled it.

Also it's got costlier too. I will buy Honda City 4th generation over this car any day. Also its suitable for 4 adults only. This CSUV gimmick I never buy it. It's a grown up hatch only for me. These are not suitable for any kind of off-roading and mainly used as a city car only. Only advantage is better ground clearance & looks, that's it.

[SoumenD]

Every TATA car review has a line 'After sales is a hit or miss' without fail. But I still don't see 'Safety is a hit/miss' in hyundai car reviews inspite of each and every hyundai/kia being tested coming out with a 'unstable bodyshell' rating?

[AKSarkar1]

Not sure if it is the colour or the new design elements but the Venue definitely looks more well-proportioned than before, prior to this the Venue had the typical 'Jacked-up Hatchback' look. The car is definitely a looker now!

Assuming that the safety aspect holds up this should be a very competent offering for smaller families/Urban drivers who don't want a hatchback.