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Why we bought the Hyundai Venue N Line N6 variant: 6 likes & dislikes

26th September 2023, 14:21 by Utkarsh Chaudhary

It scores high on quality, function & desirability but not on fuel efficiency. In heavy traffic, it falls below what our Mercedes GLA & Jeep Compass return.

BHPian clementj recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

We took delivery of a new Venue N Line N6 in Shadow Grey last month in Chennai. We have done about 900 kms in the car so far and the experience has been very good. The Venue N Line N8 has already been comprehensively reviewed here so I will try to focus on our buying decision and a little bit on how the N6 compares to the N8.

This car is technically a replacement for my wife's 2018 Grand i10 Automatic I have to admit that it was very difficult to find a replacement for the Grand i10 as it was perfect in many ways. A refined 4 cylinder engine with a smooth and reliable torque converter AT, quality interiors that never really aged, a cohesive design that still looks modern, spacious and practical for a family and the perfect city car that will get you around in a stress-free manner.

In the right senses, I would have kept the Grand i10 but then not all decisions are sensible and logical. While it was practical and convenient, it was a slow and boring point A to point B car that I was itching to replace. We had had it for 5+ years and the used car market offers were good with an offer at 70% of its original price in our hand.

Once we had made the decision to replace the Grand i10, we roughly agreed on what we would look for in the replacement. Our priorities were:

City friendly footprint
Automatic ~ no AMTs
Fun factor with usable performance
Good fit and finish
12L-20L budget

We spent more than 2 months evaluating multiple options but no other car tugged the heartstrings and made sense to the head equally as much as the Venue N Line.

Our considerations

Maruti Suzuki Fronx 1.0 AT - On paper it made super sense. Boosterjet engine with a reliable torque converter, spacious, very well equipped and backed by the famed Maruti Network. We pre-booked the car but cancelled the booking once the prices were out.
Volkswagen Taigun/Skoda Kushaq 1.0TSI AT - Best driver's cars in this price range period. The 1.0 TSI engines were more than competent and both these cars were a hoot to drive. The build quality wasn't great for VAG cars though. It was a difficult decision to go for the Venue vs one of these cars but perception of reliability, previous Hyundai ownership experience and lower price tilted the decision.
Renault Kiger/Nissan Magnite 1.0 CVT - Both these cars were great value for money and the Turbo+CVT combination was fantastic. The cars however clearly felt built to a price with too many areas and hinges exposed and the TD cars showed their age very early.
Kia Sonet 1.0 DCT and 1.5 AT - The Kia Sonet certainly has a lot going for it and my wife loved the way it looked and how well equipped it was. But for me, while both the 1.0 and 1.5 engines were entertaining enough, it did not drive as well as the N Line twins.
Hyundai i20 N Line - The i20 N Line was also a good fit and we felt that it handled better than the Venue but the higher driving position and ground clearance of the Venue found favour with my wife.
Hyundai Venue N Line - This was the car we finally went ahead with for multiple reasons. Smart looks, Competent dynamics, Quality interiors with great fit and finish, Unique Shadow Grey exterior shade, City friendly nature, a Smooth DCT and a value-oriented price point (N6).

Trim level: N6 or N8?

When Hyundai launched the Venue N Line, the N6 variant came only with 2 airbags and missed out on features such as electrically adjustable seats, dual dash-cam, HD infotainment with connected tech, reclining rear seat with armrest. From a safety point of view alone, a lot of buyers would have skipped the N6.

In isolation, it was a very well-equipped variant nonetheless with everything you’d practically need and want. Over time, Hyundai added curtain airbags to the N6 as well as reclining rear seats making it even more sensible. The N6 also came with the added convenience of wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay which the Hyundai’s with connected car tech miss out on.

As the car was the 3rd in the family and was going to be used primarily in the city, the extra features weren’t really going to make a difference. Plus the fact that we have hardly ever found use for the famed connected car tech on 2022 GLA 220d made it easy for us to go for the N6 variant.

Buying experience

Choosing a colour wasn’t very difficult as it was only between a Thunder blue or Shadow Grey and we were OK with both. We had originally taken a test drive with Kun Hyundai in Chennai but they did not have any N Line’s in stock and we were quoted a waiting period of 1-3 months for the N6 variant.

It was by chance that I checked with V3 Hyundai, the dealer where we had earlier purchased our Grand i10 and we were in luck. They had one N6 Shadow Grey Venue in stock and they were willing to offer a discount on it. The car was manufactured a month earlier and the dealer was happy to let me check the car out in their yard. From the quoted price of 15.47L OTR, we agreed on a final on-road price of 14.82L ~ around 65k.

I also opted for a Graphene coat and Garware 70 film from the dealer as the price was competitive (~40k). We had the car registered and delivered in 5 days with the necessary work done.

In addition to the floor mats and flaps, the dealer included an N Line brand pack on delivery which included a set of seatbelt shoulder pads, a cap, a t-shirt, a sweatshirt and a hot/cold insulated cup - all N Line branded.

Overall, the experience was good and kudos to Hyundai for the consistency that they are able to maintain when it comes to their dealerships and service centres.

What I like

Entertaining and easy to drive- the 1.0 turbo + DCT combination makes it a fun car to drive in the city or on the motorway, especially in the sport mode. And the high driving position, ground clearance and small turning radius make it very easy to drive.
The Shadow Grey Colour - The Venue is a really common car on Indian roads but that colour makes this Venue N Line really rare, especially in conservative Chennai. Good or bad, it turns heads!
Wireless Android Auto/Apple CarPlay - This is one convenience that I really appreciate in the car. I have a personal Android phone that uses a Type C connector but also happen to carry an old company issued iPhone 11 that requires the lightning connector. With wireless support, I can switch to my iPhone to attend a team meeting and switch back to my Android phone by just toggling a button on the touch screen. In the GLA or the Compass, I have to carry 2 sets of cables to be able to do this.
The Interior - Hyundai cars are always a step above other manufacturers when it comes to interior quality. The Venue is no different and we love the feel of the N Line steering and shifter and the quality of the switchgear all around.

What I don’t like

Fuel Efficiency - The turbo petrol engine is very sensitive to driving patterns and traffic conditions. In bad and heavy traffic conditions, the car barely manages 6-7 kmpl but in light traffic conditions when driven with a light foot in the eco-mode, it returns 12+ kmpl. On an average, we have managed 7.5 kmpl average in the city due to bad traffic conditions due to extensive metro rail and storm water drain works which is a significant 25-30% lower than our GLA or Compass (diesels).
Turbo Lag - When the drive mode is set to Normal or Eco, the turbo lag is pronounced in lower revs and needs some getting used to.

Overall, the experience has been very good for the most part. The ride quality hasn’t really suffered from the suspension changes and the steering is sufficiently communicative. While the competition offers more equipment and/or more spacious cabins, the Venue N Line scores higher on quality, function and desirability and it's a car that we’ll continue to look forward to driving for years to come.

A few parting shots of the car...