Hyundai Venue

Hyundai’s popular Venue is now in its second generation, launched at Rs 7.90 lakh. The new model showcases a comprehensive update inside out, and promises to be better in terms of space, comfort and technology. On paper, it seems like it has nothing wrong with it. Is the Venue really faultless? 

I’ve driven every single version of the Venue and was curious to see how it has evolved. Let’s dive right in. 

Design and Build Quality

Hyundai’s recent design choices have been bold and out of the box. The theme continues with the new Venue where Hyundai has delivered what looks like a healthy mix of the Exter, Creta and Alcazar. It’s a recipe that oddly works, because the new Venue looks upmarket and commands good road presence. 

Hyundai is offering a total of six colour options: 

• Hazel Blue

• Mystic Sapphire

• Abyss Black

• Atlas White

• Dragon Red

• Titan Grey

You can check out all the colour options of the Venue in detail in this article. There are dual tone colour options available too, with the Hazel Blue and Atlas White body shades. 

The front design is upright and boxy, with more vertical design elements. The Venue now gets a connected lighting setup just like the Creta and the Alcazar. With fang-like daytime running lamps and full-LED headlights, the lighting signature of the Venue is impressive. Indicators are tucked away under the DRLs at the top, but are not dynamic in the standard Venue. 

There’s a large airdam with a block pattern finished in dark chrome. But the bigger attention grabber is the large faux skid-plate finished in grey. Elements such as the front radar (for the ADAS system), the front parking sensors and even the tow hook point have been seamlessly integrated here.

From the side, the comparisons with the Exter are bound to happen. This is mostly because of the pronounced design of the fenders. I’d have to say that in person this aspect does not look as awkward as it did in spy shots. The design looks quite balanced from this angle, as Hyundai has increased the wheelbase (distance between the two wheels) by 20mm, and increased the height by 48mm. 

The top variant features 16-inch alloy wheels. These are finished in dual-tone and suit the overall design of the new Venue quite well. 

Smaller details are executed tastefully: whether it’s the sleek design of the mirrors with integrated indicators, the tall ‘bridge-type’ roof rails, or the C-pillar garnish with Venue branding. Side note, the way the roof rails ‘flow’ into the C-pillar accent, and how the blacked-out C-pillar gives the Venue a floating roof effect is quite cool! 

It’s the rear where the added 30mm of width seems most apparent. Paired with the connected lighting signature, it gives the Venue a purposeful stance. On the road, it almost looks as wide as a Creta, which is a good thing. The diffused lighting effect looks premium, and I particularly like how the ‘Venue’ branding has been embedded within the central connected element. 

The large bumper takes up most of the real estate here. Keen eyed readers will notice the design of the rear reflector mimics the design of the DRL at the front, thereby tying the overall design well together. 

Overall, the Venue’s new design looks sporty and muscular. The minor addition in width and height gives it a more balanced feel, while modern lighting and large alloy wheels complete the look. If the standard Venue isn’t sporty enough for you, you can check out the Venue N Line.

Interior

Design and Quality

The interiors of the Venue are a lesson in packaging. Within the small size of the Venue, it is quite difficult to do so. But Hyundai has managed to do it very cleverly. First, the size of the dashboard has been compressed quite a bit. In fact, the windscreen is about a palm-length away from the instrument cluster. Second, Hyundai has reduced the thickness of the door pads. This has enabled them to open up a sense of width in the cabin. 

What also helps the big car feel is the light colour scheme. Dark navy blue and off-white is a welcome change from the usual black-beige. But bear in mind the lighter shade is bound to get get stained very easily with normal use. Hyundai has avoided the use of piano-black surfaces too, again a welcome change. There’s use of bronze coloured accents, that looks premium. 

In terms of design, here too Hyundai has opted for a lot of straight elements that amplify the height and width of the cabin. There are plenty of design elements that we’ve never seen before on a Hyundai in India. For example, the curved housing for the infotainment screens, the chunky steering wheel are refreshing. Hyundai has also used soft white ambient lighting on the dashboard and floor console, that ups the premium quotient.

As far as quality is concerned, the Venue continues to be among the better SUVs in the segment. Plastics are still hard, but Hyundai has used interesting textures such as a cross-hatch pattern on the top half of the dashboard, and a smooth ‘ceramic’-like finish for the central section. Hyundai could have added a soft-touch element on the dashboard to make it feel richer. 

Front Seats

Getting in and out of the Venue is quite easy. The doors open wide and you can ‘walk’ into the cabin. Even the elders in the family are unlikely to complain. Once seated in the front seat, you will appreciate the high-seating position that gives you a clear view of the edge of the bonnet. This will boost the confidence of newer drivers. 

Even for those with a tall/large build, space is plenty with enough headroom, footroom and more importantly width. Earlier, the Venue’s cabin felt narrow which isn’t the case anymore. The seats are wider and more accommodating of larger-sized individuals. There’s ample support for the lower back and shoulders, and the seat feels comfortable to spend long hours in. 

The seat gets 4-way power adjustment (fore-aft and recline), while height adjustment is manual. I think a 6-way powered seat should have been provided in the Venue given its price point. Also, the steering wheel can only be adjusted for rake, not reach. While this isn’t a dealbreaker, taller drivers would’ve found a more comfortable driving position. I also like that the central armrest is set at a neutral height. However, it misses on adjustability of any sort. 

Rear Seats

The 20mm increase in wheelbase, coupled with the slim dashboard pays off at the back. Kneeroom is noticeably better. Even a six-footer like me has some room to spare, the knees don’t brush against the front seats. Sure, SUVs such as the Mahindra XUV3XO and Kia Syros offer better kneeroom, but by small SUV standards, the Venue does enough. There’s ample footroom and headroom too. 

Just like the front, the slim door pads mean you can move over to the side slightly to make room for the middle occupant. While seating three might still feel like a squeeze for longer journeys, it’s far better than the older model. The seat back is flat which makes for more shoulder room for anyone using the centre seat. A weird miss is the lack of a central headrest. 

Amenities for the rear seat occupants include sunshades, and rear AC vents. The seat back also gets a 2-stage recline function that lets you switch between a relatively upright and reclined position. 

Storage and Practicality

The Venue is plenty practical in terms of storage options. Front occupants get a shelf above the glovebox, a phone tray in front of the gear lever, twin cupholders (with a key slot/phone holder) and a small cubby hole under the front armrest. There are bottle holders in all four doors too. Hyundai has skipped out on seat-back pockets, possibly in the interest of keeping the kneeroom intact. 

Charging Options

Front occupants get a wireless charger, 2 type-C ports (one of which can be used for media) and a 12V charging socket. Rear occupants get 2 type-C ports. Whether it’s charging up your phone or plugging in a dash cam, the Venue has you covered. 

Features

All the goodies you would expect from a small SUV have been covered with the Venue. Basics include: 

• Keyless Entry

• Push-button Start/Stop

• Auto-dimming IRVM

• Automatic Headlamps

• Chilled Glovebox

• Automatic Climate Control

• Rear AC Vents

• 4-way powered driver’s seat

• Single pane Sunroof

Now, let’s deep dive into the highlights, starting with the infotainment package. 

12.3-inch Touchscreen: This new generation infotainment system is called ccNC by Hyundai. It is capable of receiving software updates over-the-air, just like your phone. This can potentially unlock new features and fix bugs if needed. The display is large, and the resolution is crisp too. It features a completely new user interface with an easy-to-use tile style interface. There’s no lag and everything functions perfectly. 

This new screen finally unlocks wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto which also functions as intended. 

8-speaker Bose Audio System: The audio system delivers an immersive experience. It also includes a sub-woofer that’s neatly integrated into the boot. If you like Bollywood or Hip-hop music, you’ll enjoy this system. However, I found that the audio systems in the Tata Nexon and the Mahindra XUV3XO offer more range and a fuller sound. 

12.3-inch Driver’s Display: What a welcome change from the old digital display. This screen too has great resolution and clarity. There are configurable views and themes which can be synced to the drive mode. My favourite feature is that this screen displays the feed from the side camera when you indicate, making lane changes that much safer. 

Front Seat Ventilation: Super helpful on a hot and warm day. Has three fan speed settings, and the blower isn’t particularly noisy either. 

360° Camera: Offers a clear view of the surroundings. 3D mode lets you view the car from a third person perspective quite easily. Makes it convenient to park in (and get out of) tight parking spots.

A lot of these features are a first for the Hyundai Venue — check this list to know which ones!

Standard safety features on the Hyundai Venue include:

• 6 airbags 

• ABS with EBD

• Electronic Stability Control

• Hill Assist

• Rear Parking Sensors

Higher variants also feature a tyre pressure monitoring system, and side parking sensors. 

Note: Level 2 ADAS

The Hyundai Venue 2025 features level 2 ADAS. It uses inputs from a front facing camera and radar to offer features such as emergency braking, lane keep assist, and adaptive cruise control. It also has useful interventions like park collision avoidance and lead vehicle departure alert. 

Do note that the Hyundai Venue has not been crash tested by BharatNCAP or GlobalNCAP. That said, we expect it to score well considering the Kia Syros (built on the same platform) scored a full five stars in BNCAP.

Boot Space

Hyundai claims a boot space of 375-litres for the Venue. Do note that this measurement is taken up to the roof of the car. The space below the parcel tray is sufficient for 3-4 cabin-sized trolley bags and some more small items. 

For added versatility, there’s a 60:40 split functionality available in the rear seat. You can also fold the rear seat flat for more cargo space. 

Here’s a quick look at the specifications of the new Venue 2025. Check this to see if your favourite variant has the engine option you want.

1.2-litre Petrol

This four-cylinder engine has been a staple in Hyundai’s lineup for years now. It is known for its smooth power delivery and refinement. In the Venue, it is offered only with a five-speed manual. Hyundai could have offered a CVT (automatic) option here.

City Performance

For city drives, the engine feels more than adequate. The light weight of the clutch and smooth gear throws won’t tire you out for city commutes either. While acceleration is satisfactory, it does not feel particularly powerful or exciting to drive in any manner. Therefore it’s best to drive with a relaxed approach. That way you can comfortably cruise in second or third gear without having to shift frequently. 

Highway Performance

For very relaxed highway drives ranging between 70-100kmph, this engine works just fine. It takes its own sweet time to build speed, though. With a full passenger load, or for drives on inclines/ghats — the engine might just feel underpowered, forcing you to downshift a gear or two to get the acceleration you want. Overall, we’d recommend you look at the turbo petrol or diesel option if you foresee greater highway usage. 

The Hyundai Venue 1.2 mileage is likely to be around 12-14kmpl in the city and above 15kmpl for highway drives. 

1.0-litre Turbo Petrol

This three-cylinder engine starts up with a mild thrum and shake. However, it settles into a smooth idle. Noise and vibrations are well controlled for the most part. You’d only notice the engine getting vocal when you are really pushing it. 

City Performance

Inside the city, you will appreciate the peppy acceleration of this engine. It lets you pick gaps in traffic and overtaking is quite easy. In the case of the manual, the clutch doesn’t feel particularly tiring and the engine does not protest if you are in a gear higher than you should be. This means you can drive through city traffic without much effort. 

That said, we would tilt in favour of the 7-speed DCT for its smooth and quick shifting nature. It adds a layer of convenience that’s simply too hard to ignore. 

Highway Performance

The added torque of the engine means maintaining triple digit speeds on the highway is relatively effortless. Even making overtakes at 80-100kmph is dealt with easily. In case of the DCT, the gearbox does not hesitate in downshifting a gear or two if needed, giving you the acceleration you need instantly. If you have to have a petrol-powered Venue, we’d recommend the turbo for its versatility. 

The Venue turbo petrol is not great in terms of fuel efficiency. For heavy city usage, in bumper-to-bumper traffic it’s not unusual to see 8-10kmpl. In smoother flowing city traffic, you can expect mileage to be better at around 12kmpl. On longer highway drives, fuel efficiency will be noticeably better — in the range of 14-16kmpl. 

1.5-litre Diesel

Hyundai’s four-cylinder diesel engine has been among our favourites. It’s silent (for a diesel), refined and balances performance with mileage beautifully. With the Venue 2025, it is available with a manual as well as an automatic gearbox. 

City Performance

Slightly long travel of the clutch pedal aside, you’d have no real complaint with the Venue diesel. The clutch is light and the gear throws are smooth. You can drive around town in second gear all day long, and pull upto 80kmph in the same gear if needed. That’s the magic of torque! While the acceleration does not feel as instant or fun as the turbo petrol, it is strong nonetheless. 

Like the petrol, we’d recommend the automatic option in case of the diesel engine as well. The shifts are smooth and make the drive experience super convenient. 

Highway Performance

The Venue diesel is made for long highway drives with the family. It has ample power to maintain triple digit speeds. The best part is that the engine is spinning at a lazy 2000rpm at 100kmph which ensures not just great fuel efficiency but also gives you power instantly for overtakes if needed. 

In terms of fuel efficiency, diesel is still king. You can expect 13-15kmpl for city drives and upto 18-20kmpl on highway drives.

Hyundai has delivered a very neutral ride and handling package with the Venue. While there’s some amount of firmness in the ride quality, it never feels uncomfortable. Over rough roads and bad surfaces, you will like that the Venue does not rock around in a side-to-side motion too much. Even vertical movement over undulations and speedbreakers is well controlled. The upside of the slightly firmer suspension set up is that highway stability feels better than before. 

As for the handling, the Venue serves its intended purpose of daily driving quite well. The steering is light and quick which makes it easy to park and navigate through tight lanes. Steering weight on the highways is satisfactory too. 

The Venue feels like a properly comfortable family car.

The 2025 Hyundai Venue is being offered in 8 variants: HX2, HX4, HX5, HX6, HX6T, HX7, HX8, and HX10.

Hyundai Venue HX2

• Gets all three engine options but only with manual transmissions.

• The exterior gets projector headlamps, LED DRLs, LED tail lamps, 15-inch steel wheels with covers (1.2-litre petrol variant), and 16-inch styled steel wheels (turbo petrol and diesel variants).

• The cabin comes in an all black theme with fabric seats and adjustable front headrests. It also gets a new steering wheel.

• Features include manual AC, rear AC vents, electrically adjustable ORVMs, and a semi-digital driver’s display.

• It comes with a 10.25-inch touchscreen which supports wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay.

• Safety kit comprises 6 airbags, electronic stability control (ESC), vehicle stability management, hill start assist, rear parking sensors, and ISOFIX child seat anchors.

• Check out this detailed gallery of the Hyundai Venue HX2.

Hyundai Venue HX4

• Only available with the 1.2-litre NA petrol manual powertrain.

• No changes to the grille save for a dark chrome grille and ORVM mounted turn indicators.

• Cabin comes in a dark grey and dove grey dual tone theme and seats are finished in dual-tone fabric.

• Feature additions come in the form of electric folding ORVMs, front parking sensors, a tyre pressure monitoring system (TPMS), and a rear defogger.

• Check out the Hyundai Venue HX4 variant in detailed real life images.

Hyundai Venue HX5

• Gets all engine and transmission options.

• No changes to the exterior or interior save for a height adjustable driver seat.

• Additional features include a single pane sunroof, cruise control, paddle shifters, and push button start stop with smart key. 

• No changes to the infotainment and safety kit

• This is what the Hyundai Venue HX5 variant looks like in real life.

Hyundai Venue HX6

• Available with petrol manual and turbo-petrol DCT options. No diesel engine available.

• Exterior upgrades include dark chrome ORVMs, LED headlamps, roof rails, and dual-tone paint options.

• Cabin gets a leather pack on steering wheel and gear knob, rear headrests are adjustable, and you get rear window sunshades, a rear parcel tray, rear cupholders, a 2-step rear seat recline function, and 60:40 split in the rear seat.

• Additional features include a wireless phone charger, automatic climate control, a cooled glovebox, and a rear wiper and washer.

• The only addition to the safety kit is puddle lamps.

Hyundai Venue HX6T

• Available only with the petrol manual powertrain.

• No changes to the exterior styling.

• The interior misses out on leather wrapped steering wheel, rear adjustable headrests, 60:40 rear seat split, and rear seat recline.

• Additional features include a voice enabled sunroof and connected car tech.

• Safety kit remains the same but without the puddle lamps.

Hyundai Venue HX7

• Available only with the diesel manual powertrain.

• Gets 16-inch diamond cut alloy wheels, LED positioning lamps, LED turn indicators, and LED connected tail lamps.

• Cabin gets a leather wrapped steering wheel, rear adjustable headrests, 60:40 rear seat split along with a two step recline function, and ambient lighting on the dashboard.

• Additional features include cruise control, remote engine start stop, and a cooled glovebox.

• No changes to the safety kit.

• Here are all the details of the Venue HX7 variant.

Hyundai Venue HX8

• Available only with the turbo-petrol engine and gets both manual and DCT options.

• No changes to the exterior design.

• Cabin gets a dual-tone navy and grey theme with leatherette seats and leatherette door armrests. Ambient lighting extends to the centre console.

• Feature additions include a 4-way powered driver seat, ventilated front seats, electric parking brake with auto hold, drive and traction modes, and paddle shifters.

• No changes to the infotainment or safety kit.

Hyundai Venue HX10

• Top-spec variant available with turbo-petrol and diesel engines, but no manual on offer.

• No changes to the exterior or interior design save for connected curved displays.

• The infotainment package gets a 12.3-inch touchscreen, a 12.3-inch digital driver’s display, and an 8-speaker BOSE sound system.

• Safety kit gets front and side parking sensors, a 360-degree camera with a blind view monitor, and Level 2 ADAS features like lane keep assist, adaptive cruise control, high beam assist, and autonomous emergency braking.

• Here are all the features the 2025 Venue gets over the Kia Sonet.

CarDekho Recommends

• Pick the HX5 variant as it gives you all the powertrain options along with a feature list fit for daily usage.

• Go for the HX7 or HX8 variants (depending upon which engine you want) if you want a more premium feel inside and out.

• Pick the top-spec HX10 variant only if you want ADAS or the best feature experience.

The new Hyundai Venue is very hard to find a fault with. It’s comfortable, tech-loaded and has a host of engine-gearbox options. There’s more value to be had in the lower variants, as the top-end trims seem a little pricey where you could consider bigger SUVs. That said, if you wanted a big SUV experience in terms of the features and tech, but wrapped in a confident small package, the Venue must be on your radar.