New Hyundai Venue First Drive Review - New Gen, New Vibe

The second-generation Hyundai Venue arrives with a new-gen tag, but that’s not the only thing new about it. Something fundamental and arguably more important has changed - intent. The intent is now to look sharper, be more premium, and reclaim the lost ground in one of India’s most fiercely contested segments. Now, at first glance, it may appear familiar, but spend some time behind the wheel and inside the cabin, and the difference becomes unmistakable. You quickly realise that the new Venue is not a result of a half-hearted effort but of a comprehensive and total rethink. It now promises to be more sophisticated, more connected, and more aligned with evolving buyer expectations. But has Hyundai done enough to future-proof its sub-compact SUV? We took the new-gen Venue for a spin on the roads of Goa to find out.

New Hyundai Venue Design and Dimensions: Sharper Styling, Bigger Footprint

The new Venue features a sharper, more geometric design language. The front is bold and upright, anchored by a sleek LED light bar that spans the nose, seamlessly integrating with the new quad-beam LED headlamps. The beefier bumper and sculpted bonnet add further to its road presence. The squared-off wheel arches and newly designed 16-inch alloys give the new Venue a more confident, almost butch profile.

At the rear, the connected LED light bar enhances the visual width, keeping the look clean and modern. The chunky rear bumper rounds it all off, reinforcing its SUV credentials.

As for dimensions, the Venue is now 48mm taller and 30mm wider than before. The wheelbase has increased by 20mm to 2520mm, translating into a little more space inside the cabin and slightly larger overall proportions.

New Hyundai Venue Interior, Features and Technology Explained

Step inside, and you’ll quickly realise that this is where Hyundai really flexes. The cabin feels brand new, thanks to the curved, connected dual-screen layout, which merges the digital driver’s display with the touchscreen infotainment.

It runs Hyundai’s new Connected Car Navigation Cockpit interface, powered by NVIDIA, and the experience is unmistakably futuristic. You get wireless Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, OTA updates - the works. There are more physical buttons than before, which is good for usability. The rotary drive selector adds to the overall premium feel of the cabin, and the electronic parking brake is a nice touch.

The new Venue comes loaded with a host of creature comforts, including an 8-speaker Bose system, ventilated front seats, a 360-degree camera, and multilingual voice recognition for the infotainment. You also get a wireless charger, a powered driver’s seat, a blind-spot monitor, and an electric sunroof - all of these are offered only in the top trim, of course.

The new steering wheel stands out. It feels chunky and features Hyundai’s unique ‘four dots’ logo, representing the letter ‘H’ in Morse code - a design element previously seen only on the brand’s EV lineup. The front seats offer good support, and the driver’s seat gets four-way electric adjustment.

While Hyundai claims the wheelbase has grown by 20mm, it doesn’t translate into a noticeable improvement in usable rear seat space.

While the rear knee room and headroom are adequate, the legroom is somewhat limited, and seating more than two passengers will feel cramped.

New Hyundai Venue Engine Options and Gearboxes: Petrol and Diesel Line-up

Under the hood, the new Venue comes with tried-and-tested powertrain options: the 1.2-litre naturally aspirated petrol, 1.0-litre turbo petrol, and 1.5-litre diesel.

The 1.2 unit comes with a 5-speed manual, while the turbo petrol engine is offered with either a 6-speed manual or a 7-speed DCT. For the first time, the diesel engine gets a 6-speed torque converter automatic - a welcome addition for long-distance commuters who value both efficiency and ease of use.

New Hyundai Venue 1.0 Turbo Petrol DCT Performance Review: City and Highway Impressions

We tested the variant with the 1.0-litre turbo-petrol engine, paired with the 7-speed DCT, which delivered a familiar performance.

The engine offers a strong, usable torque band and feels lively in the low- and mid-range. There is a bit of turbo lag, which means quick overtakes need a bit of planning, but overall refinement is solid, and the DCT stays smooth for the most part. Gear ratios are well-spaced, although downshifts can occasionally feel a bit abrupt. Still, speed build-up is brisk enough not to disappoint turbo-petrol fans. N Line or not, the 1.0-litre turbo remains fun whether you’re darting through the city or stretching it out on the highway. We were hoping to test the new 1.5-litre diesel variant with the 6-speed automatic, but that review will have to wait.

New Hyundai Venue Ride and Handling: Comfort, Stability and Steering Feel

The new Venue now offers a considerably improved ride quality. It’s noticeably more supple than before, soaking up bumps and potholes with ease, especially at low speeds - something which we really appreciated while testing the vehicle on Goa’s post-monsoon roads.

The suspension strikes a good balance between comfort on broken surfaces and stability on smooth, fast stretches. Handling is predictable, and while the steering isn’t the most communicative, it does offer enough feedback to keep things engaging.

New Hyundai Venue Price, Variants and Rivals in India

Hyundai has introduced a new variant nomenclature for the Venue - HX, short for ‘Hyundai Experience’. A bit cheesy? Perhaps, but that’s what it is. Prices start at Rs 7.90 lakh for the 1.2-litre petrol with the 5-speed manual and go up to Rs 15.69 lakh for the top-spec 1.5-litre diesel automatic. Meanwhile, the updated Venue N Line is priced from Rs 10.55 lakh to Rs 15.48 lakh.

The new Venue will lock horns with the Kia Sonet, Tata Nexon, Nissan Magnite, Renault Kiger, Skoda Kylaq, Maruti Suzuki Brezza, and others. Given the brutal competition in the segment, the new Venue definitely has its work cut out for it. But with the sharper design, updated tech, and the new diesel automatic powertrain, it seems to be properly prepared for the fight. Few rivals offer this blend of technology, refinement, and urban sophistication, especially in top-spec trims.

New Hyundai Venue First Drive Verdict: Should You Buy One?

The second-generation Venue now looks sharper, feels more premium, and offers significantly more technology than before.

The interior now feels genuinely upmarket for the segment, and the ride quality has taken a meaningful step forward. The only real drawback is the rear seat space, which still feels constricted despite the slight increase in the wheelbase.

The overall package, however, feels richer and future-ready. It caters well to its urban, style-conscious, and tech-savvy audience. The second-gen Venue doesn’t reinvent the sub-compact SUV formula - it refines it to near-perfection.