Hyundai India has launched the second N line model in their lineup, the Venue N line. The Venue N line starts at Rs 12.16 lakh (ex-showroom, India) and goes up to Rs 13.15 lakh (ex-showroom, India) for the top-end N8 trim. Despite the fact that the company represents it as a performance-oriented compact SUV, the Venue N line is actually a sportier-looking version of the Venue compact SUV with minor tweaks so that we can easily differentiate between the above two “same but different” products.
I’ve tested both versions of the Venue and believe I’m now qualified to provide you with an unbiased assessment of this vehicle.
What I like about Hyundai Venue N Line
First and foremost, the N Line’s Thunder Blue colour with a phantom black roof appeals to me, which will inevitably cause you to turn your head when you see this car on the road. In terms of design, it’s actually a Venue with minor cosmetics updates, which isn’t a bad thing given that the Venue facelift is quite stylish on its own. It gets N Line badging on the front grille, revised front and rear bumpers with red accents on the lower section, new 16-inch alloy wheel designed with front red brake callipers.
As soon as you enter the cabin, you will notice the dashboard’s distinct yet clean layout, which appears to have been custom-built. It does, however, share features with the Standard Venue, such as the digital instrument cluster, touchscreen infotainment system, Automatic Climate control steering wheel, paddle shifters (for DCT), wireless charger, tyre pressure monitor, six airbags, ESP, and sunroof. However, Hyundai has gone above and beyond to set it apart from the norm by providing all-black interiors, a completely unique yet sporty three-spoke steering wheel, red inserts, and my personal favourite, a dash cam with dual display.
The good news is that the Venue N line not only provides cosmetic updates from the inside and outside, but also includes a few tweaks that ensure you are not sitting in a standard venue but rather in a sportier version of the venue. The first is 3 spoke completely different steering, as previously mentioned, the second is the suspension system, with Hyundai claiming that they have increased damping of the suspension by 34%, and the third is braking, with Hyundai offering all 4 disc brakes in the Venue N line. The last change is a sportier exhaust dual-tip muffler that sounds like a sports car.
The Venue N Line has a single powertrain – a 120hp, 172Nm, 1.0-litre turbo-petrol engine paired to a 7-speed DCT with paddle shifters, as opposed to the i20 N Line, which has a 6-speed iMT as an option. Although there is no performance difference when compared to the Standard Venue’s 1.0 T-GDI engine version when you rev the engine, the dual-tip sportier exhaust note of the Venue N Line will make you feel like you are driving a sports car.
In terms of steering feedback, Hyundai has only changed the steering wheel; I have not noticed any difference in steering feedback when compared to that of a standard venue. The difference, in my opinion, is in the braking. Because Hyundai offers all four disc brakes in the Venue N line, it is not a stretch to believe that the N line braking will be superior to that of the standard venue. The improved suspensions also provide a more planted drive, and the best part is that you will not hear any unappealing struts noises from the suspension system while driving in N line on bad roads.
What I don’t like about Venue N line
Actually, nothing, but there are a few things that I believe Hyundai could have focused on to make this vehicle stand out more.
The first disadvantage is that this vehicle does not come with an iMT transmission, whereas the i20 N LINE comes with both an iMT and a DCT transmission.
Only the Top N8 variant is the best variant of the Venue N-Line. The N6 entry-level model of the Venue N-Line is not a good buy because it is priced at Rs 12.16 lakh (Ex-showroom) and still comes with two airbags, making it slightly overpriced.