The Hyundai Venue is a massively important SUV for the Korean carmaker, being one of its best-selling models in the hotly-contested compact SUV segment, and it has been given it a shot in the arm with the introduction of a sportier avatar, the Hyundai Venue N-Line. With cosmetic changes, sportier suspension and the addition of disc brakes at the rear, prices for the second-ever Hyundai N-Line product in India start from Rs 12.16 lakh, and the Venue N-Line is offered in a choice of two variants. Let’s take a look at what’s new on the 2022 Hyundai Venue N-Line.
The Venue received a facelift not too long ago, and the N-Line being the performance variant, builds on that with a host of updates to its exterior, starting with the new 16-inch alloy wheels. These shroud the new red brake callipers, the first indication of this being no ordinary Venue. The red theme extends to the skid plates at both the front and rear, which are accented with the colour. A smattering of N-Line badges is also present, along with dual exhaust tips and a new rear spoiler, which amp up the sporty quotient on the design, and the Venue N-Line will be available in five colours – with three of them getting dual-tone options.
The Venue N-Line gets updated interiors as well with sportier black interiors with red inserts, and the highlight has to be Hyundai’s BlueLink connected car system. This also gets Android Auto and Apple Carplay connectivity. You also get Alexa and Google Home connectivity baked in, and the Venue N-Line will also offer a segment first dashcam with a dual camera as standard.
For enthusiasts, this is what matters the most. The Venue N-Line is powered by the 1.0-litre turbo-petrol engine which is also offered on the standard Venue, and it produces 118bhp of power and 172Nm of torque. This engine is mated to a 7-speed DCT. With disc brakes all round, there should be more confidence throwing the Venue around corners as well. According to Hyundai, major work has gone into the new suspension, with 34 per cent stiffer damping and improved steering weight in order to make it more enthusiast-friendly, which should only improve on the Venue’s excellent dynamics, something we touched upon in our first drive review of the SUV. The three drive modes, which were introduced with the 2022 Venue should also enhance the usability and sportiness of the SUV.
Prices for the 2022 Hyundai Venue N-Line start from Rs12.16 lakh, which makes it roughly Rs 1.2 lakh more expensive than the equivalent Venue, and the N-Line does not directly rival any of the traditional compact SUVs which are on sale, considering this is the first instance of a ‘hot’ C-SUV being sold in our market. That said, it will lock horns with the traditional segment rivals such as the Maruti Suzuki Vitara Brezza, the Kia Sonet, the Tata Nexon, the Mahindra XUV300, the Nissan Magnite and the Renault Kiger.