Hyundai Venue| First long term report| evo India

Since the boss seems to be enjoying his time with the Kona Electric so much, I managed to get hold of the keys of the long-term Hyundai Venue. Turns out this isn’t the same Venue that was part of our fleet not too long ago. That one was whisked away for the Great India Drive, and in replacement, we got this – the diesel manual. And within days of getting my hands on it, I took it for a weekend out of town.

First impressions? It is a great car to drive. I remember that the Venue impressed when we put it up against its rivals back when it was launched, and it continues to do so. The 1.4 diesel is refined and moves the Venue’s weight well. The turbo-petrol is certainly the enthusiast’s choice, and honestly, I was looking forward to adding it to my garage, but there’s no denying the allure of a frugaldiesel engine. The best compromise between performance and practicality, eh? The Venue is set up stiff, and over the really bad patches on my way to the coast I could feel the road in the cabin. Mind you, I was running the recommended tyre pressure. Maybe I should drop it slightly to see if that improves things. That said, on a fast road and up the wellsurfaced parts of the ghats, the Venue was a treat. It is a car that likes to handle and puts a smile on your face. It is comfortable for long distances, the infotainment system works like a dream and the cabin is well-designed with plenty of cubby holes.

I do have one complaint, there’s an annoying rattle emanating from the rear suspension. These cars are passed around to different magazines on rotation, and not always are they treated with mechanical sympathy. I suspect that this is some sort of unnatural wear and tear because of really rough use, and will get it checked in the next service. Apart from that, the Venue isdoing well to serve on as a support car on the shoots we go for and will continue to for the next few months. Stay tuned for more reports, and if you have questions, don’t hesitate to write in!