Hyundai has finally launched the much-awaited Venue subcompact SUV in India at a starting price of Rs 6.5 lakh (ex-showroom). The Korean car maker's newest offering is perhaps best known for being the first model in the country to introduce Hyundai's Blue Link technology, an internet-based connectivity solution. The new Hyundai offering comes in a total of four variants, three engine choices, and seven colour options.
A little over a month ago, Hyundai India invited journalists to its testing centre in Faridabad to announce and demonstrate Blue Link, an internet-based connectivity solution designed for Hyundai cars. First debuted in the US market in 2012, the Hyundai Blue Link technology is making its entry into India with the new Venue. According to Hyundai, customers of the Venue will receive a three-year subscription to the Blue Link service.
Using Blue Link, a Hyundai car owner will be able to perform a number of functions remotely using their smartphone. For example, they will be able to turn the car's air conditioner on before the step into it, view analytical data about their driving style, look up destinations and other points of interest on the car's navigation app, etc. The system will work in conjunction with the car's advanced infotainment system, which consists of an 8-inch touchscreen display in the middle of the dashboard.
According to Hyundai India, the Blue Link solution comes with a total of thirty-three features, ten of which are India-specific. In the area of safety, Blue Link lets the driver call for immediate assistance using two dedicated buttons on the car’s inside rear-view mirror: SOS and Roadside Assistance. These buttons can be used to call for medical assistance in case of an accident. They can also be used to contact the police or the nearest authorised service centre for breakdowns.
“Additionally, to actively support and guide our customers for Blue Link Application and Services, we have trained a team of over 615 Blue Link Wizards as specialists in their field and in-turn they have trained over 10,000 Hyundai Sales Consultants and approximately 9,000 Dealer Service Manpower across India. Among many firsts in the industry, Hyundai will install Blue Link Simulation app across dealerships to give customers a connected in-car experience,” writes Hyundai Motor Ltd in its press release.
The Venue's infotainment system also allows the user to give the car voice commands for finding nearby points of interest, calling contacts, and getting in touch with Hyundai for on-road assistance. To enable all these features in the Blue Link solution, Hyundai India says that it has tied up with various technology partners, including Vodafone Idea (for in-vehicle internet connectivity), AccuWeather (for weather data), SoundHound (for voice recognition), and Hyundai subsidiary Mobis (for developing the infotainment system).
The Hyundai Venue is available in three engine options: a 1.0-litre Kappa T-GDI petrol motor, which churns out 120 horsepower; a 1.2-litre petrol motor, which throws out 83 horsepower; and a 1.4-litre diesel motor, which produces 90 horsepower. While the diesel engine only gets a six-speed manual gearbox option, the two petrol motors get a five-speed manual gearbox option.
In addition to the two manual gearbox options, there's a seven-speed automatic DCT (Dual Clutch Transmission) that's mated to only the 1.0-litre Kappa engine. Even though dual-clutch automatic gearboxes have been found in cars under the ten-lakh-rupee mark (like the Volkswagen Polo, for example), Hyundai claims it's a segment-first feature. It's worth noting that only the variant with the DCT can be started up remotely using the Hyundai mobile smartphone app.
The Hyundai Venue comes with an array of features, including an electric sunroof, inbuilt car purifier with HEPA filter, Arkamys sound system, rear AC vents, cornering lights, cruise control, and hill assist on the top-of-the-line variant. Hyundai says that some of these features, including the wireless mobile phone charger on the dashboard, are a first in this segment.
Talking about the detailed specifications of the Hyundai Venue, a Hyundai executive said at the launch event that the car features a drag coefficient of 0.36 and a turning radius of 5.1 metres. The front suspension setup uses a McPherson strut with a coil spring and the rear suspension setup uses a coupled torsion beam axle with a coil spring. Hyundai says that it will update all three engines on the Hyundai Venue to meet the upcoming BS-VI emission norms in the near future.