Hyundai Venue N Line

Hyundai Venue N Line Review: 

Subcompact SUVs have quickly become one of the best-selling cars in the Indian market. Their practical yet compact nature gives users the feeling of an SUV with the driveability of a hatchback, allowing these cars to be good for the city and road trips with family and friends. But what if someone wanted a subcompact SUV that is also fun to drive? That is where the Hyundai Venue N Line comes in. With 34% stiffer springs, heavier and more direct steering, better brakes, and slightly more attractive packaging than the standard Venue, the N Line promises all that a hot hatchback offers with an added dose of practicality.

Hyundai Venue N Line Pros and Cons 

Hyundai Venue N Line Exterior Design 

The Venue N Line gets a few notable differences over the standard Venue. There are red skirts on the front and rear bumper, and along the sides as well. The grille too is slightly different, and so are the 16-inch diamond cut alloys, which sport the N Line logo on them instead of the Hyundai logo. There’s also a roof mounted spoiler at the back, and the rear bumper is also redesigned and sports new twin exhausts. There is also an exclusive colour called Thunder Blue which looks fantastic coupled with the red accents.

Apart from the subtle changes, the Venue N Line is identical to the standard subcompact SUV. The front grille with dark chrome may not be to everyone’s taste, but does add to an already impressive looking front fascia. It also gets LED projector headlamps, which are integrated well into the bumper. The front bumper has been designed to be more angular, and the same holds true for the rear bumper, which is more squared off. The LED light bar — which is becoming a popular design element now — connects the tail lamps for that touch of gimmicky yet nice to look at feel. The shoulder lines lend heft to an otherwise sleek looking design and the overall silhouette of the Venue is like a shrunken SUV, in a good way. 

Hyundai Venue N Line Interiors 

The Venue N Line sports an all-black interior, as opposed to the standard model’s dual-tone finish. It gets red accents throughout the cabin, including piping on the seats, stitching, and finishing touches on the AC vents. The steering is also different from the standard car, and is great to hold. Manual variants also get a very beautiful shifter knob which looks like it belongs to a much more expensive sports car. Hyundai has used premium quality plastics for most of the touch points in the car, making it feel worth the price tag. There is also a sunroof that will be a welcome addition during pleasant weather. There is ample storage space throughout the cabin for your belongings, and the 350-litre boot is excellent for packing in all your luggage for a road trip. 

Hyundai Venue N Line Comfort 

The Venue N Line continues to have most of the bits that made the standard car a comfortable place to be in. The front seats are contoured well and you won’t feel fatigue even after long hours behind the wheel. The adjustable driver armrest adds to this. One big miss in the Venue N Line is the lack of ventilated seats. It does get an electrically adjustable driver seat, however, it has no memory function. The rear is great for two adults, and three is a squeeze. What you do get in the rear though, is adjustable headrests and recline, which translates to a comfortable experience in the back seat. Knee and leg room is adequate but you may end up wanting to stop and stretch your legs after long hours on the road. Adopting a 34% stiffer suspension has made the N Line rougher on bumps and potholes, but the added stiffness helps with highway manners.

Hyundai Venue N Line Performance and Handling

The Hyundai Venue N Line gets only one engine option from the standard model’s line up — the 1.0 litre turbo petrol. The engine produces a healthy 118 bhp and 172 Nm of torque, which is plenty to put a smile on your face. The engine is rev happy, and the new exhaust also generates a beautiful soundtrack. However, while there’s plenty of punch in the mid and top end of the rev band, the low end is where the engine struggles, especially below 2,000 RPM. The engine is mated to either a 6-speed manual or a 7-speed DCT automatic gearbox, and the manual is the pick of the lot. The shifts are slick, and the shifter itself is so beautifully crafted that you would want to pick the manual variant just for the shifter. The 7-DCT also does a good job of rowing through gears, but it isn’t as fast as you’d expect it to be. 

With the N Line, Hyundai has also changed the suspension setup of the car. The new dampers are 34% stiffer than the standard Venue, and that combined with the slightly heavier and more direct steering wheel add greatly to the dynamics of the car. The Venue N Line feels noticeably more connected to drive, and the sharp handling combined with the powerful engine and the new exhaust translates to a very engaging experience. Highway manners have also improved courtesy of the stiffer dampers, reducing body roll and floatiness. The N Line also gets disc brakes at all four corners, which add to the stopping power.

Hyundai Venue N Line Key specifications 

Hyundai Venue N Line Safety Features

The Hyundai Venue scored an impressive four stars in the ANCAP safety tests, which speaks to the excellent build quality on offer. The Venue N Line should return an identical score if crash tested. However, the models sold in India may score differently. The Venue also gets six airbags, ISOFIX, TPMS, ABS, EBD, brake assist, ESP, and traction control. It also gets a dual camera dashcam which can come in handy in the need of insurance claims. Another important safety addition is level 1 ADAS, which includes forward collision warning with avoidance assist, lane departure warning, lane keeping assist, lane following assist, high beam assist, and driver attention warning. The N line also gets disc brakes on all four wheels (standard model gets drum brakes at the rear) which improves braking performance and safety.

Hyundai Venue N Line Technology and Infotainment

The Venue N Line might be a subcompact SUV, but don’t let that fool you as it comes packed with all the features you might need. The 8-inch touchscreen is slick and Alexa enabled and gets Hyundai’s Blue Link connected car tech allowing you to control key features with your phone. The six speaker music system is good and most will not want to upgrade to aftermarket speakers. The driver also gets a fully-digital instrument cluster and there is a wireless charging pad in the front. The rear gets charging ports which make the rear seat feel complete and not lacking in creature comforts. Automatic climate control, reverse camera with parking sensors and cruise control, are other features that ensure you don’t miss out on ‘big car’ features. 

Is the Hyundai Venue N Line for You?

The line between a hatchback and an SUV is now more blurred than ever, with micro and subcompact SUVs much smaller than traditional SUVs. While hatchbacks are known to be better handlers, it is SUVs that better deal with our road conditions, and offer more space in the cabin and boot. The Venue N Line takes what’s left of these blurry line and erases them too. It brings the fun quotient from hatchbacks to subcompact SUVs, while not losing out on any of the practicality. Yes, the stiffer suspension is slightly more uncomfortable over rough roads, but for an enthusiast, this would still be a small compromise, rather than choosing between practicality and soul. It is clearly not an SUV for everyone, and most buyers would be better off getting the standard Venue. But enthusiasts who want something larger than the i20 N Line but just as fun to drive will be grateful to Hyundai for having a niche offering like the Venue N Line on sale in India.