For buyers seeking a fun-to-drive compact SUV, the Hyundai Venue N Line and Skoda Kylaq are among the best options in the segment. Both come with direct-injection turbo-petrol engines and snappy automatic transmissions, but which of them is faster in the real world? We put the Venue N Line and Kylaq through our instrumented performance tests to find out.
Hyundai Venue N Line vs Skoda Kylaq specifications
The Venue N Line and Kylaq are powered by 1.0-litre three-cylinder direct-injection turbo-petrol engines. While the Venue N Line makes 5hp more, the Kylaq has 6Nm more torque. Another major differentiator is the gearbox. The Venue N Line comes with a 7-speed dual-clutch transmission (DCT), whereas the Kylaq features a 6-speed torque converter.
Hyundai Venue N Line vs Skoda Kylaq 0-100kph times
Accelerating from a standstill, the Kylaq edged ahead of the Venue N Line as Hyundai DCTs don’t allow aggressive launches. The Skoda stayed in first place throughout the test, but the gap between the two SUVs varied quite a bit at every speed, with a maximum of 0.38 seconds at 40kph and a minimum of 0.05 seconds at 90kph.
Hyundai Venue N Line vs Skoda Kylaq rolling acceleration test
In the 20-80kph kickdown sprint, the Venue N Line’s slightly higher power output and quicker-shifting DCT helped it secure a victory. The Hyundai SUV maintained its lead at all speeds, with the Kylaq coming the closest to it at the 50kph mark – a gap of just 0.08 seconds – before falling behind again and ultimately finishing 0.17 seconds slower than the Venue N Line.
The 40-100kph kickdown test was more interesting. The Venue N Line was marginally quicker to 50kph, but the Kylaq managed to pull ahead by the 60kph mark. Then, the Venue N Line was back in first place at 70kph, where it stayed up until 100kph.
Hyundai Venue N Line vs Skoda Kylaq turbo-petrol automatic prices
*Excluding premiums for dual-tone finishes and cosmetic packages.
At the base level, the Venue N Line DCT costs Rs 2.31 lakh more than the Kylaq AT, and there’s a similar price difference in their top-spec versions. Both compact SUVs trade punches in terms of real-world performance, so the Kylaq’s substantially lower pricing makes it a better deal. That said, the N Line’s turbo-petrol DCT powertrain is available with the standard Venue too, priced in the Rs 10.92 lakh-14.65 lakh range. Setting aside the racier styling elements, the N Line is no different from the vanilla Venue, so you can save a considerable amount if you don’t need the sportiness.
All prices are ex-showroom, India.
Uday Singh
Dipan Sur
Glenn Noronha
