Hyundai’s smallest SUV in India, the Venue is soon set to receive an update in the form of a more powerful 115hp 1.5-litre diesel engine, the same motor that powers the Creta, Seltos and the Sonet diesel-AT. Additionally, there’s an update in the equipment list too. Let’s take a closer look at what is new.
- New Venue diesel gets 115hp engine with VGT, ISG
- Venue S(O) and higher trims get standard four airbags
- Will not get diesel-automatic option
Hyundai Venue diesel: What’s new?
The outgoing Venue’s 1.5-litre diesel generated 100hp and 240Nm of torque and came equipped with a fixed-geometry turbo. However, this unit will now be replaced by a more powerful 115hp, 250Nm, 1.5-litre diesel engine that’s equipped with a variable-geometry turbocharger. The Venue diesel will come with only a 6-speed manual gearbox, and there is no news of a diesel-automatic for now. There is, however, no change to the petrol line-up of the Venue.
Additionally, Hyundai will also equip the Venue with an integrated starter generator (ISG) with start-stop function – a first for a Hyundai in India – that will aid fuel economy. Do note that the Kia Sonet already gets a 115hp tune for the diesel engine with its 6-speed automatic gearbox.
Hyundai Venue diesel: why is the engine being upgraded?
The outgoing 1.5-litre diesel engine does duty on the Venue and the i20. This engine is equipped with a FGT (Fixed geometry turbo) and will soon go out of production due to upcoming Real Driving Emissions (RDE) regulations. The new 1.5-litre diesel engine that will join the Venue line-up uses a more sophisticated variable-geometry turbo (VGT) and already does duty on the Creta, Alcazar and the Seltos.
Using a VGT on the Venue will allow Hyundai to have one state of tune for the Venue, Creta and Alcazar, and similarly, Kia can use the same for the Sonet, Seltos and Carens, taking advantage of economies of scale. This would also help the Korean manufacturers save costs of re-engineering the FGT version for the new emission norms.
2023 Hyundai Venue: equipment list reshuffled
As before, the Venue will continue to be offered in six trims – E, S, S+, S(O), SX and SX(O). While the variant line-up remains unchanged, Hyundai has slightly reshuffled the equipment list across the board.
The 16-inch diamond-cut alloy wheels are now only available on the top SX(O) trim. Previously, it was also offered on the Venue SX diesel. Additionally, side airbags have been made available from the Venue S(O) petrol while the curtain airbags are offered only on top-spec SX(O) for the petrol variants. The Venue diesel gets curtain airbags from SX onwards. Previously, both side and curtain airbags were limited to just the top-spec Venue SX(O). The Venue SX diesel also loses a rear seat recliner and armrest.
Hyundai Venue: rivals and pricing
Expect a slight revision in prices for the Venue diesel once the updated SUV goes on sale in the coming weeks. Key rivals include the Kia Sonet, Maruti Brezza, Tata Nexon, Renault Kiger, Nissan Magnite and also the upcoming Maruti Suzuki Fronx.
Rivan RS 
Viraaj Bhatnagar
Uday Singh
Suraj Viswanathan
