Hyundai QXi To Be Called Venue, Reveal On April 17

Will make its global debut at the New York International Auto Show

Update: The Hyundai Venue has been revealed ahead of its India launch on 21 May 2019. Read the details here.

• Hyundai’s Carlino concept from the Auto Expo 2016 will be called Hyundai Venue in its production form. It was rumoured to be called Styx before.

• Will share some design bits with bigger Hyundai SUVs like the Kona and Santa Fe.

• The Venue is expected to be a feature-loaded SUV, getting a sunroof and connected vehicle tech.

• Prices expected to start from Rs 8 lakh, with India launch expected in May 2019.

Hyundai has confirmed the name for its upcoming subcompact SUV, which was codenamed the QXi, as the “Venue.” It will be showcased to the world at the New York International Auto Show on 17 April 2019. The India-spec Venue is likely to be revealed on the same day, while the launch is expected in May 2019.

The latest teaser image of the Venue reveals how it would get its name badge at the rear, like the Tata Harrier and the Mahindra Alturas G4. Hyundai has done the same before with the biggest SUV in its portfolio, the Palisade.

With the Venue, Hyundai will be taking its first proper stab at the sub-4m compact SUV segment in India. A few days back, Hyundai teased the Venue through a video which featured the sub-4m SUV with a camouflage. From the video, we could make out that the India-spec Venue will get a sunroof and DRLs at the front. Like other Hyundai cars, it’s also expected to feature wireless mobile charging, push button start/stop, cruise control, auto climate control, a touchscreen infotainment unit with Apple CarPlay, Android Auto-- and if we are lucky, ventilated front seats as well, just like on the Creta and Verna.

Hyundai says the Venue will be a connected SUV without divulging any further details. It might equip the Venue with the Blue Link telematics feature that is available on its cars overseas. The telematics control unit is handled via a mobile application and furnishes key information related to the car’s health, service reminder, geo-fencing, driving analysis and status of other working components of the car. This feature is already available on Toyota, Honda, Maruti Suzuki and even Nissan cars in India.

The Hyundai Venue will be sold in India with a 1.0-litre, 3-cylinder turbocharged petrol engine paired with a 7-speed dual clutch automatic transmission. None of the cars in this segment get a DCT for now, one of the more sophisticated automatic transmission tech. While the 1.0-DCT combination might be reserved for the top-spec Venue, its lower variants are expected to be powered by a set of 1.4-litre petrol and diesel engine options from Hyundai’s current portfolio.

When launched in India, it will rival the likes of  Maruti Suzuki Vitara Brezza, Ford EcoSport, Tata Nexon and Mahindra XUV300. The Hyundai Venue is expected to get a starting price close to Rs 8 lakh.