Quite aware that it has to take on formidable rivals, Hyundai Venue is entering the compact SUV space armed to the teeth. Some features on-board the Venue are first-in-class, which will help generate the right response and prompt customers to make a switch.
Venue being India’s first connected car has already created a lot of buzz and now it has been confirmed that it will be the first compact SUV to get dual-clutch automatic transmission (DCT).
Hyundai’s connected car technology is called BlueLink and some of its features will only be available with DCT variant. As of now, no other car in this space has DCT. Maruti Brezza and Tata Nexon have AMT gearbox, Mahindra XUV300 hasn’t received automatic transmission yet, and Ford EcoSport features a torque converter unit. As a matter of fact, even segment above SUVs don’t have DCT gearbox. DCT will ensure a refined and seamless driving experience, which is bound to turn up the heat on rivals.
Apart from Venue, the DCT gearbox is also likely to be introduced in other Hyundai cars such as Creta, Verna, Elantra and Tuscon. It will also be sold as a standalone product to other carmakers. Tata Harrier and its 7-seater sibling are among the cars that could receive Hyundai’s new DCT gearbox.
Only piece missing here is the lack of clarity on which engine option will get the DCT gearbox. Venue will be offered with 1.4 litre petrol and diesel engines, which are the same ones used in Hyundai Verna. There will be a Turbo variant as well, which will have a 1.0 litre, 3 cylinder, turbocharged petrol engine that makes 100 bhp of max power and 171 Nm of max torque. It is not yet clear if all three engines will get DCT gearbox of only 1 of them.
Hyundai Venue will be unveiled on April 17 and launched in India on May 21. Expected price is in the range of Rs 8 – 12 lakh. Hyundai has made ambitious plans for Venue and expects to sell 7k-8k units per month.
