Launched on May 21, 2019, Hyundai Motor India’s first-ever compact SUV is the company’s second best-selling SUV after the Creta and battles hard in the most hotly contested sub-segment in India’s booming Indian utility vehicle market. The second-gen Venue, which is around five months away from launch, will be the first model to roll out of Hyundai's new Talegaon plant.
21 May 2025 | 1482 Views | By Ajit Dalvi
The Venue, Hyundai Motor India’s first-ever compact SUV launched on May 21, 2019, has turned six years old today. From launch till end-April 2025, the Hyundai Venue has clocked cumulative sales of 668,303 units and is the second best-selling SUV for the Korean automaker after the Creta midsize SUV (1.23 ...
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The Venue, Hyundai Motor India’s first-ever compact SUV launched on May 21, 2019, has turned six years old today. From launch till end-April 2025, the Hyundai Venue has clocked cumulative sales of 668,303 units and is the second best-selling SUV for the Korean automaker after the Creta midsize SUV (1.23 million units).
The Venue raced past its first 50,000 sales in just six months after launch, 100,000 in 15 months, 200,000 in 25 months and 250,000 in 30 months. The 300,000 milestone was surpassed in April 2023, 36 months after launch. The run from 200,000 to 300,000 units and through to 400,000 units took an identical 11 months each. The 500,000 or half-a-million milestone was surpassed in November 2023, 54 months after launch, and the 600,000 milestone took another 12 months.
The Hyundai Venue’s domestic market sales numbers (see data table above) show that the best 12-month performance was in FY2024 with 128,897 units, growing 7% YoY on FY2023’s 120,653 units. FY2025, with 119,113 units, however saw Venue sales decline 7% YoY and the model was ranked fifth in the Top 10 compact SUV listing.
In April 2025, the compact SUV has sold 7,953 units, down 13% YoY (April 2024: 9,179 units). It is likely demand has slowed down also because the new second-gen Venue is only a few months away from rollout. Furthermore, buyers are also considering models such as the Mahindra XUV 3XO and Skoda Kylaq, both of which are much fresher models compared to the now-dated Venue on Indian roads.
The Hyundai Venue has also been impacted, to some extent, by a new compact SUV sibling in the form of the Exter, which was launched in July 2023 and has taken away some of the Venue’s sales. In FY2025, the Exter (77,412 units) was the third best-selling SUV for the company after the Creta (194,871 units) and the Venue (119,113 units) and the eighth best-selling compact SUV in India.
The Venue is part of the most hotly contested sub-segment of the UV market: compact SUVs. This segment, which is populated by some high-selling models like the Tata Punch and Nexon, Maruti Brezza and Fronx, Mahindra XUV 3XO, sibling Exter, and new models like the Toyota Taisor, Kia Syros and the Skoda Kylaq.
The Venue, currently sold in 27 variants (24 petrol and three diesel), is available with three engine options. There's a 1.2-litre petrol, a 1.0-litre turbo-petrol and a 1.5-litre diesel. Gearbox options include a five-speed manual and seven-speed DCT for the petrol variants and a six-speed manual for the diesel Venue. Pricing for the compact SUV starts at Rs 948,000 for the base 1.2 petrol E MT variant and goes upwards to Rs 16.30 lakh for the top-end diesel 1.5 CRDi SX (O) MT variant (all prices, on-road Delhi).
In early September 2024, Hyundai heavily updated the Venue and Venue N Line with a new gearbox for the 1.0-litre turbo-petrol engine as well as ADAS. This made the Venue the first compact SUV in India to come with driver assistance systems. The Venue N is billed as the more driver-focussed alternative of the standard Venue.
In its quick commentary on the Venue, Autocar India says, “This compact SUV is more than a scaled-down Creta. It may lack a bit of presence, but it’s a fine choice for urban buyers. The 1.2 petrol and 1.5 diesel are adequate, if unexciting. The pick of the range is the 1.0 turbo-petrol: it’s smooth, pleasant and works well with the dual-clutch auto. Higher variants are quite well equipped for their price too.”
VENUE: DELIVERS HIGH FUEL EFFICIENCY
A fair portion of the Venue’s appeal goes to its fuel efficiency. The 1.0 GDI with the 7-speed dual-clutch auto has an ARAI-tested fuel economy figure of 18.15kpl. The Venue 1.2 petrol, available solely with a 5-speed manual gearbox, delivers a lower 17.52kpl. The Venue 1.4 diesel is rated for 24.2kpl.
In an effort to rev up sales of its first-ever compact SUV, Hyundai Motor India launched the Venue N Line in September 2022. The Venue N Line comes with a single powertrain – a 120hp, 172Nm, 1.0-litre turbo-petrol engine paired to the 7-speed DCT with paddle shifters. The cosmetic changes are really the talking point – N Line badging on the front bumper, revised front and rear bumpers with red accents on the lower section, red inserts on the roof rails and new 16-inch alloy wheel design with red front callipers.
NEXT-GEN VENUE FIRST HYUNDAI MODEL TO ROLL OUT FROM NEW TALEGAON PLANT
The second-generation Hyundai Venue, which has been snapped testing recently, is expected to be launched in October 2025 in the festive season. It will be the first Hyundai model to be produced at the company’s new 170,000 units-per-annum plant in Talegaon, Maharashtra, slated to go on stream in Q3 (July-September 2025) and acquired by Hyundai in 2023.
The next-gen Venue, which features a boxier and more upright stance, is expected to be slightly bigger than the existing model albeit will retain its sub-four-metre length to avail excise duty benefits to the compact car/SUV category. The multiple powertrain strategy will continue with petrol and diesel and a Venue EV is also in the new product pipeline.
Given the intense competition in the compact SUV market, Hyundai will most likely pack the second-gen Venue with all the bells and whistles and a long features list on par with rivals like the Kia Syros, Mahindra XUV3XO and the Tata Nexon. The new Venue will also be high on the safety front with six airbags, front and rear parking sensors, an ADAS suite and much more.
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