The Hyundai Great India Drive, now in its third edition, has been flagged off today from the ‘Statue of Unity’ in Gujarat. For the 2019 iteration, the rally will make its way to 17 historic locations across the country in a fleet of Hyundai Venue compact SUVs.

Some of the note-worthy locations in the 2019 Great India Drive include the Khardung La pass, which is one of the highest motorable passes in the world; the Sakya Tangyud Monastery (Kaza Township) that’s located in Himachal Pradesh; the Vivekananda Rock Memorial, located in Kanyakumari; and some other cities in Tamil Nadu, namely Chennai and Puducherry, among others.

The Venue compact SUV is offered with three engine options – a 90hp, 1.4-litre diesel unit, an 83hp, 1.2-litre naturally aspirated petrol unit, and a 120hp, 1.0-litre turbocharged unit. The 1.2 petrol comes paired with a 5-speed manual gearbox, while the 1.0 turbo-petrol and 1.4 diesel units get a 6-speed manual. The turbo-petrol also gets the option of a 7-speed DCT automatic.

In terms of competition, the Hyundai Venue rivals the Tata Nexon, the Mahindra XUV 300 and the Maruti Suzuki Vitara Brezza. It has also performed well in the market, as the Venue has gathered 75,000 bookings since its launch and has now sold 45,000 units.