compact SUVs are becoming more and more fun to drive and the turbo charging the
small petrol engines make a lot of horsepower
now we drove the XUV 3OO before and we've really liked it now though there's a new
challenger the Hyundai Venue with a brand new 1 liter petrol engine which
makes a hundred and twenty horsepower which promises to be even more fun
now it's time to find out which of these SUVs up leads to the heart as much as the head
but this comparison test is a little different because we have the BIC
race track at our disposal so we'll be pushing these cars to their limits and
also to top it off we'll have a drag race
now both these cars are powered by petrol turbocharged engines whether Venue
smaller one liter engine makes surprisingly more power than the larger
1.2 liter powertrain on the XUV 3OO it's the Mahindra that makes
more torque the results should be interesting then where were you
expecting a close drag race it turned out to be anything but that
right from the launch to the gearshift too far delivery the venue smokes the
XUV 3OO comprehensively when the XUV has a 4000 RPM rev lock you can dump
the venue's clutch at a higher rpm which gives it an early advantage we were
expecting the Mahindra to pull some of the gap back thanks to the higher torque
but the venue's slicker gearshift and the fact that the engine doesn't bog
down while up shifting which is the problem in the Mahindra the venue kept
pulling away even at higher speeds
now that the venue has emerged as a clear winner let's move on to the other
important aspects that you can test around the Buddh International Circuit
namely braking cornering ability and the traction out of corners when it comes to
breaking the XUV thanks to its all around this setup has an upper hand the
brake pedal has good bite and it also stays stable under hard braking the
venue's brakes on the other hand don't feel as effective and also the back
intends to step out of line under heavy load but once you are done with the
braking the venue feels light-footed and agile Piatt entering the corner or while
holding the line through the bend even the steering feels direct and has decent
amount of field the XUV on the other hand feels a bit heavier especially
while entering corner and then there is the ESP which you can switch off about
50 kilometers hour that doesn't help at speed through corners and it also
cuts in too abruptly while exiting bends the XUV 300 unlike the venue has
different steering modes you can choose between comfort normal and sport but
honestly it's a bit of a gimmick it only alters the steering weight and it feels
best when it left in comfort mode
now you saw how these cars behave and pushed to the absolute limit but do you
get the same results when you are out on the road
the XUV is 1.2 liter engine has good punch and especially after 2000 rpm
there's a nice search and it pulls all the way to the red line
but the problem is whenever you shift a little hard at about 4000 or 5000 rpm
the engine dead to bog down which makes progress in the Rieger the XUV has a
blind low-speed ride way it takes even sharper stop really well
the suspension also works silently but at higher speeds you can feel a bit more
up and down motion as compared to the venue but it's not a deal-breaker
now as the drag race has proven that the venue's engine has better outright
performance but even on the road this engine has linear power delivery and
especially as compared to the XUV which feels a little jerky this engine is
smooth even the gearshift has a more positive through which makes changing
gears a breeze
Venue right at low speeds is on the stiffer side especially over sharp bumps
you can incur the suspension working which isn't present in the XUV but as
soon as you start going faster the ride becomes flatter and especially as a
long-distance car the venue really works
now with the driving done let's compare how these cars stack up on the inside
the dash layout on the venue is a departure from other Hyundai as the
floating infotainment screen takes center stage the dash layout is simple
yet looks modern and the circular knobs with silver accents add a bit of jazz to
an otherwise all-black cabin the large eight-inch infotainment system has a
high res display and the smoothness and the speed of the screen is very
impressive the quality though mostly good isn't perfect the AC knobs for
example has hard plastics and even the dough pad greening looks a bit cheap the
front seats on the venue are very contoured and the dual leather and
fabric upholstery look premium and is perfectly suited for a hot weather
the XUV Dash on the other hand looks modern and the v-shaped center console
looks elegant the 7-inch infotainment system has loads of features but the
graphics look with generation behind the Hyundai system the quality though is
surprisingly good and is actually more consistent than on the Hyundai but the
ergonomics aren't the best as a slim buttons for the aircon and the most easy
to use on the move now the front seat is set to my driving position I'm 6 foot
tall yet I have good amount of knee room at the back also the cabin width is
really good so three people can sit in good comfort and the fact that you get a
three-point seat belt an adjustable headrest for the center passenger as
well makes it a proper five seater but other than that the rear seat is set a
little too low so under high supporters in that rate and also as you can see my
head is touching the roof liner so Headroom is also not that great now
let's find out how the venue's rear seat is as compared to the XUV the venue's
rear seat doesn't have as much knee room and even the cabin width isn't as good
but other than that the seat is really good there's good support even the
contour is nice the scooped-out headliner gives you good amount of
headroom and the fact that you get rear AC vents and the charging socket makes
your rear seat experience really good
and the venue continues to head back against the XU 3OO in terms
of practicality the boot space is significantly larger at 350 liters and
you get a flat loading bay as well both get 60/40 split that will let you carry
more luggage when required
with that out of the way let's take a look at what you get for the money both
try to spoil you in their own way both the tops like versions that we have
on tests get a sunroof cruise control automatic headlamps keyless entry
push-button start and a touchscreen infotainment system with Android auto
and apple carplay the XUV 3oo packs in some segments first features including
front parking sensors heated wing mirrors a tire pressure monitoring
system and dual zone climate control instead of a single zone on the venue
speaking of which the venue gets connected car tech called Bulelinke a
wireless charging pad as well as a chilled glove box over the Mahindra
there's a lot going for the Mahindra XUV 3oo it's got a premium
interior it's got a pliant low-speed ride even the engine is refined
what's more the extra set of features as compared to the venue does justify the
extra premium Mahindra is asking for on the other hand the venue might miss out
on some features but when it comes to ride handling engine performance and
seating comfort it's just a little better than the XUV 300
and even if the venue was as expensive as the XUV we would have still chosen
the Hyundai over the Mahindra