Under pressure from rivals, Hyundai drives out a sharper, smarter Venue

The first upgrade in three years for the Venue, the Korean company’s second best-selling product in India after the Creta, officially kicks off Hyundai’s blitz of 26 models over the next five years.

The company on Tuesday launched the new version of the car, which will be manufactured at its Talegaon facility in the national capital. Price range: ₹7.9 lakh and ₹Priced at Rs 9.1 lakh (ex-showroom), the compact SUV will compete with brands like Tata Nexon, Maruti Brezza and Mahindra XUV 3XO. The price of all competitors’ cars is now ₹7 and ₹14 lakhs.

“This is a new generation car. It has excellent reviews in every aspect, be it exterior or interior,” said Tarun Garg, permanent director and chief operating officer of Hyundai Motor India. Mint.

Under pressure from competitors

The upgrade comes at a time when the company is under pressure from rivals such as Tata Motors and Mahindra and Mahindra, which managed to grab the second position this year. In the first nine months of calendar year 2025, Hyundai sold 425,330 units, trailing Mahindra, which sold 446,697 vehicles during the same period.

According to experts, the timing of the launch of this new model is crucial for Hyundai, given that competition in the compact SUV segment is heating up with both Tata and Mahindra gaining traction in the segment.

Puneet Gupta, director, S&P Global Mobility, said, “This model could be a game changer for Hyundai as it needs a product intervention to increase sales in the market. The timing of the launch is more important than the product itself as Hyundai is at the lowest level in terms of market share and is second in sales.” he said.

“Hyundai needs to strengthen its presence in this sweet spot segment due to intense competition from other automakers, and as powertrains become more complex, this competition will become even more intense.”

Shares of Hyundai Motor India fell 1.4 percent ₹2,393.25 per capita on BSE on Tuesday.

In India since 2019

Hyundai first launched the Venue in the Indian market in 2019, followed by an upgrade in 2022.

Ahead of the launch of the refreshed Venue, Hyundai’s sales recorded slow growth in both September and October as the company prepared to sell the new model from November. While Hyundai’s overall sales in September increased by only 1% to 51,547 units, in October its sales decreased by 3.2% to 53,792 units.

According to Garg, the improvement of the Venue will prove to be vital after the government decided to reduce the goods and services tax on vehicles smaller than 4 metres.

“Consumers who want to buy ₹“6-10 lakh cars want to switch from hatchbacks to these compact SUVs that provide space and comfort,” Garg said. “With the launch of Venue, the wholesale situation will be taken care of from November.”

According to Autocar India data, micro SUV sales increased by 20% to 510,793 units in FY25, while compact SUV sales increased by 14% to 697,013 units. During the same period, sales of small hatchback cars decreased by 13% to approximately one million units.

Hyundai’s new Venue is equipped with an advanced driver assistance system (ADAS), six airbags, connected car features and a surround view monitor, as well as an infotainment system that will appeal to young buyers under 30.

Venue became Hyundai’s second best-selling model, with nearly 120,000 sales out of total sales of 598,000 in fiscal year 2025 (FY25). The model will also be exported to more than 30 countries and Hyundai will mark the unit in India as its export base for emerging markets.