New Delhi: Hyundai Motor India launched a new version of its compact sports utility vehicle (SUV) Venue with upgraded technology and premium design, pricing it aggressively in a bid to defend its market share that has come under pressure.
The first upgrade in three years of Venue, which is the Korean company’s second bestseller in India after Creta, officially begins Hyundai’s launch blitzkrieg of 26 models over the next five years.
The company launched the new version of the car, which will be manufactured at its Talegaon facility, in the national capital on Tuesday. Priced between ₹7.9 lakh and ₹9.1 lakh (ex-showroom), the compact SUV will take on the likes of Tata Nexon, Maruti Brezza and Mahindra XUV 3XO. All of the competitors’ cars are currently priced between ₹7 and ₹14 lakh.
“It’s a next-generation car. It has got excellent reviews, every way you look at it, whether it’s the exterior or interior,” Tarun Garg, whole time director and chief operating officer at Hyundai Motor India, told Mint.
Amid pressure from rivals
The upgrade comes at a time when the company is under pressure from rivals like Tata Motors and Mahindra and Mahindra, which has managed to take the number two spot this year. In the first nine months of calendar year 2025, Hyundai sold 425,330 units, trailing Mahindra which sold 446,697 vehicles in the same period.
According to experts, the timing of the introduction of this new model is crucial for Hyundai, given the fact that competition in the compact SUV segment is heating up, with both Tata and Mahindra seeing traction in the segment.
“This model can be a game-changer for Hyundai as they needed a product intervention to drive sales in the market. More than the product itself, the timing of the launch is important as Hyundai is at its lows in terms of market share and for the second spot in sales,” Puneet Gupta, director at S&P Global Mobility, said.
“Hyundai needs to bolster its presence in this sweet spot segment as there is intense competition coming from the other carmakers, which will intensify further as power train becomes more complex.”
Shares of Hyundai Motor India settled 1.4% lower at ₹2,393.25 apiece on the BSE on Tuesday.
In India since 2019
Hyundai first launched Venue in the Indian market in 2019, followed by an upgrade in 2022.
In the run-up to the launch of the revamped Venue, Hyundai’s sales saw tepid growth in both September and October, as the company prepared to sell the new model from November. In September, Hyundai’s overall sales grew just 1% to 51,547 units, while in October it saw its sales decline 3.2% to 53,792 units.
According to Garg, Venue’s upgrade will prove to be crucial after the government decided to cut goods and service tax on cars sized less than 4 metres.
“Consumers who are looking to buy a ₹6-10 lakh car want to upgrade from hatchbacks to these compact SUVs which provide space and comfort,” Garg said. “With the Venue launch, the wholesale situation will be taken care of starting from November.”
According to Autocar India data, micro SUV sales rose 20% in FY25 to 510,793 units, while compact SUVs grew 14% to 697,013 units. During the same time, sales of small hatchback cars declined 13% to about a million units.
Hyundai’s new Venue has been laced with advanced driver assistance system (ADAS), six airbags, connected car features, and surround view monitor along with an infotainment system to cater to young buyers aged under 30 years.
In the financial year 2025 (FY25), Venue was the second bestselling model of Hyundai with nearly 120,000 sales out of the total 598,000 sales. The model will also be exported to more than 30 countries, with Hyundai marking the Indian unit as the export base for emerging markets.