KOCHI: The N brand concept from the Korean automaker Hyundai Motors was born in 2012. Hyundai’s ‘N’ represents two elements. First, the Namyang district in South Korea the birthplace of the N brand and the location of Hyundai’s Global R&D Centre. Second, the Nürburgring racetrack in Germany, which is home to Hyundai’s Technical Centre.
All N cars are made to be fun to drive supported by the three N DNA pillars. Let’s have a look at Hyundai Venue’s N line treatment ability, everyday drive, race track capability.
The Striking Look
The ‘N Line’ cars introduced in India are not exactly the ‘N’. It is styled as N cars, but the technical difference with normal cars is bare minimum.
The latest Venue N Line follows the same pattern. A little more weight to the steering, a little more stiffening to suspension, sports car-like exhaust sound tuning and all 4 disc brakes — this is the whole list of technical improvements the model has over its standard variant siblings. In total, there are 30 unique and exclusive elements in the N-line.
But the sporty makeover and cosmetic changes are very striking. It features a bold dark chrome front grille with the logo, exclusive bumper, skid plates and roof rails with red inserts. The side profile is characterised by 16-inch diamond cut alloys with N branding. It has red front brake callipers too. To give a dynamic look in the rear, N Line has a tailgate spoiler.
The rear bumper with red inserts on the skid plate and the twin tip muffler add to the SUV’s muscular and athletic look.
The cabin has a black interior with red inserts. Seats, 3-spoke steering wheel and gear knob have N branding. Red ambient lighting, metal pedals and dark metal finish door handles are the other elements. Apart from these, there is a dash camera too.
The VENUE N Line is powered by a 1 l Turbo GDi petrol engine with a 7-speed dual-clutch transmission (DCT). It has a peak power of 120 HP and a maximum torque of 172 Nm. N-Line comes in two variants. Venue comes in two variants; N6 is priced at Rs 12.16 lakh and N8 at Rs 13.15 lakh.
Verdict
The driving experience is better than that of standard variants. The added steering weight as well as 34% additional damping to the suspension give the car a clear edge in cornering and high-speed stability parameters. The all 4-disc brakes (standard Venue has only front disc) is very helpful in ensuring precise braking. The sporty exhaust note is a real head-turner too. The powertrain ensures smooth and seamless delivery and is coupled with Drive Mode Select (Normal, Eco, Sports). Sport mode is full of fun and thrill. I enjoyed the everyday sports car!
New launch
Electric!
Tata Motors launched India’s first electric hatchback Tiago with special introductory prices starting at I8.49 lakh for the first 10,000 customers. The new Tiago EV offers premium, safety and technology features, an eco-friendly footprint and spirited performance. It gets two lithium-ion battery pack options 19.2kWh and 24kWh with an IP67 rating and both of them have a warranty of eight years/1,60,000km.
Tata claims the former has a range of 250km. And the other, a range of 315km. The electric motor in the variants with a 24 kWh battery produces 74HP and 114Nm, while the smaller 19.2kWh variants produce 61HP and 110Nm. The Tiago EV accelerates from 0 to 60 Kmph in just 5.7 seconds, offering a confident, inspiring and planted drive. Bookings will start on October 10, 2022. Deliveries are scheduled to commence in January 2023.