Hyundai recently joined the sub-4m SUV segment with the launch of the Venue to compete against the likes of the Maruti Suzuki Vitara Brezza, Ford EcoSport, Tata Nexon and Mahindra XUV300. It could be argued that the segment was created with the introduction of the EcoSport, which was launched in India in 2013, while the segment leading Brezza joined the fray in 2016.

The Venue and EcoSport offer relatively premium petrol-automatic variants when compared to the AMT option offered by rivals. While we’d tested the Ford petrol-AT variant’s real-world performance and mileage figures some time ago, we recently got to run the Venue’s petrol-AT through the same tests. We’ll be comparing the results, but first we take a look at their dimensions and engine specifications:



The Venue is slightly smaller in almost every aspect except width, where it is 5mm wider than the EcoSport.



The EcoSport has a larger engine which makes more power and uses a torque convertor automatic transmission. Meanwhile, the Venue is powered by a smaller, turbocharged unit that has more torque to offer while paired to a more sophisticated dual-clutch transmission.

Here’s how both cars performed in our acceleration tests:



An all-out victory for the Venue highlighting that the 7-speed DCT is better for acceleration than the 6-speed AT. The Hyundai was 1.27 seconds faster to reach a 100kmph, 0.44 seconds quicker to complete a quarter  mile and 0.85 seconds when accelerating from 20kmph to 80kmph. The last test checks how responsive the automatic transmission is to the driver’s throttle inputs.



The results of the braking tests are the opposite of the acceleration tests with the Ford EcoSport winning both rounds. It was a close contest in coming to a halt from 100kpmh for which the Venue took 42.92 metres, 0.14 metres more than the EcoSport. However, when coming to a halt from 80kmph, the Ford took 24.90 metres while the Hyundai took an extra 1.79 metres. It is important to note that both models use the same brake setup - disc brakes up front and drum brakes at the rear.



The Venue’s turbo-charged 1.0-litre petrol engine is a lot more frugal in the city than the EcoSport. However, the Ford is more efficient out on the highway. Let’s see how the perform in a mix of driving conditions.









For an equal balance between city and highway driving, the Venue is far more efficient, delivering an extra 2.73kmpl over the EcoSport. In terms of predominantly highway mileage too, the Hyundai sub-compact SUV is nearly 2kmpl more efficient than the thirsty Ford. The Venue makes it a clean sweep by being delivering almost an extra 3kmpl in predominantly city driving conditions.