GOOD WINE, BETTER BOTTLE

The refreshed Hyundai Venue retains all its endearing qualities and makes them better

- Pablo Chaterji

Any car that leaves shelves to the tune of 3 lakh units in just over three years since launch is doing something right. The Venue is a hugely popular car and makes up the lion's share of Hyundai's SUV sales numbers and the Korean firm has just given it its first update. Let's waste no time and dive right in (and keep in mind that this article deals with the fully-loaded turbo-petrol variant; base-spec variants have less features).

The older Venue was (and still is) a pleasant-looking car, no more and no less. It's well-rounded, neat, uncontroversial and was the precursor to the kind of exterior design we see on the current Creta. The 2022 model changes that up significantly, aligning with the design language that can be seen on the new Tucson. From the front, the chunky new grille is the first thing you'll notice, along with the sleeker, 3-part DRLs/indicators which (almost) integrate with the grille, which is now rectangular. The LED projector headlights haven't changed that much in shape, and fill up the spaces under the DRLs nicely. There are no fog lamps instead, a large, slatted strip sits between the grille and the skid plate, and personally I quite like this look. The character lines on the bonnet remain the same as before.

The car's profile hasn't changed dramatically. The 16-inch alloy wheels have a sleeker design now, and the roof rails and shark-fin antenna lend a touch of sportiness; the chrome door handles look good as well. It's when you get to the rear that the most prominent changes become apparent. There's now a set of all-LED tail lights connected by a lit-up strip, rather like the VW Taigun. Below it, a slatted strip matching the one in front completes the rear. This Venue may polarise opinion a little more on the design front, but it definitely has more road presence than the previous car.