No Manual ‘Box On The Cards For Future Hyundai Venue N Line Iterations

• New Venue N Line is a sportier version of the standard SUV. 

• It gets a stiffer suspension and sporty exhaust note to boot. 

• Standard Venue does offer an iMT option with the turbo petrol engine. 

• Manual gearbox available with the diesel and base petrol engines of the standard Venue. 

• i20 N Line hatchback offers a lower-priced alternative with iMT (clutchless manual) option with the same engine. 

The new Hyundai Venue N Line is on sale in India as a sportier version of the subcompact SUV. The N Line variant is aimed at enthusiasts with its stiffer suspension setup, turbocharged petrol engine and sporty exhaust note, but it doesn’t offer a stick shift option. 

Well, it seems that the carmaker will not introduce a manual gearbox or even an iMT clutchless manual for the N Line variant of the Venue in the future either; the dual-clutch (DCT) automatic will remain the only transmission on offer.

Hyundai Venue N Line the petrolhead’s SUV?

The Venue N Line, which is offered in two variants – N6 and N8, comes with a single powertrain option as standard. It’s a 1-litre turbo-petrol engine that pushes out 120PS and 172Nm, paired with the aforementioned 7-speed DCT gearbox.

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The N Line variant proclaims its sporty credentials with blacked exterior trim and red accents, a dark chrome front grille, dual exhaust tips and a new set of 16-inch alloy wheels. On the inside, an all-black interior with red accents on the dashboard and seats, and red ambient lighting are exclusive to the N Line variant.

Aesthetic mods aside, the Venue N Line gets a reworked suspension with stiffer dampers and a livelier exhaust note. It’s a sports variant done right in all aspects except one – the lack of a stick shift option. 

Even in the standard SUV, an iMT (clutchless manual) is your only alternative with the 1-litre turbo-petrol engine to the fully automatic DCT. A proper three-pedal 6-speed manual is reserved for the 1.5-litre diesel engine that, bizarrely, doesn’t get any automatic option. 

The base naturally aspirated (NA) 1.2-litre petrol engine does get a 5-speed manual, but it doesn't get all the bells and whistles of the top-spec trim level and isn’t as powerful as the 1-litre turbo petrol unit.

Nevertheless, the Venue N Line does get paddle shifters and a ‘manual’ mode that gives you the freedom to choose your own gears to some extent.    

Manual Venue N Line could have been less expensive 

In the standard Venue lineup, the DCT option costs a significant premium over the iMT alternative. A three-pedal manual unit is even more cost-effective since it works using the same hardware as an iMT but doesn’t require an additional control unit and actuators to operate the clutch. This leads us to think that a Venue N Line with a manual ‘box would have been an even more affordable option for enthusiasts than the current proposition.

Also read: 

• Hyundai Has Launched The Venue N Line From Rs 12.16 Lakh Onwards

• Kia Launches New Sportier Sonet X Line At Rs 13.39 Lakh

That said, Hyundai’s decision to pair the DCT auto ‘box with the turbo petrol was driven by market research, customer demand and the response the i20 N Line has received thus far.

We might lament the lack of a stick shift, but it stands true that Hyundai and Kia are the only carmakers to offer a sportier option in the subcompact SUV space. If you still want to row your own gears, the i20 N Line hatchback is available with an iMT option. For a proper three pedal setup, you might have to jump a segment and consider the Volkswagen Taigun or Skoda Kushaq.