Hyundai Venue Vs Maruti Suzuki Vitara Brezza Vs Mahindra XUV300 — The Battle For The SUV Throne

Last month, Hyundai revealed its entry into the sub-4-metre compact SUV segment in the form of the Venue. The Hyundai Venue is India's first-ever connected SUV but it will be entering a segment dominated by the Maruti Suzuki Vitara Brezza, and where Mahindra has started to gain traction in terms of sales with the new XUV300.

But can the all-new Hyundai Venue beat its more established to become the best sub-4-metre compact SUV on sale in India? We pit the Hyundai Venue, Maruti Brezza and Mahindra XUV300 in a head-to-head battle of the spec sheets and designs to find out which of these SUVs is the best, at least on paper.

Design

Of the three SUV's here, it is the styling of the Hyundai Venue that attracts the most amount of attention. Up front, the Venue features a split headlight design with a sleek strip of lights that include the turn signals sitting under the bonnet with the main lights and DRLs located in a separate section on the front bumper.

The trademark cascade grille from Hyundai is present in supersized guise and offers quite a bit of chrome to make it appealing to the customers. The pumped-up wheel arches give the Venue a muscular look and the square-shaped tail lights with their unique lighting pattern give the Venue a rather distinct look at the rear as well. The interior is quite discreet and features a black and white dual tone theme that looks quite nice and gives the SUV a more premium look.

Of the other two SUVs, it is the Mahindra XUV300 that looks better. The XUV300 blends the design of the Ssangyong Tivoli (the SUV on which it is based) with a chrome studded grille and the headlight and DRL design borrowed from its larger sibling, the XUV500, to make for an attractive package when viewed from the front. However, the rear end looks pinched, which is due to the fact that Mahindra had to push in the rear end of the SUV to make it fit under the magical 4-metre mark. The XUV300 also features a dual-tone theme which gives it a more upmarket feel.

With the Vitara Brezza, Maruti Suzuki went down the safe route sticking to the boxy SUV look that despite being somewhat understated, does not offend any styling sensibilities. However, the Brezza offers quite a few chrome accents while the plastic cladding running around the bottom of the entire SUV gives it a more rugged look. The interior of the Maruti Suzuki Vitara Brezza features an all-black theme.

Overall Design Rating
Hyundai Venue: 8.5/10
Maruti Suzuki Brezza: 7/10
Mahindra XUV300: 7.5/10

Dimensions

All three SUVs are 3,995mm long, but it is the Mahindra XUV300 which is the largest of the lot. The Mahindra XUV300 features the largest wheelbase at 2,600mm (both the Brezza and the Venue come in at 2,500mm). The Mahindra is also the widest of the trio with a width of 1,821mm and has a height of 1,617mm.

The Hyundai Venue is the smallest of the bunch with a width of 1,770mm and height of 1,590mm. The Maruti Suzuki Vitara Brezza is 20mm wider and 50mm taller than its new rival from Hyundai and is the tallest SUV in this comparison.

Overall, if you're looking for a spacious SUV and have to choose between the Hyundai Venue, Maruti Brezza and the Mahindra XUV300, then the last of the trio will be the one to buy.

Dimensions Rating
Hyundai Venue: 7/10
Maruti Suzuki Vitara Brezza: 8/10
Mahindra XUV300: 8.5/10

Engine & Gearbox

The Hyundai Venue is offered with three different engine and gearbox options. The basic petrol variant is a 1.2-litre engine with 82bhp and 115Nm of torque which comes paired with a 5-speed manual gearbox. The lone diesel engine displaces 1.4-litres and cranks out 89bhp and 220Nm of torque. The diesel engine is offered with a 6-speed manual gearbox.

The third engine option for the Venue is the smallest displacing only 1.0-litre. However, the three cylinder engine is turbocharged and pushes out 118bhp and 172Nm of torque. The turbo petrol engine is paired with either a 6-speed manual or a 7-speed dual clutch automatic gearbox.

The Mahindra XUV300 is offered with two engines, a diesel and petrol, both of which are turbocharged 1.5-litre units. The XUV300's petrol engine cranks out 110bhp and 200Nm of torque, while the diesel engine churns out 115bhp and 300Nm of torque. Both engines are paired to a 6-speed manual gearbox.

The Maruti Suzuki Vitara Brezza is currently offered in diesel guise (though this will change post BS-VI). The Maruti Brezza draws power from a 1.3-litre Fiat-sourced turbo diesel engine that cranks out 89bhp and 200Nm of torque. The engine is offered with either a 5-speed manual gearbox or an AMT.

Engine & Gearbox Rating

Hyundai Venue: 9/10
Maruti Suzuki Vitara Brezza: 8/10
Mahindra XUV300: 8.5/10

Features

The Hyundai Venue is India's first connected SUV and the South Korean carmaker's Blue Link advanced connectivity solution offers 33 different features (10 of which are only offered in India) including geo fencing, car tracking, emergency assist and many more.

The Hyundai Venue also sports an electric sunroof, wireless phone charging, and an air purifier. The Venue comes packed with safety features with up to 6 airbags, ABS with EBD, and cruise control among many others.

The Mahindra XUV is no slouch when it comes to features either with 3 different steering modes, heated seats, front parking sensors and a large 7-inch infotainment display with Android Auto & Apple CarPlay support. Other features include up to seven airbags and ISOFIX child-seat mounts and front parking sensors among many others.

The Maruti Suzuki Vitara Brezza also comes packed with a host of features including automatic headlamps, cruise control, push-button start/stop, automatic headlamps, cruise control, push-button start/stop, and a large touchscreen infotainment system with Android Auto & Apple CarPlay.

Overall Features Rating
Hyundai Venue: 9/10
Maruti Suzuki Vitara Brezza: 8/10
Mahindra XUV300: 8.5/10

Price

Prices for the Maruti Suzuki Vitara Brezza start at Rs 7.67 lakh and go all the way up to 10.64 lakh. The Mahindra XUV300 is slightly more expensive with prices ranging from Rs 7.90 lakh to Rs 11.99 lakh. However, the base diesel model of the XUV300 costs Rs 8.49 lakh, which shows the price advantage that has made the diesel-only Brezza such a success in India.

The Hyundai Venue is offered with a price tag starting at Rs 6.50 lakh for the base-spec 'E' variant of the petrol. This goes up all the way to Rs 11.10 lakh for the top-spec variant, in the form of the SX(O) petrol trim. The top-spec diesel Venue, on the other hand, is priced at Rs 10.84 lakh. All prices are ex-showroom (India). However, with its features, the Venue is offers great value for money.

Overall Price Rating
Hyundai Venue: 8/10
Maruti Suzuki Vitara Brezza: 9/10
Mahindra XUV300: 8/10

Verdict

The Hyundai Venue may be the new kid on the block but it comes packed with a whole boatload of features including its connected car Blue Sense suite of features including location sharing and geo fencing among others. With the aggressive pricing of the Hyundai Venue, they may have a Brezza beater in their hands.

The Mahindra XUV300 on the other hand feels like a very well done SUV (except for the squashed rear end) and in the right configuration can chase down even the Venue.

The Maruti Suzuki Vitara takes the safe route with regards to styling but offers extreme value for money along with access to the biggest service network in the county. The Brezza is expected to switch over to petrol before April 2020, which could make its prices even more aggressive.

Overall Score

Hyundai Venue: 41.5 /50
Maruti Suzuki Vitara Brezza: 40/50
Mahindra XUV300: 41/50