We look at which compact SUV’s 1.0-litre turbo-petrol engine has more zing in the real world.
The Hyundai Venue and Toyota Urban Cruiser Taisor are some of the most popular compact SUVs currently on sale. Part of the reason behind their success is the duality of their powertrain offerings. Both the Venue and Taisor come with sensible and frugal 1.2-litre petrol engines, but buyers can also opt for peppy 1.0-litre turbo-petrol units geared more towards an enthusiastic driving experience.
On the face of it, the Venue N Line’s 1.0-litre engine has the upper hand over that of the Taisor. It develops 120hp and 172Nm of torque, outpacing the Taisor by 20hp and nearly 25Nm. The Venue N Line also utilises a snappy 7-speed dual-clutch transmission, whereas the Taisor sticks with a relatively unsophisticated 6-speed torque converter. However, the Taisor is just over 140kg lighter than the Venue N Line, which could give the Toyota compact SUV a fighting chance when it comes to real-world performance.
| Venue N Line DCT vs Taisor Turbo AT: specifications | ||
|---|---|---|
| Venue N Line | Taisor Turbo | |
| Engine | 3 cyls, 998cc, turbo-petrol | 3 cyls, 998cc, turbo-petrol |
| Power | 120hp | 100hp |
| Torque | 172Nm | 147.6nm |
| Gearbox | 7-speed dual-clutch | 6-speed torque converter |
| Kerb weight | 1202kg | 1060kg |
| Power-to-weight | 99.8hp per tonne | 94.3hp per tonne |
| Torque-to-weight | 143Nm per tonne | 139.2Nm per tonne |
Hyundai Venue N Line vs Toyota Taisor Turbo: 0-100kph times
| Venue N Line DCT vs Taisor Turbo AT: 0-100kph acceleration | ||
|---|---|---|
| Speed (kph) | Venue N Line | Taisor Turbo |
| 20 | 1.60 | 1.09 |
| 40 | 3.46 | 2.75 |
| 60 | 5.66 | 4.99 |
| 80 | 8.64 | 8.04 |
| 100 | 12.59 | 11.86 |
| 120 | 18.25 | 16.70 |
Despite the Venue N Line’s on-paper advantages, the Taisor outperforms it across the board in our real-world testing. The power band of the Taisor’s Maruti-developed 1.0-litre Boosterjet engine seems to kick in much earlier, allowing it to maintain a 0.5-0.7-second lead over the Venue N Line at every speed up to 100kph. Beyond 100kph, the Taisor begins outpacing the Venue N Line by an even bigger margin, as it reaches 120kph 1.55 seconds before the Hyundai compact SUV.
Hyundai Venue N Line vs Toyota Taisor Turbo: in-gear acceleration
| Venue N Line DCT vs Taisor Turbo AT: in-gear acceleration | ||
|---|---|---|
| Speed (kph) | Venue N Line | Taisor Turbo |
| 20-80 | 7.14 | 6.95 |
| 40-100 | 9.46 | 8.49 |
In-gear acceleration results mirror that of the 0-100kph run, where the victory unquestionably goes to the Taisor. From 20-80kph, the difference between the Venue N Line and Taisor is quite close, at 0.19 seconds in favour of the latter. However, the Taisor pulls ahead of the Venue N Line by nearly a full second from 40-100kph.
Autocar India’s testing standards
Before we conduct our performance tests, we check and maintain tyre pressures based on the manufacturer’s recommendation and ensure the car has a full tank of fuel. The car is then tested in a controlled environment with two people on board, and the data is collected via highly accurate GPS-based timing equipment.
The Hyundai Venue N Line range starts at Rs 12.15 lakh and tops off at Rs 13.97 lakh, whereas the Toyota Taisor Turbo variants start at Rs 10.55 lakh and extend up to Rs 13.03 lakh.
All prices ex-showroom, India.
Also see:
Toyota Taisor Turbo vs Hyundai Venue N Line comparison
Next-gen Hyundai Venue India testing begins; launch by festive season
