There is no denying the Hyundai Venue is grabbing all the attention. And why not! Not only will it become Hyundai Motor India’s first-ever sub-4 metre SUV but also introduce a range of connected-car features which are unheard of in any of the mass-market segments. At an event held today, Hyundai detailed what those features will be. But before doing that, it also released some design sketches of the Venue. You have to agree; the Venue looks funky. Inside and out.

Obviously, the end product won’t as outlandish as the sketches. However, there are certain design cues which will remain. At the front, the cascading front grille with chrome filling will be flanked by two sets of forward-facing lights. The rectangular LED DRLs surround the bottom units, which have a dual-barrel layout. Also noteworthy are the projector units. It is currently unclear what the units at the top will house. We believe the parking lamps and the turn indicators will find space there.

We’ve already seen that the Venue will get dual-tone alloy wheels, which could span 17 inches in size. At the top, the roof rails and the rear spoiler add to the sporty character of the Venue. The back end looks neat. The rectangular taillamps at either end and an uncluttered boot lid do seem reminiscent of a German carmaker’s design ethics. The bottom half comprises of a bumper with faux diffuser and, possibly, reversing lights at either end.

Inside the cabin, the dashboard layout will remain almost identical. Right in the centre of the dashboard is an 8.0-inch touchscreen infotainment system which will become the control centre for Hyundai’s BlueLink technology. Right beneath the display are physical buttons for map, navigation, setup, media, radio etc. Then there are three funky-looking round dials and the middle one has a display for automatic climate control. There is also an engine start/stop button. As far as the centre console is concerned, it seems to have a dial and a couple of buttons right behind the gear shift lever. In front of that, there is some empty space which, we believe, will be used for a wireless mobile phone charger. And, finally, the IRVM will have three dedicated buttons to activate certain connected-car features.

There is no official confirmation on the specs of the Hyundai Venue. However, it is expected to get three engine options – two petrol and one diesel. The diesel could very well be the same 1.4-litre unit that does duty in the Hyundai Verna. For petrol, the carmaker is likely to utilise the 1.2-litre engine from the Elite i20 and also debut a 1.0-litre, 3-cylinder turbocharged engine. Needless to say, the option for manual and automatic transmissions will also be part of the package.

The Hyundai Venue will make its world premiere at this year’s New York International Auto Show on April 17, 2019. Simultaneously, it will also make a debut in India. Hyundai India has confirmed that the Venue will launch on May 21, 2019. Once it is in the market, it will compete with the like of the Tata Nexon, Maruti Suzuki Vitara Brezza, Ford EcoSport, Mahindra XUV300 and the Honda WR-V.