ROAD TEST | Hyundai Venue N Line makes the right sounds

Driving a vehicle for a few days exposes you to certain aspects of it, but only when you drive it over a prolonged period do you begin to pick up on the nuances.

The recently launched Hyundai Venue N Line joined us as one of our extended test vehicles over the festive season, and living with it has allowed us to get acquainted with it on an intimate level.

For the first time, the Venue is available in N Line trim, Hyundai's performance-orientated styling package crafted to resemble its full-cream N models. N Line styling cues are subtle on the Venue, particularly with the exterior. You get an N Line-specific grille and 16-inch alloys that are model-specific. Of course, badging is also included as a reminder of its range-topping N Line credentials.

Its cabin feels like the real deal and oozes sportiness, thanks to the N Line steering wheel, gear selector and branded leather seats. This variant is also kitted with a standard sunroof which provides complete concealment from the scorching summer rays when the shade is closed.

Driving down to the coast in the Venue, we were pleasantly surprised by the electronically adjustable driver's seat and a drive mode rotary dial on the centre stack, which is exclusive to this variant. It has Comfort, Eco and Sport settings. Powered by a 1.0-litre, three-cylinder turbo-petrol engine, we weren't expecting much from the Venue's most potent driving mode, Sport. However, the single-litre engine digs deep and with forced induction does feel noticeably alert.

When purchasing these modern small-capacity engined cars, size and displacement are used in the sales pitch but very little is said of the fuel economy. Naturally, one assumes the smaller the motor the more frugal it will be. This isn't the case with many of these new crops of vehicles, including our trusted holiday steed.

Traversing the N3 from one end to the other, the Venue's average fuel consumption reading was 6.8l/100km, a steep figure for open road driving in a small vehicle with a single occupant. It didn't get any better around town, returning an average of 8.1l/100km.

If paying attention to things like fuel consumption isn't high on your priorities list, you'll enjoy the Venue's peppy nature from its 88kW and 172Nm delivery. We certainly did, when we chose to ignore its unsettling consumption.

That, along with its spruced exhaust note producing faint blips when the seven-speed DCT transmission drops gears. On the contrary, the dual-clutch can become irksome when driving in town with its delayed coupling when pulling off, occasionally causing you to roll backwards.

Aside from its drivetrain irks, the Venue is a pleasure to pilot around town, where it feels most at home and takes the effort out of driving. Although, it doesn't feel as settled on the highway and requires constant correction – something you wouldn't notice on a daily commute, but becomes perceptible over a 500km+ round drive.

We enjoyed its youthful character from an aesthetic and driving perspective. It has enough room to house four adults, but you wouldn't want to push your luck because the added weight does affect its performance.

At R449,900, the N Line errs on the costly side, though it undercuts rival contenders such as the Volkswagen T-Cross R-Line which kicks off at R511,100.

For R50,000 less you could also consider the range-topping Kia Sonet EX+, which uses the same powertrain as the Venue, but without the sporting appeal of a bespoke styling line.