Hyundai Venue N Line vs Skoda Kylaq: Turbo-petrol automatic performance compared

For buyers seeking a fun-to-drive compact SUV, the Hyundai Venue N Line and Skoda Kylaq are among the best options in the segment. Both come with direct-injection turbo-petrol engines and snappy automatic transmissions, but which of them is faster in the real world? We put the Venue N Line and Kylaq through our instrumented performance tests to find out. The Venue N Line and Kylaq are powered by 1.0-litre three-cylinder direct-injection turbo-petrol engines, with the Venue N Line making 5hp more and the Kylaq outputs 6Nm more torque. Another major differentiator between the two are their automatic gearboxes, with the Venue N Line coming with a 7-speed dual-clutch transmission and the Kylaq featuring a 6-speed torque converter. Accelerating from a standstill, the Kylaq edged ahead of the Venue N Line as Hyundai DCTs don't allow for aggressive launches. The Skoda stayed in first place throughout the test, but the gap between the two SUVs varied quite a bit at every speed, with a maximum of 0.38 seconds at 40kph and a minimum of 0.05 seconds at 90kph. In the 20-80kph kickdown sprint, the Venue N Line's snappy DCT helped it secure a victory. The Hyundai SUV maintained its lead at all speeds, with the Kylaq coming the closest to it at the 50kph mark – a delta of just 0.08 seconds – before falling behind again and ultimately finishing 0.17 seconds slower than the Venue N Line. The 40-100kph kickdown test was more interesting, with the Venue N Line being marginally quicker to 50kph, but the Kylaq managing to pull ahead by the 60kph mark. Then, the Venue N Line was back in first place at 70kph, where it stayed up until 100kph. At the base level, the Venue N Line DCT is Rs 2.5 lakh more expensive than the Kylaq AT, and their top-spec versions feature an identical price difference too. Both compact SUVs trade punches in terms of real-world performance, so the Kylaq's substantially lower pricing makes it a better deal. That said, the N Line's turbo-petrol DCT powertrain is available for the standard Venue too, priced at Rs 10.92 lakh-14.65 lakh. Setting aside the racier styling elements, the N Line is no different to the vanilla Venue, so you can save a considerable amount if you don't need the sportiness.