Hyundai Venue vs Ford EcoSport: The Diesel Battle

The Ford Ecosport has been our pick in the compact SUV market when it comes to a premium offering. It looks butch, is loaded with features, has a torquey 1.5-liter diesel mo-tor and offers an up market feel that other options like the Brezza and XUV300 lack. But how does it fare in front of the new kid on the block, the Venue?

We drove both the 1.0 DCT as well as the 1.4 diesel Venue last week. At the same time, we also have an Ecosport diesel in our long-term fleet and hence the idea behind this arti-cle. Let's tackle each parameter one by one.

Both the vehicles adhere to the sub 4m compact SUV norms and in terms of length, there isn’t much to talk about. While the EcoSport is 3mm longer, the Venue is 5mm wider but these are minor figures. However, the EcoSport is a good 57mm taller which gives it high-er road presence. Likewise, this Ford SUV also comes with a rear tailgate mounted spare wheel which none of the other options in the segment provide.

Likewise, the EcoSport has a butch stance and follows design lines that are typical of a SUV. But there is no taking away from the fact that the Venue will steal away the limelight thanks to its aggressive and striking front end. The massive grille, slim indicators and the squarish DRLs give it a clear edge over the Ecosport. The side profile is clean and makes it look like a younger sibling of the Creta. At the back, while the Ecosport scores marks with the spare wheel, the Venue hits back with neat and clutter free lines.

Round one then seems to be a tie. The EcoSport satisfies those looking at a SUV while the Venue is more of a modern, smart offering that corporate junkies will prefer.

We all have been a fan of the way the EcoSport makes you feel on the inside. The overly black theme works well, features are impressive and the seats hug you oh so well. The screen works really well to your inputs and the Ecosport manages to scoop out 350 liters of space in the boot.
The Venue catches up on this parameter too. The hard plastics on the upper part of the fascia aside, it's got a cleaner cabin design, practical storage spaces and equally good seats. The speedometer console is far better on the one seen on the EcoSport but if even offers slightly better rear legroom along with dedicated rear vents. Boot space is similar to that of the EcoSport and feature list it better too. Wireless charging, air purifier and Blue Link set up for example.

Round two then goes to the Venue

The EcoSport first. It comes with a 1.5-litre mill that is good for 100 bhp of power and 205 Nm of torque. This is the same engine that powers the Figo, Aspire and the Freestyle. The USP here is the minimal turbo-lag and an almost flat power curve plus the smoothness of offer. It's hard to believe how Ford could off this last aspect so well. With the air-con run-ning and fan on speed number 2, you can barely hear the engine running under the hood. At a rated 23 kmpl, the Ecosport diesel is fairly economical too.

But the Venue isn’t far behind. The 1.4-litre mill is the same that powers the i20, Creta and the Verna. It produces 10 bhp less than the EcoSport but has 20 Nm of torque extra on offer. This is what makes the Venue better in terms of performance. Turbo lag isn’t as well controlled as the EcoSport’s but once the torque kicks in, the Venue 1.4 is hard to catch. Further, it comes with a 6-speed manual box (5 on the EcoSport) and this allows for relax-ing high-speed cruising. At 23.7 kmpl (ARAI certified), it is slightly more efficient than the Ford offering. We like the gear shift quality and the light clutch too and the reason why round number 3 goes to the Venue too.

The Venue feels similar to any new age Hyundai offering. Light steering, easy to drive, good visibility and light controls. Isn’t this what most buyers look for in the first place? Ride quality is decently good too, with the Venue absorbing most undulations in a positive man-ner. We drove the car with four on board and even yet, it did not wallow at the rear at higher speeds. Talking of which, as speeds rise, the steering continues to offer good amount of feedback.

But the EcoSport is better in terms of dynamics. It remains a better handling SUV and you will enjoy this more over a set of twisties as compared to the Venue. That said, the higher versions with 17-inch wheels suffer from a hard ride quality as compared to the Venue. But it's a small compromise to pay for a rewarding drive experience.

Round four is a tie it seems then.

The Venue 1.4 diesel starts at Rs 7.75 lakh onwards ex-showroom Delhi for the base ver-sion. Features are lacking but this price point, it makes it an extremely good proposition for those looking at upgrading from a small car. The diesel EcoSport on the other hand starts at Rs 8.43 lakh and goes all the way to Rs 11.90 lakh. Dealers will provide some level of discounts and offers to sweeten the deal for serious buyers.

The EcoSport has been a good compact SUV for those looking at premium-ness, driving pleasure and peace of mind. Running costs too are low and the same is reflected on Ford’s website.
But the Venue has turned our attention towards it. Striking looks, easy to drive, an ade-quate engine and a long list of features, this compact SUV is hard to ignore. In the end though, both the SUVs will satisfy their own owners in a good way - no disappointment ei-ther way!