The Tata Nexon recently underwent its second major midlife refresh in September 2023, and now it's back with the Dark edition. The Nexon isn't the only sub-4 million SUV in India, though, that comes equipped with an all-black exterior right out of the box. In August 2023, the Hyundai Venue was also introduced in the ‘Knight Edition’ guise, which also features a blacked-out design.
Both vehicles have a striking road presence, but let's take a closer look at how these two blacked-out subcompact SUVs are visually different:
Front
The refreshed Nexon Dark showcases a split-LED headlight setup. All the chrome accents in the bumper have been replaced with black elements, and even the silver skid plate is now black. On the Venue, you'll notice the grille and the ‘Hyundai’ logo finished in a dark black shade. It also features a smoked effect in the headlights, brass inserts in the bumper, and a black finish for the skid plate.
Side
In profile, the Tata SUV boasts 16-inch black alloy wheels, blacked-out ORVM housings, and ‘#Dark’ badges on the front fenders. On the other hand, the Venue Knight Edition comes with black-finished alloy wheels with brass inserts, red brake callipers, roof rails, and ORVMs.
Rear
The rear of the Nexon Dark is characterized by the ‘Nexon’ moniker and bumper, both finished in black. Hyundai has applied a similar finish for its logo and the ‘Venue’ badge on the SUV’s rear, along with the ‘Knight’ emblem. Additionally, the Hyundai SUV features brass accents in the bumper.
Cabin
Both SUVs have an all-black cabin decor that complements the overall nature of their special models. The Nexon comes with black leatherette upholstery featuring the carmaker’s tri-arrow pattern and ‘Dark’ branding on the headrests. In contrast, the Venue Knight Edition offers brass-colored inserts throughout the cabin along with black seat upholstery featuring brass accents. To enhance the sporty and premium interior look the Venue also features metal-finished pedals and 3D designer mats.
Features Lists
Tata has equipped the Nexon Dark with the same features as the standard model, including dual 10.25-inch screens (one for infotainment and the other for driver information), a sunroof, ventilated front seats, wireless phone charging, and a comprehensive safety net with six airbags, a 360-degree camera, and a tyre pressure monitoring system (TPMS).
A sunroof, wireless phone charging, auto-dimming IRVM, an 8-inch touchscreen, and a dual-camera dashcam—two brand-new features on the limited edition—are just a few of the many features that come standard with the Venue Knight Edition. Hyundai also offers safety features like six airbags, a reversing camera, and TPMS.
Powertrain Options
Nexon Dark
- 1.2-liter turbo-petrol: 120 PS power, 170 Nm torque, 6-speed MT, 6-speed AMT, 7-speed DCT*
- 1.5-liter diesel: 115 PS power, 260 Nm torque, 6-speed MT, 6-speed AMT (*DCT- dual-clutch automatic transmission)
Venue Knight Edition
- 1.2-liter N/A Petrol: 83 PS power, 114 Nm torque, 5-speed MT
- 1-liter Turbo-petrol: 120 PS power, 172 Nm torque, 6-speed iMT*, 7-speed DCT (*iMT - intelligent manual transmission)
Prices And Rivals
The Hyundai Venue Knight Edition is priced between Rs 10.13 lakh and Rs 13.48 lakh, while the Tata Nexon Dark is priced between Rs 11.45 lakh and Rs 13.85 lakh. Their direct rivals include the Kia Sonet X-Line and Nissan Magnite Red Edition. Other competitors for these Tata-Hyundai sub-4m SUVs include the Maruti Brezza, Mahindra XUV300, Renault Kiger, and Maruti Fronx crossover.