Contemporary Compact Crossover
Hey, I like alliteration. Cheap could also work as it’s both applicable to the car and a ‘C’ word. Just lacks the hard ‘C’ sound. The Venue is the most affordable way to get into Hyundai’s line of raised cars. I won’t call it an SUV. But virtually all automakers seem to classify and market Crossovers and SUV’s in the same category. The Venue takes some inspiration from the Veloster N, in the sense that there’s all sorts of visual fun going on. Lime green accents, funky square-spoke wheels and some fun touches on the interior give the car a lot of flair. Does that actually make it fun to drive? Does it even matter? Let’s take a stroll down Hyundai’s new (a)Venue.
The Venue gets its grunt from a 1.6L engine good for 121 horsepower. It’s not a hair-raising figure and it doesn’t need to be. The peppy engine benefits the car’s diminutive stature. Our tester featured a CVT transmission but if you really want to do your own shifting, the base trim level is available with a 6-speed manual. This is an urban runner though. It thrives in small, tight spaces. Manuals are fun and all but clutch in, clutch out constantly in stop and go traffic isn’t always the most thrilling thing.
Even at base trim, the Venue comes pretty nicely equipped. Standard inclusion of Android Auto and Apple Carplay adds some much welcomed entry-level versatility to the Venue, provided you have enough cellular data to make use of it. Our ‘Trend’ trim adds features like blind-spot monitoring, lane change assist, push-button start, 17-inch alloy wheels, remote start and the lime green accents. The optional ‘Urban Edition’ pack gives you LED lights and two-tone paint, but you lose your sunroof, for some reason. Hyundai calls the lime green exterior colour ‘Yellow’ but calls it ‘Lime’ on the inside. They look the same. The fun paint jobs all feature contrasting accent colours. White with black accents is the default tone. Every other optional paint job is only $200 more. You can even get an awning or a full on tent for when you want to take your Venue off the beaten path.
Despite the way it looks, the Venue is, essentially, a hatchback on stilts. It’s still a practical car but the cabin and cargo space is going to be a little more cramped than you might expect, just based on how it looks. Taller passengers will find it cramped in the back. All that successful swiping on tinder will have to be dealt with elsewhere. Cargo space isn’t as generous as you’d find in competing vehicles, but the rear seats do fold down for some extra room. How many grocery trips do you go on that need a full trunk’s worth of room anyway? I picked up my dad from the airport and his luggage fit without issue anyway.
Driving the Venue is honestly not bad at all. The power isn’t going to surprise you, but its nimbleness just might. It was a champ at getting around suburban and city streets with ease. Visibility and handling is honestly quite fine. Fuel economy isn’t bad either, but was a little worse than I expected. Hyundai says it’ll get between 7 and 8.0 L/100km. We averaged around 8. But I will admit I’m not always the most economical driver. I don’t go out of my way to hypermile. The cabin isn’t the most quiet and is laden with hard plastics. But the cost cutting has to come in somewhere. There’s also no AWD but just get a decent set of winter tires. You’ll be fine.
Visually, the Venue won’t be to everyone’s taste, and that’s okay. It looks a little silly, a little funky and doesn’t take itself too seriously. Even if it’s not the most outright fun thing to drive, it doesn’t have to be. It does what it does very well, and for a good price. And for that reason, I like it a lot. Value for money, features and economy is a high point. The faults are, all things considered, relatively minor. The lack of AWD might be a turnoff, but AWD is NOT a safety feature people. Despite its shortcomings, the Venue presents good bang for your buck in a charming little oddball of a car. I mean that in a good way. Like if Billie Eilish was a car.
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