2020 Hyundai Venue – brand’s smallest SUV debuts

This is the all-new Hyundai Venue, which recently made its world debut at the 2019 New York International Auto Show. The Korean carmaker has plenty of SUVs and crossovers in its line-up already, and the Venue is its latest addition, joining the Kona, Tucson, Santa Fe, Nexo and Palisade.

It’s a small vehicle this, smaller even than the Kona, and there are official dimensions to prove it. The Venue measures 4,036 mm long, 1,770 mm wide, 1,565 mm tall and has a wheelbase of 2,520 mm.

Compared to the Kona, the Venue is 130 mm shorter in terms of length, 30 mm narrower and its wheelbase is down by 81 mm, although its height is marginally more by 15 mm.

Of course, you don’t get the sense that the Venue is that compact, especially when you look at the way it’s styled. The front Cascading grille is a recurring theme on other Hyundai models, while the cube headlamps and slim upper LEDs are reminiscent of the Kona and Nexo.

A slightly protruding lower apron is where you’ll find contrast trim pieces that feature a plus motif on them, which is also applied on the grille mesh. In profile, the Venue is rather interesting to look at, with shoulder and character lines – the latter over the arches – helping to “frame” the door handles when seen under a certain light.

The rising A-pillar leads to a roof that gently slopes towards the rear window, with a two-tone paintjob helping create a “floating” look for the roof. There are eight available exterior colours – Ceramic White, Black Noir, Steller Silver, Galactic Gray, Scarlet Red, Intense Blue, Green Apple and Denim – paired with wheels ranging from 15 to 17 inches in size.

Around the back, a subtle wedge is applied onto the upright tailgate, which blends neatly with the taillights that sport a distinct signature. The central Hyundai and model emblems are ideas seen on the Palisade and Nexo, while further down are the rear fog lamps, reflectors and more of the plus sign-themed trim.

On the inside, the Venue’s cabin adopts a two-tone colour scheme that does make it rather welcoming. Highlights here include a 8-inch touchscreen infotainment system on the dashboard, which is positioned just above its physical buttons and dials, as well as two air vents.

Below that is the switchgear for the single-zone climate control system, while the gear lever, power and USB ports, as well as controls for the available drive modes and heated seats are found on the centre console. The steering wheel and instrument cluster setup are familiar, as they resemble those used in the Kona.

Hyundai also provided a few important figures if you’re still not convinced the Venue is smaller than the Kona, as the former offers a passenger interior volume of 2,602 litres (91.9 cubic feet) compared to the Kona’s 2,665 litres (94.1 cubic feet).

When it comes to cargo capacity, the Venue has 530 litres (18.7 cubic feet) with the 60:40 split-folding seats up, and 903 litres (31.9 cubic feet) with them folded down. By comparison, the Kona offers 544 litres (19.2 cubic feet) and 1,297 litres (45.8 cubic feet) respectively.

The Venue offers an impressive list of driver assistance systems, including Forward Collision-Avoidance Assist (FCA), Lane Keeping Assist (LKA), Blind-Spot Collision Warning (BCW), Driver Attention Warning (DAW) and Rear Cross-Traffic Warning (RCCW).

For now, Hyundai has listed a Smartstream Gamma 1.6 litre four-cylinder as the only available engine for the Venue. The mill is essentially an upgraded version of the previous Gamma engine, benefitting from a high tumble combustion system, dual port fuel injection, improved thermal efficiency and an external EGR cooler.

These enhancements are claimed to improve fuel economy, with Hyundai projecting the Venue to deliver up to 14 km/l (33 mpg) combined. The engine can be paired with either a six-speed manual transmission or Intelligent Variable Transmission (IVT) automatic.

For the curious, the name – Venue – references a “place” people want to be seen in, while the vehicle itself embodies the characteristics of “the place to be.” It’s Hyundai’s nature to name their SUVs after a city of place, although the Venue might need a bit of explaining. Interested?

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Learn more: 2019 New York International Auto Show