2020 Hyundai Venue

By Alex Forrest

Right at the entry level end of Australia’s SUV market is where you will find the Hyundai Venue.

In fact, after the tiny Accent hatchback is phased out, the Venue will be the cheapest car in the entire Hyundai range.  

Not many mainstream car makers have an SUV as the entry level vehicle to their line-up but given the growing trend among consumers to buy SUVs over conventional cars, it could prove to be an astute move.  

So, where the Kona was previously the cheapest Hyundai SUV, now the cheapest Hyundai SUV is the Venue, which is about $2000 cheaper than the Kona, where entry level automatic transmission vehicles are selected.

That means you’ll need $24,965 for the Hyundai Venue Go with and automatic transmission, or $26,961 for the Kona.

While smaller than the Kona, the Venue is very well specified. It gets autonomous braking with pedestrian detection, driver attention monitoring and Apple Carplay and Android Auto.

The list of standard safety gear – even in the entry level variant – deserves praise because it also includes lane keeping assist, which can warn the driver if the vehicle is straying from its lane. If the driver doesn’t respond, the system can gently steer the car to the middle of the lane. 

What the Venue does well is provide good visibility from the driver’s seat. Compared to a light car, the Venue has a taller cabin and as such, there is more window area. The Venue’s extra height will also benefit some drivers.

With the Venue designated as an SUV, you might expect it to offer an all-wheel drive option, but it doesn’t. Most small SUVs are used on sealed surfaces only, and not having AWD also helps keep the price down.

Under the bonnet is a 1.6-litre petrol engine that makes 90kW and 151Nm. It’s no performance car, but when used in its intended role as a city car, it’s quiet, refined and very fuel efficient.

There’s a choice of manual or auto transmissions, both with six speeds. The auto uses 7.2L/100km in the regulation test, while the manual uses 7.0L/100km.

Hyundai Venue Specifications