Three variants are offered: Go, Active and Elite at prices ranging from $19,990 to $25,990 plus on-roads. With the Accent hatchback now dropped Venue becomes the entry-level model in the Hyundai range.
STYLING
Venue’s chunky body is neat and functional without the fussiness of many of its competitors. The front is dominated by a large vertical grille flanked by small stacked headlights, with the profile featuring wide wheel arches, character lines and side cladding which give it a semi-rugged look, as do standard roof rails in all models.
Venue Elite adds further character with two-tone roof and matching mirrors caps.
Wheels sizes and material start at 15-inch steel on the Go, 15-inch alloys on the Active and 17-inch alloys on the Elite.
ENGINE / TRANSMISSIONS
All Venue models are powered by the same 1.6-litre petrol engine with maximum outputs of 90 kW and 151 Nm. The two lower-specced models have the option of six-speed manual or six-speed automatic transmission, the Elite is auto-only.
INTERIOR
The interior has clean lines, well-positioned buttons and controls and a centrally-mounted touchscreen that melds neatly into the dashboard.
Hyundai Venue a flat roofline that provides enough space for all but very tall occupants.
Seats are wide and comfortable and even with the rear seats in use there’s 355 litres of cargo space
SAFETY
Standard across the Venue range are front, side, thorax and curtain airbags; enhanced ABS brakes; electronic stability program; hill-start assist; IsoFix child seat restraint anchors as well as Hyundai’s SmartSense suite that includes driver attention warning; autonomous emergency braking; lane keeping assist; high beam assist and tyre pressure monitoring
The mid-spec Active adds LED daytime running lights and rear parking sensors while the Elite also gets blind spot collision warning and rear cross-traffic collision warning.
INFOTAINMENT
The infotainment system is based around an 8-inch tablet style touchscreen. Standard in all models are Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility, as well as Bluetooth phone and audio connectivity.
There’s a four-speaker audio system in Go with two extra speakers in higher grades.
Elite and Launch Edition add satellite navigation with SUNA live traffic updates and DAB+ digital radio.
Venue comes standard with the Hyundai Auto Link system which pairs with a smartphone app to allow remote access to variety of features.
These include monitoring the driving habits of different drivers including their trip distance and travel time split between business and private if needed; acceleration / braking tendencies; vehicle health check; emergency assist and service alerts.
DRIVING
Despite its compact dimensions Venue feels like a larger vehicle. Entry is relatively easy and seats are comfortable and supportive.
The top outputs of 90 kW and 151 Nm come in at high rpm levels of 6300 and 4850 respectively so Venue seemed aimed at pleasing keen drivers. Automatic versions have a Sport mode in addition to Eco and Normal settings.
Hyundai Venue only weighs between 1140 kg and 1225 kg depending on the variant so it’s still quite agile around town and cruises comfortably in motorway conditions.
Fuel consumption is listed at 7.0 litres per 100 km with the manual gearbox and 7.2 L/100 km from the auto. During our test in the Active auto we averaged 8.1 overall.
Although there is no all-wheel drive option Venue (all are FWD) the automatics feature a Traction Mode system with Snow, Mud and Sand settings to improve performance on slippery surfaces.
SUMMING UP
We should point out here that we have been testing Venue for a couple of months, and probably will be for the next six years or so – because my wife was so impressed during our initial week-long test that it has now replaced the previous very capable, but ageing, Suzuki Swift.
With the grandchild number now up to four, including one six-footer and a three-year old secured with the IsoFix child seat the extra space was certainly welcome.
Most importantly Venue is right up to date with safety equipment as well as having the latest in technology.
Venue comes with a five year, unlimited distance warranty. It has fixed price service every 15,000 km from $259 for the first two years increasing to $339 for the third year and $459 for the fourth.
AT A GLANCE
MODEL LINE-UP
Venue Go: $19,990 (manual), $21,990 (automatic)
Venue Active: $21,490 (manual), $23,490 (automatic)
Venue Elite: $25,490 (automatic)
Note: These prices do not include dealer or government charges. Contact your local Hyundai dealer for drive-away prices.
SPECIFICATIONS (Hyundai Venue Active 1.6-litre five-door wagon)
Capacity: 1.591 litres
Configuration: Four cylinders in line
Maximum Power: 90 kW @ 6300 rpm
Maximum Torque: 151 Nm @ 4850 rpm
Fuel type: Standard unleaded
Combined Cycle (ADR 81/01): 7.2 litres per 100 km
CO2 emissions: 165 g/km
DRIVELINE:
Six-speed manual or six-speed automatic
DIMENSIONS, WEIGHT AND CAPACITIES:
Length: 4040 mm
Width: 1770 mm
Height: 1592 mm
Wheelbase: 2520 mm
Tare weight: 1165 kg
Turning circle: 10.2 metres
Fuel Tank Capacity: 45 litres
BRAKES:
Front: Ventilated disc
Rear: Solid disc
WARRANTY:
Five years / unlimited kilometres
