AT THE CROSSROADS
The baby SUV is becoming the new starter car. Ride is high, price is low
Hyundai says it is “ahead of the curve” with the new Venue. That’s because the baby SUV will replace the regular Hyundai Accent as the brand’s most affordable model, a decision rivals might follow with high-riding entry points to vehicle ownership.
Most brands aren’t ready to make that commitment but sales of compact crossovers are near double that of regular models — and the gap grows wider every day.
Don’t be surprised to see others follow in Hyundai’s wheeltracks.
HYUNDAI VENUE
Priced from $19,990 plus on-road costs in manual form, the Venue represents the cheapest new Hyundai (the Accent is in runout) and the most affordable car here.
Factor in the six-speed automatic transmission most people require and the Venue will set you back $21,990 plus on-roads, or about $25,690 drive-away.
Equipment highlights include an impressive eight-inch touchscreen with a reversing camera and Apple CarPlay/Android Auto, plus a digital driver display. The five-year warranty impresses, as do the cheapest servicing costs here.
Accounting for safety are six airbags, autonomous emergency braking and lane departure/forward collision warning — enough to get a five star safety score until relatively recently but increasingly strict ANCAP requirements could result in a less than perfect rating when it is tested.
Its styling might be a bigger roadblock. Ordinary at the rear and ungainly in profile, the Venue looks unfortunate at the front. A bluff shape, split headlights and huge grille make it distinctive but not attractive to our eyes.
The interior — setting aside its excellent infotainment screen and crisp driver displays — isn’t a whole lot better, let down by hard plastics on touch points such as the steering wheel, dash and doors. In short, it feels cheap.
Rear room is middle-of-the-road, though few cars in this class are truly impressive. Don’t expect rear air vents or USB outlets at this price.
The Venue’s discount nature is also evident in a noisy and undernourished 1.6-litre fourcylinder engine. Using 7.2L/100km (the most here) and making a less-than-impressive 90kW and 151Nm, it feels stressed when asked to accelerate on a highway or to overtake traffic.
Hyundai masked this with low gearing and a sharp initial throttle response that lends a bit of pep around town but on the open road it’s a different story.
Locally tuned dynamics lend confidence in the corners, with impressive steering feel and a willing attitude. Easy to place, the Venue has a firm and at times nervous ride on less than smooth surfaces, as well as the most road noise in this company.
SUZUKI VITARA
We picked the Vitara for this test because it’s a similar size to the particularly compact Venue.
Priced from $24,490 plus on-roads (or $24,990 drive-away) in entry-level automatic form, the Vitara is an underrated machine worthy of more than a passing glance.
You get a seven-inch screen with Apple CarPlay/Android Auto and a reversing camera, 17-inch alloy wheels and more. The cabin is more polished than the Venue’s, thanks to premium steering wheel with paddle-shifters, padded doors and a middle armrest that doubles as a cover for the centre console.
It drops points for the lack of physical buttons and knobs for the stereo — you swipe alongside the screen to adjust volume. The driver display shows G-forces and brake inputs but not a digital speedo, a baffling choice.
The fundamentals are strong. It has the biggest boot, the most space in the rear and the best driving position with a wide range of adjustment.
Suzuki adopted a five-year, unlimitedkilometre warranty this week but six-month service intervals mean you’ll be back to the dealer twice as often and paying about $1000 more than the Hyundai.
Suzuki also reserves active driver aids such as auto emergency braking for more expensive versions. The five-star ANCAP rating came in 2015 but the same car tested today could never reach that mark.
The turbo engine in premium Vitara grades is sorely missing from the standard car, which makes do with an anaemic 1.6-litre. The claimed 6.0L/100km fuel economy is impressive, less so the modest 86kW/156Nm outputs — it has to work hard.
Suzuki’s automatic gearbox isn’t great at choosing the right ratio, sometimes hunting for the right gear on steady throttle.
The Suzuki is the lightest car here, which is reflected in a rare agility when you turn the wheel. Keen to change direction, the Vitara combines nimble responses with grippy Continental rubber, a settled ride and the best noise suppression of the bunch.
MAZDA CX-3
The most popular model for private buyers, it blends attractive looks with advanced safety tech and relatively powerful 2.0-litre engine.
We asked Mazda for the cheapest automatic CX-3 Neo Sport, which costs $26,990 driveaway — a reasonable $1300 more than the Hyundai — but the brand could provide only a more expensive Maxx Sport.
Priced from $26,200 plus on-road costs or $28,540 drive-away, the Maxx Sport adds alloy wheels and satnav to the basic model.
The CX-3’s standard safety suite is impressive — front and rear autonomous braking, rear cross traffic alert, rear parking sensors and blind spot monitor — and translates to a five-star rating. The five-year warranty and affordable servicing tick important boxes, too.
The Mazda is the only car here with a convenient dial controller for the seven-inch screen but it misses out on Apple CarPlay/ Android Auto unless you pay $495 to have the tech retrofitted.
The cabin is a mixed bag. The CX-3 has the smallest boot and the cozy rear seat is compromised by its swooping roofline, which also impedes over-the-shoulder vision.
Its smart steering wheel, twin driver displays and padded dashboard look great. It’s also the only car here with two USB ports and a central rear armrest.
Effortless in this company, the 110kW/195Nm outputs lend a significant advantage on the road. The engine is quieter in the real world, and its automatic isn’t as vexed by hilly routes.
Slower but still accurate steering makes the CX-3 feel a little more planted and grown-up than the Hyundai or Suzuki, its extra weight reinforcing this notion.
The Mazda also rides closer to the ground, so there’s less body roll. It is midway between the Hyundai and Suzuki for ride comfort and noise suppression.
VERDICT
The Suzuki has a lot going for it but the engine and safety kit miss the mark — we recommend the Vitara Turbo if you can spend another $5000. Hyundai has done a lot of work to shed its bargain basic reputation of old, shifting people toward more sophisticated models but the cheaper Venue harks back to the days when a Hyundai was a compromise rather than a clear first choice. The more expensive Mazda is a better car, especially if you use the rear seat only occasionally. Well-equipped, safe and effortless on the road, the CX-3 is the best choice here.