The Oneida Daily Dispatch (Oneida, NY)
Hyundai claims a piece of the niche with subcompact Venue
You remember the Kia Soul, right?
I mean how could you not, with the dancing hamsters and the hip/rad coolness of the subcompact SUV. Well, sister brand Hyundai now delivers the Venue, a remix of the Soul, but a little more urban and less-hamster like. Manufacturers have had little luck with the oddly shaped subcompacts such as the eliminated Scion xb and Nissan Juke, but Hyundai hopes to deliver big with the Venue.
Current competitors in this market are the Ford Ecoboost and Nissan Kicks. This surpasses those easily.
Fuel economy is a slam dunk with the Venue coming in with a combined 32 mpg, but with only an 11.9-gallon fuel tank. A 1.6-liter, Smartstream four-cylinder engine in the new Venue produces 121 hp and 113 ft.-lb. of torque. Although a CVT transmission is present, or as Hyundai calls it, an IVT, Intelligent Variable Transmission; it actually was quiet and didn’t have the whine of other manufacturers. All of this for $23G, a nobrainer.
The Venue is designed to deliver a subcompact urban SUV with a low price. The styling and hipster-look is free. Three different trim levels range from the base SE to the highest trim, Denim. From leather accompaniments to bigger wheels, the Venue has a fit for all types. We took our Venue SEL tester to Providence for a nice day on the beach.
The Venue was great on back roads as well as the highway; we compiled 32.8 mpg.
The interior of the Venue was really nice but limited on leg room in the rear seats. For a 6-foot, 1-inch stocky male, I
Fuel economy is a slam dunk with the Hyundai Venue.
couldn’t imagine sitting behind me, but for the front driver and passenger, it was very spacious. Its 8-inch infotainment system with navigation was super easy to use and the font was nice and large.
Hyundai and Kia have it figured out when it comes to interior design and style. Apple Carplay and Android Auto were a part of the Premium package for only $1,750, well worth the spend. LED head and tail lights, push-button start and 17-inch wheels were also included.
I was really unsure of the
Venue when I heard Hyundai was delivering it to us, just because I didn’t understand how it fit in the lineup and what market it was designed for. But now we get it: the Venue is one that Hyundai will take advantage of for many years to come, as consumers embrace its coolness — as long as the starting price point stays low.
Hyundai Venue
MSRP: $19,250
As tested: $23,425
MPG: 30 city, 34 highway, 32.8 as tested