WHEELS: HYUNDAI VENUE
The family sedan has been swept aside by a tidal wave of SUVs. Compact SUVs, in particular, are more popular than ever. Into this crowded market comes the curiously named Hyundai Venue…
“The all-black fit and finish reminds you of a groom’s suit, but there are some playful accents like chrome inserts and a colourful 8-inch touch screen – a bit like the groom wearing a pair of SpongeBob SquarePants socks.”
According to Hyundai, the name of their latest SUV should remind you of a memorable place, but “venue” sounds like wedding jargon. Sure, it could be a fancy venue like an upmarket wine farm outside Franschhoek, but it could also be a hall at the back of the Joubertina country club. Some venues are so sad that you really need all of Jemima the florist’s ribbons and chiffon to cheer it up.
Fortunately you don’t need Jemima to jazz up the Hyundai Venue, since it’s already quite a nice place to be. The all-black fit and finish reminds you of a groom’s suit, but there are some playful accents like chrome inserts and a colourful 8-inch touch screen – a bit like the groom wearing a pair of SpongeBob SquarePants socks.
The exterior design is also attractive, in line with Hyundai’s other products. If you take a quick glance it might remind you of a Volvo XC40 or even an Audi Q5. It’s like that second cousin at the bar who looks a bit like Patrick Swayze…
There are five Venue models to choose from: two base models (Motion) available with either a manual transmission or a dual-clutch automatic gearbox; two middle-of-the-range models (Fluid) also in manual and auto; and the flagship, called the Glide, which is only available with a dual-clutch transmission.
All five models use the same perky 998 cc turbo-charged petrol engine. In terms of performance, the automatic models match the Volkswagen T-Cross, which was launched a few months ago. But the manual models are actually the pick of the bunch since you can squeeze the most power out of the little engine. It’s not that the autos are bad, it’s just that the manuals are better – a bit like comparing your own agricultural two-step to the dance moves of the Patrick Swayze lookalike who has had a lesson or ten at Arthur Murray.
The suspension is not too stiffly sprung and
will soak up the bends on a mountain pass, and the short wheelbase gives the Venue a sense of urgency when you put your foot on the pedal. There are some excellent competitors – cars like the Ford EcoSport, Honda BR-V, Renault Captur and obviously the VW T-Cross. But the Venue’s engine, mated to a manual transmission, feels livelier than all of them. The BR-V’s fourcylinder engine runs more smoothly than the three-cylinder engines of the others, but it has less luggage capacity (only 223 ℓ, compared to 455 ℓ in the T-Cross and 350 ℓ in the Venue). The EcoSport is quite old, but it has the biggest fuel tank of the bunch – almost 10 ℓ more than the others. The load capacity of the Captur is 574 kg, slightly less than the Venue’s 585 kg, but more than the T-Cross’s 455 kg.
Yes, there’s stiff competition in this segment, with an oversupply of compact SUVs that will all leap for the bride’s bouquet. That said, you won’t make a mistake if you toss it the way of the Venue.