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Hyundai calls its all-new 2020 Venue crossover an “urban compact SUV.” Translation from PR-speak to English: it’s small, it’s stylish, and you should probably keep it on the pavement. The entry-level, subcompact Venue slots below the Kona; compared to that award-winning crossover, it’s five inches shorter, has 54 fewer horsepower and starts about $3,000 cheaper, at a little under $17,000. It’s targeted at the Venue’s two main demographics: young people and women.
I drove the top-tier Denim trim of the Hyundai Venue for a few days. Like other recent Hyundai/Kia offerings, the Venue feels more expensive than it is, thanks to smart decisions with regard to styling, technology and design. It has greater panache and personality than a car so cheap should.
But the Venue driving experience offers little in the way of dynamism, however. And if you’re hell-bent on buying a small Hyundai crossover, the Kona offers a lot more car for not much more money. Besides, in this price range, there’s ample value in the modestly used market.
The Hyundai Venue’s Denim trim is stylish
When the Venue arrived, my wife looked out the window and asked, “Did you get a Mini?” Consider that a complement: that’s the swanky, urban-centric small-car idea Hyundai was going for. The Denim trim may sound like the garish 1970s Levi’s edition Jeep CJs, but it’s far more upscale.
Tyler DuffyThe exterior is dark blue with a white-painted roof, while the blue interior is color-matched down to the plastic switches, with attractive blue leatherette and denim seats. It goes a long way with cheap materials. (Ward has named the Venue one of its 10 best car interiors for 2020, alongside vehicles that cost more than 10 times as much.)
