Our full 2020 Hyundai Venue review with driving impressions is coming to TFLcar.com this weekend. Stay tuned!
Behold the newest and smallest addition to the Hyundai crossover lineup. It’s the all-new 2020 Venue. It’s a boxy sub-compact entry level hatchback, but it’s not what you may think. The Venue is not a Kia Soul in Hyundai’s clothing, and it will not offer all-wheel-drive capability. It’s also about five inches shorter than the already small Hyundai Kona. The Hyundai Venue is a unique-looking and expressive little hatch that can be loaded with the latest technology. It also aims to be one of the lowest priced entry-level cars out there.
2020 Hyundai Venue
It is actually a replacement for the Accent Hatchback that is no longer available in the U.S. The Venue is built on the K2 platform that also underpins the current Accent sedan. It’s a front-wheel-drive setup that is powered by a 1.6-liter naturally aspirated gasoline engine that is rated at 122 hp and 113 lb-ft of torque. The Venue can be had with a 6-speed manual transmission or Hyundai’s latest continuously variable transmission that is called IVT (Intelligent Variable Transmission).
Hyundai says that their design philosophy across the ranger of their cars and SUV – “chess pieces”. The idea is to have all vehicles in their lineup have a relative resemblance, but unique character and shape – similar to chess pieces. The Venue’s wide front grille is meant to give it a larger car’s appearance. There are several unique design touches from the trim on top of the wheel arches to the new reflective tail lights.
Hyundai is estimating the Venue to be rated at 32 mpg combined, although actual EPA fuel economy ratings are not yet available. This is a very competitive number when you consider that most other tiny crossovers such as the Toyota C-HR, Honda HR-V, and Ford EcoSport get combined ratings between 29-30 mpg. Although, the Nissan Kicks is rated at a better 33 mpg combined.
The Venue’s good fuel economy is helped by the cars low curb weight. The base car will have a starting weight of 2,257 lbs. The other help is a good drag coefficient with grille vents in the front and vortex generators on the side.
Space and features
The Hyundai Venue is small and it shows when you look at the cargo volume numbers. It offers 18.7 cubic feet of cargo space behind the rear seats and 31.9 cu-ft with seats folded. This is several cu-ft smaller than most of the competition. Although, the Venue has a trick two-level cargo floor, and a new way to slide the cargo cargo shelf out of the way (see the video).
Here are some other features you may not expect from the Venue. It will be available with several advanced safety technologies: collision avoidance with pedestrian detection, lane keep assist, driver attention warning, and blind spot monitoring. All new Venues will come with an 8-inch center touchscreen. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto integration are both there, as well as Hyundai’s Bluelink infotainment system.
Hyundai has not released the new 2020 Venue pricing yet, although the company did say that the Venue will provide a compelling case to those people who are looking to buy a used vehicle because other brand new crossovers are too expensive. The 2020 Hyundai Venue will go on sale in the United States at the very end of 2019.
Here is how the pricing breaks down for some of the competitors and Hyundai/Kia’s own small cars.
- Nissan Kicks starts at: $18,640 – FWD only
- Toyota C-HR starts at: $21,145 – FWD only
- Ford Ecosport starts at: $19,995 – AWD available
- Kia Soul starts at: $17,490 – FWD only
- Hyundai Kona starts at: $18,740 – AWD available
