2021 Hyundai Venue

Pricing for the Hyundai Venue begins around $19,000 for the SE trim. It comes with front-wheel-drive. Standard safety features include forward-collision warning, automatic emergency braking, lane-keep assistance, a feature that monitors for potential driver fatigue, and pedestrian detection. Also notable are automatic headlights, cloth upholstery, air conditioning, cruise control, Bluetooth, an 8.0-inch touchscreen, and wireless Apple CarPlay/Android Auto. The SEL costs around $20,000, adding blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, 17-inch alloy wheels, and automatic climate control. A Premium Package is available for the SEL. It costs about $2,400 and adds heated front seats, LED headlights, LED tail lights, proximity keyless entry, push-button ignition, navigation, power heated mirrors, and a sunroof. All of these options are standard on the Denim trim, which retails just over $22,500. While the SEL is available in several exterior paints and two upholstery colors, the Denim has exclusive dark blue paint, a white roof, and grey cloth seats with dark blue leatherette trim.

The Venue comes with one powertrain across the lineup, which is very efficient for an SUV and provides adequate power. A 1.6-liter four-cylinder engine produces 121 horsepower and 113 pound-feet of torque. Front-wheel-drive is included, with no all-wheel-drive option. The Venue’s small size makes it agile around town, and its suspension remains soft enough for daily driving. It’s not as sporty as some other subcompact SUVs, and Hyundai no longer offers a manual transmission option. The Venue now comes solely with a single-speed continuously variable transmission, which has an available manual-shift mode. One of the Venue’s strong suits is its fuel economy. The EPA estimates it will return 30/33/31 MPG city/highway/combined. Hybrid SUVs tend to have better fuel savings, but they often come with premium price tags.

The Hyundai Venue’s boxy exterior allows it to have an upright driving position and excellent outward visibility, giving it a clear advantage over a sedan. The cabin has a straightforward design and user-friendly features that look similar to other Hyundais. It has the brand’s signature well-padded steering wheel and large climate control dials. Despite its small proportions, the Venue is quite roomy inside. There is good headroom in both passenger rows, with excellent front legroom. Rear-seat leg space is limited, but adults will be comfortable in the back for short trips. In-cabin storage is limited. There are pockets in the doors, cupholders, a glove compartment, and a narrow center console bin. Unfortunately, there aren’t any small-item trays for snacks or a phone. The cargo area behind the rear seats has about 18.7 cubic feet of space, which is quite good, and the tall, squared-off liftgate provides good access to stored items. Folding down the second row opens up an additional 13.2 cubic feet, making the Venue one versatile hatchback. Cloth upholstery is standard on the SE/SEL trims, while the Denim gets a unique color scheme and upgraded seating materials. Many of the Denim’s tech features, like heated front seats and proximity keyless entry, are available on the SEL as part of the Premium Package. Adding the package to the SEL makes it more expensive than the Denim, making the latter the better choice for shoppers who don’t mind its unique color combination.