2020 Hyundai Venue: A bold value statement

The newest crossover to join the Hyundai lineup is the Venue, slotting below the subcompact Kona. Hyundai built the Venue from the ground up as a stylish urban crossover for the U.S. for the price of a ho-hum economy car — a play that could even convert some used-car shoppers into new-vehicle buyers, and land the brand new customers. The Venue's power comes from a 1.6-liter engine mated to a six-speed manual transmission or an optional continuously variable automatic. Here's a roundup of snippets of Venue reviews from the automotive media.

"While there was certainly some engine whine, I didn't get the feeling that hamsters were powering the 1.6-liter, four-cylinder engine. It got up to speed and merged with traffic without too much effort. Then the Venue settled into the drive, feeling planted and solid amongst the much larger vehicles surrounding us. That's exactly when it hit me: This is an awesome little SUV."

— Jill Ciminillo, Auto Exotica

""espite a small amount of power, the Venue has comfortable if not quick acceleration. It certainly feels peppier than the Kicks, even though they both have similar power and weight. The engine thrashes and buzzes at high rpm. The CVT works fine, but has a bit of a rubber band-response to throttle inputs. The set ratios for the manual mode make it feel sportier, and it shifts between them smoothly and promptly. We haven't had an opportunity to try the manual version, though the Accent with the same engine and a six-speed manual has proven to have a positive shifter and good clutch feel, so we would expect similar for the manual Venue.

The Venue also strikes a good balance between ride and handling. Most bumps are smoothed out, and only large ones result in a bit of floatiness. Going over multiple successive bumps doesn't make it feel jittery and unsettled. In corners, the Venue turns in quickly and the body doesn't roll much. It does understeer quite a bit. The steering is weighted well and it builds up resistance with more input, but does so with an artificial springiness."

— Joel Stocksdale, Autoblog

""hat surprised me most about the Venue was how composed and balanced it felt even at highway speeds. While you'll still feel bumps and potholes and uneven pavement, especially because of the Venue's short, 99.2-inch wheelbase, it does a good job of isolating occupants and keeping the ride feeling smooth. Steering feel is also good for the class, but you'll never confuse the Venue for a sports car."

— Brian Normile, Cars.com

""n Florida's Highway 1 between downtown Miami and Key Largo, the Venue's reasonably comfortable ride was complemented by a reasonably quiet interior. The 1.6 Smartstream certainly feels peppier than its 121 ponies would suggest, though the engine loudly drones under full throttle, and there's a good deal of suspension squat, both which likely contribute to any perceived acceleration thrills. Still, you won't feel uncomfortable squirting into adequately sized traffic gaps."

— Todd Lassa, Automobile

""round town, the Venue feels quicker and more confident. Its small footprint, firm suspension and quick helm make it easy to dart between lanes. While the engine's throttle response is a bit lazy, the Venue has enough grunt to motor away from stoplights without struggling to keep up with traffic. But we do wish the brake pedal felt more linear and had a stronger initial bite."

— Eric Stafford,

Car and Driver

"" 1.6-liter engine paired with a CVT may not sound like a recipe for fun, but Hyundai has managed to make all 121 horses pull their weight, helped by a quiet and well-sorted transmission. Flooring the accelerator won't make the front wheels spin for half a minute, like in a TV-show car chase, but the Venue serves what power it has with very little drama, and, most importantly, not a lot of engine or transmission noise.

Hyundai set me loose in the Venue in Miami — not a part of the country known for twisty roads, but rather for twisted traffic. This offered plenty of opportunity to see how the Venue behaves amid unbehaved conditions, which seemed to be in generous supply all along my route.

And it behaves very well, which goes for the suspension and steering, too. Hyundai kept the steering tuned for comfort, but this hasn't translated into a lazy response. To the contrary, this small crossover can maneuver well while soaking up plenty of bumps, all without letting too much noise into the cabin. And with wheels at the far corners of its footprint, the Venue feels planted with reasonably sharp road manners. Ride quality is greatly helped by the fact that there is plenty of tire sidewall on the 17-inch wheels — so the model strikes a nice balance between comfort and road feel, even if the steering is a bit on the numb side."

— Jay Ramey, Autoweek