By Paul Gover.
A lot of people want a car like the Hyundai Venue.
The accelerating drive out of baby hatchbacks and into similarly-sized SUVs is shifting into top gear and cars like the Venue are the response.
It’s the start of a second wave of baby SUVs that began with the Mazda CX-3 and Honda HR-V, which are both looking outdated and expensive these days.
Priced from $19,990, the Venue is effectively the replacement for Hyundai Australia’s long-term starter car, the aged and pretty awful Accent, and slides in below the Kona in showrooms.
The Venue and Kona are both youthful in their approach, from the design to compact engines and front-wheel drive.
What you see is what you get, and that’s good for people buying their their first or last new car. It’s a practical escape machine for 20-somethings and an easy-to-park city runabout for 60 and 70-somethings.
So the styling is youthful but the design is useful. And there is that easy-to-mount high-rider driving position.
The Venue package also overcomes the visibility problems in far too many new cars, as its blunt ends and boxy middle makes it easy to place for driving and parking.
The size and shape is good for four adults and the boot is pretty big, much bigger than a CX-3 and closer to a Kona, while the finishing in the cabin is typical for the latest Hyundai models. That means a reasonable-sized infotainment system, clear-and-simple gauges, electric windows and aircon from the base model.
It’s possible to pay more for a Venue if you want trickery like big alloy wheels, which are not great for the ride, and upgrading from a six-speed manual gearbox to an automatic with flappy paddles for changing also lifts the showroom sticker.
But the basics are good and the Venue gets along fine, even if the 1.6-litre engine is a bit dowdy and favours fuel economy over performance.
It rides nicely enough, the brakes are fine, and it’s quiet at cruising speeds.
My biggest gripe is that there is, as yet, no ANCAP safety score. It’s missing from the latest www.howsafeisyourcar.com.au rankings, and industry talk suggests it won’t make the top 5-star rating – at least in the base car.
Even so, it’s a welcome newcomer that ticks a lot of boxes for a lot of people.
THE BASICS
Hyundai Venue
Price: from $29,990
Power: 90W/151Nm
Transmission: 6-speed auto, front-wheel drive
Position: baby SUV
Plus: affordable and practical
Minus: no ANCAP rating, engine can be harsh
THE TICK: nicely clears the bar
Score: 8/10
