.jpg?q=50&fit=contain&w=1140&h=&dpr=1.5)
The Venue is a subcompact crossover SUV from the Hyundai stable. Constructed on the Hyundai-Kia K2 platform, which is also shared with the Hyundai Accent and Kia Sonet, the Venue turned out to be an instant hit on the American market due to its quirky styling, roomy cabin, and value-for-money price tag.
With the launch of the 2022 Hyundai Venue, which is available for a base price of $19,000, this SUV carries forward the ethos of the outgoing model without any major changes. The only change is the Denim trim being replaced by the Limited trim. However, no features and powertrain changes are made. Competing with the likes of Mazda CX-30, Kia Soul, and Volkswagen Taos, here are 10 things you need to know before buying the 2022 Hyundai Venue.
10 Spacious Cabin
Even though the exterior length, width, and wheelbase are much lower than the rivals of the segment, the cabin is one of the most spacious in the subcompact SUV segment. Getting into the cabin is an easy affair as the doors open wide and the stepping height is not too high off the ground. Along with that, the leatherette and fabric upholstery offered with the Limited trim gives excellent comfort while driving.
The headroom and legroom for both the front and rear row passengers are sufficient, and even the taller adults would have no major issues fitting inside. The shoulder room of 53.7" is better than the Ford EcoSport too, making the rear seat quite comfortable for three adults. There are multiple interior storage spaces and a decent 18.7 cu ft of cargo space.
9 Long List Of Driver-Assistance Features
Like the previous model year, Hyundai hasn't skimped on any of the driver-assistance techs. The standard features include forward-collision warning, automated emergency braking, lane-departure warning, lane-keeping assist, and driver-attention monitoring. The features like blind-spot monitoring and rear cross-traffic alert are offered with the SEL and Limited trims too.
Apart from that, the basic safety features like ABS with EBD, airbags, traction control, stability control, side-impact beams, tire pressure monitoring system, and backup camera are standard for all the trims. When it comes to the safety rating, the 2022 Venue received an overall crash safety rating of 4-stars in the NHTSA crash test and the 2022 top safety pick title in the IIHS crash test for the small SUV segment.
8 Offers Value For Money
Coming at a base MSRP of just $19,000 and going all the way to an MSRP of $22,250, the 2022 Hyundai Venue dethrones all the segment rivals when it comes to value. Even the top-of-the-line trim of the Venue turned out to be cheaper than the base trims of the Mazda CX-30 and Subaru Crosstrek.
If you get the Limited trim, the Venue is going to come with a dual-tone color scheme, 8" touchscreen infotainment system, LED headlights with LED DRLs, heated seats, remote engine start, 17" wheels, and a sunroof. Many of these features are not offered with the similarly priced trims from the CX-30, EcoSport, and HR-V, making the Venue a better choice in the segment.
7 Quirky Design
The exterior design of the Hyundai Venue is quite different from any of its rivals, and this quirky appearance does help it stand out pretty well. The front end gets the hexagonal grille with chrome elements, LED headlights with LED DRLs, silver lower bumper accents, and a masculine hood design. The wide dimension gives it the required SUV character, too.
The 17" wheels with contrast elements, sharp character lines, and the smaller length and wheelbase add to the youthful character of the ride. The silver roof rails, black cladding, and the dual-tone color palette for the Limited trim look cool too. The rear end gets a balanced design with LED taillights, a silver skid plate, and a neatly integrated rear spoiler.
6 Mediocre Highway Performance
Under the hood of the 2022 Hyundai Venue lies the 1.6-liter DPI naturally aspirated inline-4 motor, producing 121 hp and 113 lb-ft of torque. This motor comes mated to a CVT automatic transmission and the power is put down through the front wheels only. This helps the SUV to do 0-60 mph in 8.5 seconds and the quarter-mile run in 16.7 seconds.
The performance numbers offered by the Venue are nowhere as competitive as that of the Mazda CX-30 and Honda HR-V, and that shows the moment you take this subcompact SUV out on the highways. The engine and transmission struggles during fast overtakes on the highway, the sensitive steering is not confidence-inspiring, and the ride quality can be a deal-breaker to many.
5 Not The Best In Terms Of Refinement
When it comes to the powertrain, we found the Mazda CX-30 to be the benchmark for the refinement. The motor sounds sweet higher up the rev range, and the vibrations and harshness are well under control. However, the 2022 Venue is a bit loud and noisy when doing the speed limit on the highway.
The laggy CVT transmission makes the traveling experience underwhelming, as the engine goes all the way to the redline whenever you step hard on the throttle. This is not going to be a comfortable experience. Apart from that, the overall road noise, wind noise, and tire noise are on the higher side, unlike the more expensive offerings from Kia and Hyundai.
4 Sharp Brakes
The braking performance sees no changes from the older model years, and it still feels precise and progressive whenever you push on the brake pedal. The braking feedback offered by the brake pedal is impressive, and the ABS only kicks in when it is absolutely necessary.
The 70-0 mph braking distance is 162 feet, and that is one of the lowest of the segment. We also found the front-end dive to be less than the EcoSport and the Taos, and the brake fade is minimal too. Along with that, the braking features like ventilated front discs, ABS with EBD, brake assist, and hill hold control are standard for all the trims.
3 Feature-Packed Infotainment System
The 8" touchscreen infotainment system is present in the center of the dashboard and is generally a breeze to use. The multiple hard buttons and knobs and the excellent touch sensitivity make sure that the infotainment doesn't let you down in any way. The interface is very easy, and even the tech illiterates would have no problems figuring out the system.
When it comes to the features, everything, including Android Auto, Apple CarPlay, Bluetooth, USB ports, voice recognition, and navigation, is standard. The 6-speaker audio system of the SEL and Limited trims get the job done, however, the base variant comes with a mediocre 4-speaker audio system.
2 Bumpy Ride Quality
The stiffly sprung suspension setup of the Hyundai Venue comes with no changes to this model year as well, and that makes it not the most comfortable offering of the segment. The low-speed ride quality is pretty bumpy, and the suspension does manage to jostle the passengers much higher than any of the rivals.
In comparison, the Mazda CX-30 had a more composed ride quality, due to the neutral suspension setting it came with. Even when it comes to the highway ride quality, most of the road undulations and potholes do filter into the cabin of the 2022 Venue, which is something that we do not appreciate.
1 Fuel Efficiency Is Worse Than The Nissan Kicks
The 2022 Hyundai Venue can do 29 MPG in the city and 33 MPG on the highway. The combined gas mileage of 31 MPG doesn't top the fuel efficiency chart, and the mediocre tank capacity of 11.9-gallons means that the range is subpar. The 2022 Venue can do 345 miles in the city or 392 miles on the highway with a full tank of gas.
Even though the fuel efficiency offered by the Venue turned out to be superior to the likes of the Mazda CX-30, Honda HR-V, and Subaru Crosstrek, the same cannot be said about the tank range due to the bigger tank capacity offered by the rivals. However, the Nissan Kicks offered the best in class combined gas mileage of 33 MPG.