New Look for Hyundai Venue

Hyundai’s small SUV, the Venue, has been given a new look along with some rejuvenation of the interior and sees an N Line variant – with its own distinct aesthetic added to the range to bring the derivative count to six. 

New look Hyundai Venue with a dominating front grille

Dominating the looks department is a bolder front grille and a refreshed rear end.

I first ‘met’ the Venue at the WesBank Economy Run a few years back and was quite taken with the front grille design – the first of that frame expression that has filtered throughout the Hyundai range since then.

The new grille subtly takes the original intention further and gives the latest version a distinctive look, making it instantly identifiable on the road.

“We have also added a range-topping Venue N Line variant with an individualised grille and several other exteriors and interior design features to accentuate its status,” says Stanley Anderson, sales and operations director of Hyundai Automotive South Africa.

Venue N Line 

“Despite its smaller stature, the new Venue has a distinct road presence with a perky engine and drivetrain, and a set of additional standard features that create a compelling package for buyers in this market segment.”

The new Venue offers three specification levels and two different engines: the Motion as an entry-level derivative, followed by the Fluid version with more design and convenience features and topped by the N Line variant with its signature design features. 

The new front grille has wider dimensions with a cascading chocolate-box appearance, with the indicator light cluster on the far top corners forming a unit with the grille. The headlamps, with daytime running lights in the Fluid and N Line versions, are housed in separate clusters. 

At the rear, the new taillights are joined across the new hatch door with a horizontal strip to form a visual unit. The hatch door is wider at the bottom, thus offering an opening to the luggage area. 

The Venue 1.2 Motion is equipped with 15-inch steel rims with a styled plastic cover, while the 1.0 Turbo Motion variants come with 16-inch wheels with styled plastic covers. All Fluid models have 16-inch alloy rims, while the N Line variant comes with a 16-inch alloy rim. 

The Fluid and N Line derivatives come with a 60/40 split, flat-folding rear seatback, while Motion variants have a solid backseat that can also fold forward to enlarge the luggage area. The rear cargo space features a removable cover for added security.

In the Fluid and N Line versions, the leather-wrapped steering wheel has audio controls and cruise control buttons.

8-inch display audio touchscreen system 

The infotainment system features an 8-inch display audio touchscreen system and rear-view monitor and includes both Apple CarPlay and Android Auto functions.

Additional convenience features include USB and USB-C ports, a Supervision 4,2-inch TFT LCD, a rear-view camera and Bluetooth hands-free phone operation. 

Motion and Fluid derivatives are equipped with a manual air-conditioner, while the N Line features an automatic air-conditioning system. 

Standard safety features include six crash bags – front (2), side-impact (2) and side air curtain (2) – for the Fluid and N Line options, seatbelt pre-tensioners with force limiters, Isofix child seat attachments, and an anti-lock braking system. 

The Motion derivative comes with two crash bags: one for the driver and the front passenger.

Electronic Stability Control (ESC) is a standard feature in all Venue 1.0 Turbo Motion, Fluid and N Line derivatives. Electronic Brake-force Distribution (EBD), which balances braking forces at each wheel when the car is dynamically loaded, and Brake Assist, which provides maximum level braking force to the driver when an emergency stop is necessary, are standard equipment throughout the range. All Venue 1.0 Motion, Fluid and N Line variants come with Hill Start Assist Control.

The engine options are the 4-cylinder Kappa 1,2-litre MPi petrol engine, which delivers 61 kW maximum power and 115 Nm maximum torque in the Motion variant with a 5-speed manual transmission or the 3-cylinder Kappa 1,0-litre TGDi petrol engine delivering 88,3 kW power and 172 Nm maximum torque between 1 500 r/min and 4 000 r/min. 

The turbocharged engine is for the Motion, Fluid and N Line variants, coupled with either a 6-speed manual transmission or a 7-speed Dual Clutch Transmission. The 6-speed manual transmission recorded fuel consumption of 6,5 l/100km and 6,9 l/100 km for the Dual Clutch Transmission version.

The Venue’s suspension has McPherson-type struts with a stabiliser bar and coil springs up front, while a coupled torsion beam axle with coil springs services the rear.

After my first look at the Venue, I took a luggage-laden round trip from Durban to Johannesburg and back and came away impressed with the tractability and handling of that small engine, even tackling the likes of Van Reene’s Pass.

Hyundai Venue rear view 

In the new version, this has not changed – a full test will be published soon.

Pricing

The retail price includes Hyundai’s 7-year / 200 000 km warranty, 7-year / 150 000 km roadside assistance, and a 3-year / 45 000 km service plan. Service intervals are at 15 000 km or annually when applicable.