2020 Hyundai Venue Review

Name: 2020 Hyundai Venue Review
Brand: Hyundai

Price Range: $14,499 - $19,998

Hyundai Venue Denim 4dr Hatchback Exterior

Hyundai Venue SEL 4dr Hatchback Exterior Shown

+101

Hyundai's smallest SUV, the Venue, packs a lot into a very compact package. It excels at everyday tasks and is comfortable enough to take on a road trip. It's a great value, too, and comes with most of the latest safety and technology features. If you want something more practical and stylish than a subcompact sedan, it'll be worth your time to check out the Venue.

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2020 Hyundai Venue Review

byReese Counts^{Vehicle Test Editor
Reese Counts has worked in the automotive industry since he started as an intern at Edmunds in 2015. He has written or edited thousands of car-related articles and tested and reviewed hundreds of vehicles over the course of his career. Reese is a vehicle test editor at Edmunds and has also contributed to Autoblog. Reese has also been featured on Yahoo! Finance, Engadget and AOL reviewing cars and covering automotive technology, auto shows and more. Reese learned to drive in his father's C4 Chevrolet Corvette and now owns his grandfather's 1999 Mercedes-Benz C43 AMG. A love for cars runs deep in his family.}

Pros

Smart packaging produces good cargo capacity for its size
Standard Android Auto and Apple CarPlay
Impressive array of available driver aids

Cons

Engine sounds and feels a little coarse at higher speeds
All-wheel drive isn't offered
One of the smaller extra-small SUVs in the class

What's new

All-new model
Smaller than a Hyundai Kona
Abundance of available tech and driver aids
Kicks off the first Venue generation

Overview

Hyundai takes the subcompact SUV to new dimensions — tinier dimensions, that is — with the new 2020 Venue. It serves as the bookend for the small side of the brand's SUV lineup. It's dwarfed by the already diminutive Hyundai Kona, measuring a full 5 inches shorter, but it still technically seats up to five passengers. Even so, calling the Venue a true SUV requires a certain linguistic flexibility. Instead, the Venue represents an increasing number of vehicles that combine crossover styling with the stance and handling abilities of a traditional hatchback.

Cost to Drive^{Cost to drive estimates for the 2020 Hyundai Venue SE 4dr Hatchback (1.6L 4cyl 6M) and comparison vehicles are based on 15,000 miles per year (with a mix of 55% city and 45% highway driving) and energy estimates of $3.05 per gallon for regular unleaded in Virginia.}

Monthly estimates based on costs in Virginia

$125/mo

$158/mo

Avg. Compact Car

Calculate my fuel costs

Under the hood of the Venue sits a four-cylinder good for 121 horsepower. That's not a whole lot of power for a modern car, but it's enough to get the Venue zipping up on freeway onramps without too much trouble.

Hyundai pairs the engine to a continuously variable automatic transmission or a six-speed manual transmission. The latter is a rare offering in this class of vehicle and helps make the Venue a little more fun to drive. All Venues are front-wheel-drive with no option for all-wheel drive, though Hyundai says using the Snow driving mode can help keep power on the ground when the road is slippery.

Overall, we're pleased with how the Venue turned out. You can read more about it in our Expert Review.

Edmunds Expert Rating

Our Verdict^{The Edmunds Vehicle Testing Team evaluates a fresh batch of vehicles every week, pairing objective assessments at our test track with real-world driving on city streets, freeways and winding roads. The data we gather results in our Expert Ratings. They’re based on 30-plus scores that cover every aspect of the automotive experience.}

Average

7.4

out of 10

edmunds TESTED

Rated for you by America's best test team.

Performance

7/10

How does the Venue drive? From a behind the wheel, the Venue is perfectly adequate across the board. You'll have no issue commuting, running errands, or taking a cruise to the beach or lake. Acceleration is about average for this class, which is not fast by most accounts. At our test track the Venue needed 9.4 seconds to get up to 60 mph.

But it's good where it counts for a small city runabout, responding quickly right off the line, with its CVT automatic and easy brakes providing a pretty smooth driving experience overall. It's definitely not an athletic SUV, but its small size keeps it nimble and kind of fun to zip around corners.

Comfort

7/10

How comfortable is the Venue? You might assume based on its small size and low cost of entry that the Venue lacks comfort. Thankfully that's not the case. It's far from a luxurious experience, but the Venue fares well even compared with some larger rivals in its class. The front seats have a nice balance of cushion and support. The rear bench cushion is a bit flat, but there's a good recline to the backrest. Ride comfort can be tricky to maintain in smaller vehicles, but the Venue's is good enough to not beat you up even on longer trips.

The climate control is single-zone only, which makes sense given the Venue's size, and we found it sufficient for keeping the cabin cool. There is some wind and road noise at highway speeds, but nothing out of the ordinary for this class.

Interior

7.5/10

How’s the interior? The Venue's interior is practical and passenger space is better than expected given its short length. It achieves this relative spaciousness through its upright seating. As long as you're not much taller than 6 feet, you should find the Venue relatively accommodating in front and cozy but livable in back. The squared-off doors make it also pretty easy to get in and out of.

The simplicity of the Venue keeps it easy to use. The 8-inch touchscreen infotainment screen is bright, responsive and easy to use. All other controls, buttons and knobs are clearly labeled and arranged logically. Forward and side visibility is pretty good, but your over-the-shoulder view is hampered somewhat by the thick rear roof pillars. The available blind-spot monitoring system certainly helps alleviate this issue when switching lanes.

Technology

7.5/10

How’s the tech? The Venue has just the right amount of technology, and it's easy and straightforward to use. The available six-speaker sound system produces surprisingly good sound that's clear and has a nice amount of punch. The 8-inch touchscreen infotainment/navigation system comes standard with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto smartphone integration. The navigation system is very reminiscent of today's smartphones in look and feel, and real-time traffic information is a nice-to-have.

The advanced safety and driver aids work but seem a bit oversensitive. It's worth noting that adaptive cruise is not offered on the Venue in case that's an important feature on your list.

Storage

7/10

How’s the storage? The Venue is small, so there's only so much you can physically fit inside. We think it makes excellent use of the space it does have, however. There's 18.7 cubic feet behind the rear seats (31.9 cubic feet with rear seats folded), which we found sufficient for everyday use.

The cargo area offers a couple of cool things: an adjustable load floor and a stowable cargo cover. The loading area has a wide opening and is easy to get things into due to the low load height. Up front, there's a sufficient amount of storage space for your personal items. As for child duty, the Venue's car seat anchor points are clearly marked on the seatback and easy to access. But the lack of rear legroom will make it hard to fit a larger rear-facing seat.

Fuel Economy

7.5/10

How’s the fuel economy? The EPA estimates the Venue's fuel economy at 32 mpg combined (30 city/34 highway), a pretty efficient estimate for this class. But we found it tough to match that in our real-world driving. On our highway-heavy 115-mile evaluation route, we averaged a mere 29 mpg. Perhaps it's due to our need to keep up with the flow of California traffic, but we suspect the EPA figures are a bit optimistic for a Venue roaming in the wild.

Value

8.5/10

Is the Venue a good value? Good value? No. We'd call this an excellent value. The Venue is well built and relatively practical. For what you pay, Hyundai packs in a lot of features. Some vehicles start where the Venue tops out on price and don't have the same amount of tech.

Hyundai's warranty is best-in-class. It includes a five-year/60,000 bumper-to-bumper and 10-year/100,000-mile powertrain warranties. Roadside assistance is provided for five years with no mileage limit, and all Hyundais now come with free scheduled maintenance for three years/36,000 miles.

Wildcard

7/10

Is it fun to drive? Not really. The Venue is very utilitarian and that seems to be the core focus. The styling of the Venue is also rather nondescript, blending into the sea of subcompact SUVs. If you want something more distinctive, look elsewhere, at perhaps Mazda's CX-30 or even Kia's Soul or Seltos.

Which Venue does Edmunds recommend?

The base SE offers a good number of features for relatively little money, but we recommend stepping up to the midgrade Venue SEL for a little bit more. It adds features such as automatic climate control and an upgraded sound system that make the Venue a little more comfortable and useful to drive.

Compare 2020 Hyundai Venue trim levels

Helpful trims summary and side-by-side comparison chart

2020 Hyundai Venue models

The 2020 Venue is the most affordable SUV in Hyundai's already value-oriented lineup. It comes in three trim levels: SE, SEL and the stylish Denim trim. Highlight features include:

SE
Starts you off with:

121-hp four-cylinder engine
Front-wheel drive
Automatic headlights
15-inch steel wheels
8-inch touchscreen display
Apple CarPlay and Android Auto smartphone integration
Four-speaker sound system
Automatic emergency braking (warns if a front impact is imminent and applies the brakes if the driver doesn't respond in time)
Lane keeping assist (steers the car back into its lane if it begins to drift over the lane marker)

SEL
The midtier SEL includes the SE features and adds:

15-inch alloy wheels
Armrest storage box
Automatic climate control
Additional USB port
Six-speaker audio system
Snow drive mode

Two optional packages are available on the SEL:

Convenience package:

Sunroof
Sliding armrest
Leather-wrapped steering wheel and shift knob
Blind-spot monitoring (alerts you if a vehicle in the next lane over is in your blind spot)
Rear cross-traffic alert (warns you if a vehicle behind you is about to cross your vehicle's path while in reverse)

Premium package:

LED headlights
Heated front seats
17-inch alloy wheels
Keyless entry and push-button start
Hyundai's Bluelink Connected Car system

Denim
The Denim trim includes almost all of the above. It also has:

Two-tone blue and white paint (the only available color)
Simulated leather seating

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Hyundai Venue Reviews

Owner Reviews

3.8

28 reviews

5(53%)

4(10%)

3(10%)

2(13%)

1(14%)

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Most Helpful Owner Reviews

Simple, reliable compact car with personality

Angelique, 08/07/2020

2020 Hyundai Venue SE 4dr Hatchback (1.6L 4cyl 6M)

I have had my Venue for a couple months now and love it. While the car, judging by the promotional materials about it, is marketed toward single, urban 20-and-30-somethings with lives that are probably more fun than mine, I find it to fit my middle-aged, single working mother lifestyle and budget perfectly. I live in a small city and commute to a more rural part of the county for work …

Solid Small Crossover SUV

Johnny , 08/16/2020

2020 Hyundai Venue SE 4dr Hatchback (1.6L 4cyl 6M)

This car has been nothing but an absolute pleasure to drive. I got the Essential version with the Six Speed Manual Transmission over the Preferred with the CVT and I definitely don’t regret the decision at all. The Six Speed shifts SO SMOOTHLY and truly makes the car in my opinion. There is a few things that could be improved though: no drivers arm rest, no cruise and not to much room in …

Best Hyundai I've Owned

girlgenxer, 06/06/2020

2020 Hyundai Venue SEL 4dr Hatchback (1.6L 4cyl CVT)

This is my 3rd Hyundai, the 2nd I have purchased since they began the 100,000 mile/ 10 year warranty. I traded in a 2010 Hyundai Accent GLS (4 door sedan) for the 2020 Hyundai Venue SEL with both Convenience and Premium packages. I LOVE THIS CAR! I did a lot of research, spent over 6 months trying to find that perfect car, looking at consumer and expert reviews, reliability history, and …

Love it when it’s running

Shannon, 08/06/2021

2020 Hyundai Venue SEL 4dr Hatchback (1.6L 4cyl CVT)

I have a 2020 Venue SEL I really love this car. I love driving, it is so roomy, just perfect for my needs. But, it’s now in the shop for the 3rd time in the first year for transmission issues. First time the dealership put in a whole new transmission. Second time was just some kind of leak. Now it’s not changing gears. I’m waiting to see what they are going to do.

See all 28 reviews of the Hyundai Venue

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2020 Hyundai Venue video

2020 Hyundai Venue First Look | New York Auto Show

Big news from Hyundai at the 2019 New York International Auto Show! Well, big news about a small vehicle: the 2020 Hyundai Venue, a compact SUV to round out Hyundai's SUV lineup. Edmunds special correspondent Elana Scherr got a first look during the Venue's debut.

2020 Venue Highlights

Trim:

Base MSRP Excludes Destination Fee	$17,350
Engine Type	Gas
Combined MPG	30 MPG
Cost to Drive	$125/month
Seating	5 seats
Cargo Capacity All Seats In Place	18.7 cu.ft.
Drivetrain	front wheel drive
Warranty	5 years / 60,000 miles

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Safety

Our experts like the Venue models:

Blind-Spot Collision Warning: Warns you of vehicles in the Venue's blind spot and illuminates a light in the mirror as an alert.
Rear Cross-Traffic Collision Warning: Alerts you of vehicles or objects crossing the Venue's path when reversing.
Driver Attention Warning: Monitors your driving patterns to display an alert if the Venue senses you aren't paying attention to the road.

NHTSA Overall Rating

The National Highway Transportation Safety Administration offers independent analysis.

Frontal Barrier Crash Rating
Overall4 / 5
Driver4 / 5
Passenger4 / 5
Side Crash Rating
Overall5 / 5
Side Barrier Rating
Overall5 / 5
Driver5 / 5
Passenger5 / 5
Combined Side Barrier & Pole Ratings
Front Seat5 / 5
Back Seat5 / 5
Rollover
Rollover4 / 5
Dynamic Test ResultNo Tip
Risk Of Rollover14.3%

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2020 Hyundai Venue Review

Price & Payment

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2020 Hyundai VenueSEL 4dr Hatchback

AutoCheck Vehicle History Summary

2020 Hyundai VenueSEL 4dr Hatchback

AutoCheck Vehicle History Summary

2020 Hyundai VenueSE 4dr Hatchback

AutoCheck Vehicle History Summary

2020 Hyundai Venue Review

Pros

Cons

What's new

Overview

Cost to DriveCost to drive estimates for the 2020 Hyundai Venue SE 4dr Hatchback (1.6L 4cyl 6M) and comparison vehicles are based on 15,000 miles per year (with a mix of 55% city and 45% highway driving) and energy estimates of $3.05 per gallon for regular unleaded in Virginia.

Edmunds Expert Rating

Performance

Comfort

Interior

Technology

Storage

Fuel Economy

Value

Wildcard

Which Venue does Edmunds recommend?

2020 Hyundai Venue models

Hyundai Venue Reviews

Owner Reviews

Most Helpful Owner Reviews

Simple, reliable compact car with personality

Solid Small Crossover SUV

Best Hyundai I've Owned

Love it when it’s running

2020 Hyundai Venue video

2020 Hyundai Venue First Look | New York Auto Show

2020 Venue Highlights

Safety

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Cost to Drive^{Cost to drive estimates for the 2020 Hyundai Venue SE 4dr Hatchback (1.6L 4cyl 6M) and comparison vehicles are based on 15,000 miles per year (with a mix of 55% city and 45% highway driving) and energy estimates of $3.05 per gallon for regular unleaded in Virginia.}