Mzansi, the new fresh-faced Hyundai Venue is yours for the taking

Crossover SUVs have become hugely popular and the Hyundai Venue is among prominent choices.

It’s the entry-point in the brand’s SUV line-up, to which Hyundai SA has applied radical face changes, the last being the larger Creta, which gained a scaly snout similar to the new Tucson.

Now the company has launched a refreshed Venue and the change means a large cascading grille and revised line-up, with Motion, Fluid and a new N Line derivative. The rear gets updated styling too, with redesigned tail-lamps joined by a horizontal strip and a rear hatch that is wider at the bottom.

The N Line is identified by its alloy wheels and twin exhaust ports.

The cute, cuddly looking Venue had no flaws on launch and remains an easy sell, consistently more than 500 units a month, with more than 17,000 finding homes in SA since 2019.

The interior has been revised for modernity, with an eight-inch audio touchscreen display featuring Apple CarPlay and Android Auto functions, app-based navigation, streaming audio and voice control.

The trio of Venue Fluids and the N Line derivative come with 60/40 split-folding rear-seat backs, while the Motion gets a solid rear bench that can also fold forward to enlarge the luggage area.

In the Fluid and N Line you also get a leather-wrapped steering wheel with audio and cruise-control buttons, while USB and USB-C ports, a Supervision 4.2-inch TFT LCD display, rear-view camera, Bluetooth, glovebox cooling and rear air-condition ventilation ducts form part of the convenient luxury items. A sunroof is standard in the N Line range-topper.

A naturally aspirated 1.2l four-cylinder petrol engine with 61kW and 115Nm, paired with a five-speed manual transmission, powers the entry-level Motion derivative, with fuel consumption rated at 6.5l/100km.

The remainder of the range is moved along by a pokier 1.0l turbocharged three-cylinder delivering 88.3kW and 172Nm. You have a choice to couple it with a six-speed manual shifter or a seven-speed dual clutch automatic transmission, with the N Line only available as a DCT. Fuel consumption is claimed at 6.5l/100km for the manual transmission and 6.9l/100km for the DCT.

I drove the DCT and it delivers a satisfying and competent show of power and refined cog changes. The Venue feels agile and the steering, brakes and urge from the motor enable effective hurrying, while it calms down well for a longer journey. The N Line variant also benefits from Eco, Normal and Sport driving modes.

It was a refined and cushy drive by segment standards and you’ll also get six airbags, Isofix child-seat attachments, hill-start assist and electronic stability control if you opt for any model powered by the 1.0l engine. The Motion derivatives come with two airbags, but all Venue models feature ABS brakes, electronic brake-force distribution and electronic stability control.

The Venue colour palette includes the Motion and Fluid in Typhoon Silver, Polar White, Titan Grey, Phantom Black, Fiery Red and Denim Blue. The N Line gets three two-tone colour schemes: Polar White with a black roof, Shadow Grey with a black roof, or Nicobar Blue with a black roof.

All Hyundai Venue models come with a seven-year/200,000km warranty, seven-year/150,000km roadside assistance and a three-year/45,000km service plan.

Pricing:

Venue 1.2 Motion (manual) — R294,900

Venue 1.0 Motion (manual) — R354,900

Venue 1.0 Motion (DCT) — R394,900

Venue 1.0 Fluid (manual) — R389,900

Venue 1.0 Fluid (DCT) — R429,900

Venue 1.0 N Line — R449,900