Unveiled at the 2019 New York International Auto Show, the Venue is the most fuel-efficient crossover Hyundai sells in the United States. While pricing information has to wait a little more, the Environmental Protection Agency has published the figures we’re more interested in.
32 miles per gallon on the combined cycle, that’s the kicker. The numbers translate to 30 mpg in the city and 34 mpg out on the highway. For the sake of comparison, the Kona averages 30 miles to the gallon, the Tucson makes do with 26, and the Santa Fe can’t do better than 25 miles per gallon.
In the segment of the Venue, the Nissan Kicks edges ahead with 33 mpg on the combined cycle. It should be mentioned that opting for the six-speed manual works out to 30 miles per gallon combined (27 in the city and 35 out on the highway). The CVT, however, is the most appropriate option.
Set to go on sale in late 2019 for the 2020 model year, the teeny-tiny crossover is exclusively offered with a 1.6-liter that musters 121 horsepower. The CVT is standard in the SEL trim level while the SE comes with the three-pedal setup mentioned in the previous paragraph. Considering that the Kicks starts at approximately $19,500, Hyundai will either match to undercut Nissan in order to bring customers into the showrooms.
All-season tires are standard, along with 15-inch wheels, a 60/40 split-folding rear bench, 8.0-inch touchscreen infotainment, black cloth upholstery, active safety systems such as automatic emergency braking, Apple CarPlay, and Android Auto connectivity for your mobile phone. Only front-wheel drive is offered, but still, this fellow is far from a no-nonsense SUV.
The primary reason Hyundai came up with the Venue is for greater profits, serving as a replacement for the Accent Hatchback and an alternative to the slightly roomier Elantra GT ($18,450 excluding freight).
Two factories produce the half-brother of the Kia Seltos for the time being, namely Chennai in India and Ulsan in South Korea. In other parts of the world, customers are treated to a 1.0-liter turbo three-cylinder engine and a 1.4-liter turbo diesel, a torque-converter automatic, and a seven-speed DCT.
After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well. Full profile
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