2021 Hyundai Venue

Is the 2021 Hyundai Venue Right for You?

What Is It & Who Is It For?

The 2021 Hyundai Venue is a subcompact SUV that seats five people. It’s geared toward drivers who want a small, affordable SUV with great gas mileage and lots of standard features.

What Makes It Unique?

The Venue has one of the best warranties in its class.

Venue vs. Other Hyundais

Hyundai’s vehicle lineup runs the gamut from SUVs to sedans. The Venue is the brand’s smallest SUV, slotting below the Tucson and Palisade.

Hyundai Venue vs. Competition

The Venue belongs to a growing class of skilled subcompact SUVs:

• Nissan Kicks: More cargo space than the Venue.

• Mazda CX-3: One of the sportiest picks in its segment.

• Subaru Crosstrek: Standard all-wheel drive.

Is the 2021 Model Year Right for You?

Changes for 2021

• Manual transmission dropped

2021 Hyundai Venue vs. Older Venues

The current Venue is part of the model’s first generation, which was launched for the 2020 model year. A 2020 Venue will be similar to the 2021 model when it comes to design and feature content. You can save money by purchasing one of these used SUVs.

You can find a used Hyundai Venue with Carfax used car listings. Each used car comes with a free Carfax vehicle history report.

Research the Venue from other model years

Which 2021 Hyundai Venue Trim Is the Best Value?

Original starting price, including MSRP and destination charge:

• SE: $19,935

• SEL: $20,985

• Denim: $23,235

The SE trim offers enough features to keep most buyers satisfied. It comes standard with an 8-inch touchscreen, automatic headlights, and Apple CarPlay and Android Auto smartphone integration.

Find a used Hyundai Venue SE

If you want blind spot warning, go for the SEL. It’s standard there, along with rear cross-traffic alert and automatic climate control.

2021 Hyundai Venue Safety Features

Key Standard Features

• Forward collision warning: Warns drivers of a potential front-end collision.

• Automatic emergency braking: Helps vehicle avoid a collision or reduce the severity of a crash if the driver doesn’t respond in time.

• Lane keeping assist: Uses the car’s steering system to help keep the vehicle between lane lines.

Key Optional Features

• Blind spot warning: Alerts drivers when a vehicle is located next to them on either side, just out of view.

• Rear cross-traffic alert: Warns drivers if the system detects a vehicle, pedestrian, or object in the way, or approaching from either side.

2021 Hyundai Venue Hands-On Test Drive

Driven by Patrick Olsen

• Trim Tested: Venue Denim Edition

• Price as Tested: $23,390 (including destination charge)

As a used-car site, it’s common to advise car shoppers to buy something used because it’ll cost less than a new car. Never has that advice been more true than when looking at the Hyundai Venue, the automaker’s latest addition to its SUV lineup. For the same money, shoppers would be better served getting a used car with a smoother powertrain, more room, and a better overall experience. I drove one for a week, and these are my impressions.

How It Drives & Handles

The Venue is definitely power challenged. Some other subcompact SUVs suffer from this, but getting the Venue up to speed is especially noisy and unsatisfying. It does have a Sport mode, but it might be better called the Espresso mode – it perks up the driving experience, but at the cost of a high-pitched whining for as long as the driver presses on the accelerator. The lack of oomph might be a reason parents should avoid buying the Venue for newer drivers because those teens won’t be able to merge into traffic easily.

Handling is average for the segment. There’s little body lean because of how low to the ground the Venue sits; it feels more like a tall car than an SUV. The Venue is helped by its small footprint when it comes to parking, and it has an admirable turning radius.

Comfort, Quality & Usability

Getting into the Venue is a bit of a challenge. The doorway is slim, and drivers must negotiate around the steering wheel to get settled. Once inside, the cockpit is fairly roomy. Rear legroom is limited, but headroom is good because of the Venue’s upright stance. However, the seats are fairly hard and uncomfortable on moderately long trips.

The cabin quality is unimpressive. The materials inside are what one would expect from a starter vehicle: lots of hard plastics. The ride is loud, with too much of that engine noise we talked about, made worse by road noise that easily infiltrates the cabin.

There is a value argument to be made for the Venue when it comes to infotainment features. As with most Hyundai models, the controls for infotainment are well-placed, easy to reach, and make sense. The screen is a good size for a subcompact, with crisp resolution. It also works well with Apple CarPlay.

Compared to the more expensive models we regularly test, not having tech overload is nice. Gone are annoying features, such as parking sensors that are overly nanny-ish and loud, at least for my ears. You still get a lot of safety equipment for less than $25,000, including forward collision warning with pedestrian detection, blind spot warning, and rear cross-traffic alerts.

Editor’s Note: Review is based on test driving the 2021 model.

Carfax vehicle overviews let shoppers compare a vehicle’s specs against its competitors. However, some aspects of a vehicle – performance, comfort, usability – can only be evaluated through actual driving. That’s why we evaluate as many vehicles as we can, so you’ll know what to expect.

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