Hyundai Venue Debuts in N.Y. as Kona’s Little Brother

As promised, Hyundai introduced a new entry-level utility vehicle at the 2019 New York Auto Show. It’s called Venue and it will slot below the Kona as the seventh member in the Korean automaker’s SUV/CUV lineup.

The name “references a place people want to be seen in,” Hyundai says.

• Also: All-New 2020 Hyundai Venue Crossover is Coming Soon
• Also: The Car Guide’s 2019 Best Buys: Hyundai Kona

The Venue is powered by a 1.6-litre four-cylinder engine that can be mated to a six-speed manual transmission or a continuously variable automatic. The exact output and torque figures have not been announced yet, however. Hyundai claims an average fuel consumption of 7.1 L/100 km.

Similar to the Nissan Kicks, one of its direct competitors, the Hyundai Venue is available with a two-tone exterior where the roof and mirror caps are painted in a different colour than the rest of the body.

And while no AWD option is on the menu, just like with the Kicks, Hyundai has incorporated a dedicated snow mode for improved traction.

Some of the advanced safety technologies that can be had with the Venue include forward collision-avoidance assist, lane keep assist, blind-spot collision warning, driver attention warning and rear collision cross-traffic warning.

Inside, the Hyundai Venue offers 530 litres of cargo capacity with the rear seats up—just shy of the Kona’s 544 litres. The middle of the dashboard houses an eight-inch Display Audio touchscreen with both Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility.

The 2020 Hyundai Venue will be built in Ulsan, Korea and will arrive at Canadian Hyundai dealers in the fourth quarter of this year. Pricing will be revealed closer to its on-sale date.