Hyundai Venue Gets Full Redesign Overseas, But Canada Has to Wait
Much to the chagrin of shoppers looking for a cheap new vehicle, the small urban crossover segment has shrunk, even more so since the Nissan Kicks became a true subcompact SUV and Kia recently discontinued the Soul. That leaves the Chevrolet Trax and Hyundai Venue. The latter is getting fairly old, having debuted as a 2020 model.
With the 2026 Venue now on sale in Canada, we can expect the new generation to arrive next year as a 2027 model. What will it look like? Hyundai gives us a glimpse with the launch of the redesigned Venue for the Indian market.
Before we go any further, it's important to understand that the Venue came in slightly different forms depending on the market, especially where the front-end design is concerned. And of course, the powertrain options aren't the same, either.
The new-look Venue retains a familiar silhouette, but is a bit wider and taller than the original. As you can see, the front fascia looks significantly more aggressive and more robust, with a wide rectangular grille, thick lower bumper cladding in a contrasting finish that looks like a skid plate, as well as redesigned LED lighting with a decidedly modern and eye-catching signature.
The wheel arches are more squared off and roof rails can be found up top once again. At the rear, the slimmer, full-width taillight treatment is much more attractive than that of the current Venue. The pictures also show a more prominent spoiler atop the liftgate.
But what about the interior? A huge breath of fresh air is blowing inside Hyundai's diminutive crossover, which adopts a curved digital panel comprising dual 12.3-inch screens like the brand's recent products, plus a new flat-bottom steering wheel where the "H" logo is replaced by four dots.
The stylish two-tone layout and ambient lighting energize the interior. Interestingly, the company says rear-seat legroom is increased, addressing a shortcoming of the Venue.
In India, the new Venue is available with a choice of 1.0- and 1.2-litre gasoline engines (including a turbo) as well as a 1.5-litre diesel. This is nothing like the 1.6-litre engine (121 hp, 113 lb-ft) we have here, which makes it one of the slowest vehicles on the market. More power would be appreciated, but don't count on it too much, as Hyundai won't want to hurt Kona sales.
The Car Guide reached out to Hyundai Canada to get more information, but the company had nothing to say. Incidentally, the 2026 Venue currently retails from $24,794 including fees and climbs all the way to $29,394 in Ultimate trim.