Previous Next 1 of 14 Hyundai released pricing information for the 2020 Venue, a value-packed model that slots at the bottom of its crossover and SUV range. The pocket-sized soft-roader will begin reaching American showrooms in late November 2019. Aimed at what Hyundai identified as “urban entrepreneurs,” the Venue is positioned below the Kona in terms of size and price. It wears an assertive-looking front-end characterized by a wide grille and headlights positioned well below the turn signals. Sculpted sides and an available two-tone paint job help reduce its visual mass. Overall, the Venue falls in line with Hyundai’s bigger people-movers without completely copying their style. Its small dimensions take Hyundai into a segment of the American new car market most of its rivals have steered clear of due to paper-thin profit margins, and a perceived lack of interest from buyers. Time will tell whether the company’s bet will pay off. What’s certain is that small doesn’t mean basic — the Venue is available with a long list of tech features and creature comforts including an 8.0-inch touchscreen for the infotainment system and heated front seats, plus Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa integration. Owners can instruct the car to start itself by speaking to an Alexa-enabled device, like an Echo. Android Auto and Apple CarPlay compatibility both come standard, too. Although its 158-inch footprint makes it about five inches shorter than the Kona, the Venue is not as small inside as its city-friendly dimensions suggest. It comfortably seats four adult passengers while holding 18.7 cubic feet of cargo — that’s only 0.5 cubes less than the Kona. Folding the rear seats down yields a total of 31.9 cubes. The waterfall-shaped grille hides a 1.6-liter four-cylinder engine that spins the front wheels through a six-speed manual transmission. Buyers who don’t want to drive a stick can select an optional continuously variable transmission (CVT) at an extra cost, but front-wheel drive will be the only configuration available; motorists seeking all-wheel drive will need to step up to the Kona. The trade-off is that the Venue returns 33 mpg in a combined cycle. Previous Next 1 of 11 Stephen Edelstein/Digital Trends Stephen Edelstein/Digital Trends Stephen Edelstein/Digital Trends Stephen Edelstein/Digital Trends Stephen Edelstein/Digital Trends Stephen Edelstein/Digital Trends Stephen Edelstein/Digital Trends Stephen Edelstein/Digital Trends Stephen Edelstein/Digital Trends Stephen Edelstein/Digital Trends Stephen Edelstein/Digital Trends Why Venue? Hyundai explained it chose the name because other members of its crossover and SUV lineup are named after places. It makes the Kona, the Tucson, and the Santa Fe, for example. The Venue “embodies the characteristics of ‘the place to be,’ en route to the final destination, wherever that may be,” according to the company. Made in South Korea, the 2020 Hyundai Venue starts at $17,250 before a mandatory $1,095 destination charge gets added to the bottom line; think of it as shipping and handling for cars. That figure corresponds to the entry-level SE model with a six-speed stick. The CVT bumps that figure to $18,450, while the SEL trim is priced at $19,150, and the stylish Denim model costs $21,950. The Venue competes against the Kia Soul and the Nissan Kicks. Updated on November 7, 2019: Added pricing information. Editors' Recommendations<doc-sep>With the 2019 Geneva Motor Show in our rearview mirrors, it’s time to look ahead and get ready for the next major auto show. Scheduled to start in about a month from now, the New York Auto Show will be the venue where Hyundai is going to introduce a shiny new crossover. As previously announced by the South Korean brand, the new model will be positioned underneath the Kona to serve as the automaker’s entry-level CUV. Today, Hyundai has announced the model in question will go by the name of “Venue” and will target “urban entrepreneurs.” The company isn’t willing to go into details about its new high-riding model, but it does say this name has been chosen as a reference to a place where “people want to be seen, or in this case, inside the vehicle.” According to a report published by Motor Trend a little over a month ago, the Hyundai Venue will eschew the Kona’s funky styling in favor of a more conventional look. SangYup Lee, head of the Hyundai Global Design Center in Namyang, South Korea, said the smallest CUV is going to look “distinctively different” than the Kona, adding it will have a “boxy, bold, bull-doggy character.” We already know the new A-segment crossover won’t ride on the same platform as the Kona and also that will be available in North America, hence the NY debut next month. The new Venue will be Hyundai’s latest addition to its growing portfolio, which recently added the three-row, seven-seat Palisade large SUV. Sister brand Kia is also expanding its high-riding lineup with the launch of the Telluride, while the Europe-bound XCeed and the U.S.-bound Tusker have yet to be revealed. The latter might share the spotlight with the Venue next month in the Big Apple. The 2020 Hyundai Venue is set to premiere at the New York Auto Show on April 17. Source: Hyundai<doc-sep>
We've been expecting a new small, affordable new crossover SUV out of Korea for a little while, and now, it has a name: the 2020 Hyundai Venue. The new entry-level model, which is slated to slot below the automaker's already-inexpensive and small Kona range, will bow at the New York Auto Show on April 17. In an official announcement, Hyundai says the name Venue references a "place where people want to be seen, or in this case, inside the vehicle." Hmm. The automaker even paired the press release with helpful photos of a couple of suitably attractive examples, including an overhead shot of Singapore's Chinatown (above) and a rooftop concert scene. Enlarge Image Hyundai The name "Venue" strikes as something of an odd break from the company's successful run of SUV names associated with cities or places, including Santa Fe, Tucson, Kona and most recently, Palisade, which echoes California's tony Pacific Palisades. To that end, Hyundai argues that "Venue embodies the characteristics of 'the place to be,' en route to the final destination, wherever that may be." That feels like a bit of a marketingsplain stretch, but then again, the crossover craze has already given us similar-feeling names like Enclave (Buick) and indeed, Vue (Saturn). Regardless of what inspired its name, the 2020 Hyundai Venue is promised to be shown at the NYIAS accompanied by some sort of augmented reality production. Roadshow will have the latest from New York's Javits Center -- the venue set to play host to the Venue's reveal -- on April 17. Stay tuned.