2020 Hyundai Venue debuts as the brand’s smallest crossover

After teasing the world with a rather polarizing name, Hyundai finally unveils its newest crossover named the Venue at the 2019 New York Auto Show. The entry-level high-rider will be the smallest in the South Korean marque’s crossover lineup, even smaller on overall size compared to the Kona.

“The all-new Venue might be small in size, but it’s big on practicality and personality,” said Mike O’Brien, vice president of Product, Corporate and Digital Planning, Hyundai Motor America. “Its bold and unique character sets it apart from other SUVs on the market, offering a unique, entry-level vehicle for those consumers seeking savvy design with an abundance of standard safety, technology, and connectivity features.”

The 2020 Venue bears Hyundai’s newest signature design language. One of its main exterior features is its bold and youthful design that’s characterized by the two-tone exterior color options for the roof and mirrors, among others. The fascia inherits what the Kona has started, including the new cascading grille, composite LED lights, and cube shape headlamps. The Venue, however, sports a boxier design that the Kona.

In profile, Hyundai’s small CUV has a strong character line and a full volume wheel arch. The character line connects to the striking taillights. There are two sets of wheels, with the 15-inch as standard and the 17-inch for the higher trims.

The Venue measures 158.9 inches (4,036mm) long, 69.7 inches (1,770mm) wide, 61.6 inches (1,565mm) tall, and has a wheelbase of 99.2 inches (2520mm).

Inside, the Venue has an exciting two-tone trim, as well, but what sets it apart from the rest of small crossovers is the host of tech features it carries. For starters, it has an 8-inch infotainment display with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay. It has an offline navigation system, as well as Bluetooth hands-free phone system and next-generation Blue Link® connected car system.

The Venue’s cargo space features a rear covering shelf. It also has a dual-level cargo floor feature that provides flexibility – you can either choose top or bottom, depending on how tall the cargo is.

Powering the Venue is Hyundai’s Smartstream Gamma 1.6-liter four-cylinder engine. The Dual-Port Fuel Injection (DPFI) mill is paired with either a six-speed manual transmission or Intelligent Variable Transmission (IVT) automatic. The latter is basically a transmission type made to negate issues often experienced in Continuous Variable Transmissions (CVTs). How? The transmission system has been rigged with adaptive style shift logic using a chain-type belt instead of a push belt. The result, a smooth and linear acceleration, as Hyundai claims.

Power output figures for the Venue are yet to be disclosed, though.

Beyond the engine, the Hyundai Venue will have the following safety assist technologies: Forward Collision-Avoidance Assist (FCA), Lane Keeping Assist (LKA), Blind-Spot Collision Warning (BCW), Driver Attention Warning (DAW), and Rear Cross-Traffic Warning (RCCW).

The Hyundai Venue will be built in Ulsan, Korea and is expected to hit U.S. showrooms by the last quarter of 2019. It may or may not reach the Philippine shores but considering how Hyundai Philippines is fond of surprising the Filipino car buyers (hello, Palisade and Reina), it isn’t a long shot to expect the company to bring the small crossover here.