2023 Hyundai Venue

Hyundai introduced the Venue for the 2020 model year as an affordable urban crossover aimed at younger professionals and buyers. Though it’s the smallest SUV on the market at only 159.1 inches long (just 7.4 inches longer than a Mini Hardtop), it offers a relatively spacious interior and a good level of standard safety and entertainment tech. In its first two years on the market, Hyundai offered a unique range-topping Denim trim with unique interior and exterior finishes. The Denim is gone this year, but a Limited trim stepped into the lineup in 2022, which retains some features for around the same value-packed price. 

Hyundai sells a decent number of Venues—a bit under 30,000 a year. Its price and equipment level are undeniably friendly, but its size might be a limiting factor for some. Some only slightly larger SUVs don’t cost that much more and it shares a showroom with Hyundai’s own slightly larger Kona. The Nissan Kicks, Kia Soul, Jeep Renegade and Chevy Trailblazer are other alternatives. Few offer the value and equipment of the Venue, but they do have a size advantage. The Hyundai’s lack of available all-wheel drive (AWD), also an issue with the Kicks and Soul, may or may not make the others more appealing.

For 2023, the Venue is available in SE ($20,295), SEL ($22,045)  and Limited ($23,545) trims. The crossover picked up a few new features for the model year, including a rear-seat reminder system that helps prevent leaving children or cargo in the back. A new 4.2-inch gauge cluster display is standard, and Venue buyers finally benefit from a standard center armrest. All models get a 1.6-liter four-cylinder engine that produces 121 horsepower and 113 pound-feet of torque. It’s paired with a continuously variable transmission and front-wheel drive. (Prices include a $1,295 destination fee.)

No all-wheel drive option is available, but the Venue gets a snow mode that helps it better tackle slippery conditions. Most of the Venue’s competitors offer the functionality, though, and Mazda made AWD standard for all its SUVs, including the tiny (but pricier) CX-30. That said, the Venue faithfully fulfills its duty as an urban runabout and feels light-footed around town. On the other hand, the little Hyundai can sometimes feel a bit twitchy and uneasy on the highway. There’s also more road and wind noise than in some competitors.

The Venue’s modest exterior dimensions hide a surprisingly spacious and comfortable cabin. People who prefer cloth upholstery will be pleased to learn that it’s the standard material for all trims across the board. The top-tier Limited can be ordered with leatherette, but the Venue’s cloth doesn’t feel cut-rate. Outward visibility gets a boost from the crossover’s upright shape and big windows, and the addition of a front armrest makes the cabin a much more comfortable place to ride for extended periods.

An 8-inch touchscreen is standard and runs Hyundai’s intuitive infotainment software flawlessly, but wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are standard if you prefer them. Hyundai’s software isn’t as flashy or colorful as many new systems, but the simplicity makes it easy to use and less distracting while driving. Four speakers come standard, but Hyundai offers a six-speaker upgrade, and Bluetooth comes with every model. While the 2023 Venue hasn’t received complete crash test results, the 2022 model earned a Top Safety Pick from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS)  and a four-star overall rating from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).

Performance: 10/15

Hyundai offers just one engine in the Venue, and it could benefit from a tad more power. The 1.6-liter four-cylinder delivers 121 horsepower and 113 pound-feet of torque, reaching the front wheels through a continuously variable transmission (CVT). Amazingly, though the Venue shares its mechanical pieces with the now-discontinued Accent sedan, it isn’t any heavier. Still, while acceleration and driving dynamics are acceptable for around-town driving, but the Venue’s verve fizzles at highway speeds. It’s noisy and takes too long to pass, and the steering system that makes it feel so alive in town gives it a slightly twitchy feel on the open road. 

Performance and driving feel, or the lack thereof, are the Venue’s most significant sticking points when comparing it against the alternatives. The Kicks is the closest analog, and also lacks much driving personality. The Trailblazer is not much more exciting to drive but does offer at least one optional engine for a little more verve, while the Soul seems a little sharper and more engaging.

Mazda’s CX-30 blends a more engaging driving experience with an upscale interior and features Hyundai doesn’t offer on the Venue. With a more than $4,000 difference between the two vehicles’ starting prices the Mazda is considerably more expensive, but the extra cash is worth the upgrade if you truly enjoy the driving. 

Hyundai offers a few alternatives that many will find more appealing in the driving excitement department. The Kona is better to drive and offers superior powertrain choices, and the Kona N is a funky-looking rocket ship, but its price tag is in a different league from the Venue.

Fuel Economy: 13/15 

One powertrain choice means simplified fuel economy ratings. All Venues return 31 mpg combined, 29 city and 33 highway. Usually small vehicles mean good fuel economy and the 2,600-pound Venue is no exception, but some slightly larger vehicles return the same figures or better. The Kicks is the most efficient model this class, returning 31 mpg city, 36 highway and 33 combined and short of buying a more expensive hybrid model, very few other crossovers can catch it, but the others achieve well too.

Chevy’s Trailblazer, with the optional 1.3-liter engine, will do 30 mpg combined with front-drive or 28 with AWD while the Kia Soul does 30 combined unless you opt for its EcoDynamics model, which does 31. Base-model front-drive Hyundai Konas can achieve 32 mpg combined, but the AWD models drop to 28 or 29. The best you can hope for in the Mazda CX-30 is 29.

Safety & Driver Assistance Tech: 11/15

The IIHS hasn’t rated the 2023 Venue, but the 2022 model earned a Top Safety Pick. The designation includes “Good” scores in all crash test areas, but the Venue’s headlights earned either an “Acceptable” or “Marginal” score, depending on the configuration. The new Venue is structurally identical to the 2022 model and has the same driver aids as its predecessor, so its crash test scores will likely be similar.

The Kia Soul and Mazda CX-30 also earned Top Safety Pick and Top Safety Pick+ awards last year, but the Jeep Renegade and Nissan Kicks lack the distinction. That said, the IIHS updated its side crash testing criteria in 2022 to account for the growing number of large SUVs and trucks on the road. The 2022 Venue hasn’t undergone that test so it could change the picture for the 2023 model. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) gave the 2022 Venue a four-star rating out of five.

Standard safety features include forward collision warning with automatic braking and pedestrian detection, lane keep assist and driver attention warnings. The midrange SEL trim adds blind spot warnings with rear cross-traffic alerts, and the Limited trim adds cyclist detection to the forward collision assist.

Comfort & Room: 11/15

The Hyundai Venue’s cabin offers space and comfort that defy its compact exterior dimensions. The front seats aren’t the fanciest buckets on the market, but they provide good padding and support and remain comfortable for long periods. Hyundai designed the front cabin area with little fanfare, but the space is usable and offers good ergonomics for the driver. Outward visibility is good, thanks to large windows and a raised seating position.

The Venue provides a maximum of 34.3 inches of rear legroom, the least in the segment, a testament to the limitations of such a small footprint. The Chevy Trailblazer has a midsize-like 39.4, the Mazda CX-30 36.3, and even its sibling, the Kona, offers skosh more at 35.2 and the Renegade 35.1. In addition, the Kia Soul rides on a wheelbase that stretches three inches longer than the Venue’s, which translates to 38.8 inches of rear seat legroom. 

The Venue’s cabin lacks polish in some of the most critical areas. The armrests lack padding, and cheap plastic is the predominant material choice.

Infotainment: 12/15

The Venue has a standard 8-inch touchscreen with Bluetooth, SiriusXM radio, HD radio and USB inputs. Four-speaker audio is standard on the SE; the SEL and LIited get a six-speaker setup. Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are standard on the SE and SEL but, curiously, are unavailable on the Limited top trim. The Limited does get navigation, however. 

Some criticize Hyundai’s infotainment software for being too simplistic, but it’s one of the easier-to-use systems available today. Navigating menus and changing settings take fewer taps, making the system less distracting while driving. Wireless smartphone connectivity is also a significant benefit for a vehicle in the Venue’s price range, though the more expensive Limited trim requires a cable connection.

Cargo Space & Storage: 9/15

The Venue offers 18.7 cubic feet of space with the back seats upright and 31.9 cubic feet when folded flat. For its size, those are good numbers, but it can’t escape being the smallest SUV on the market in this area. The Chevy Trailblazer answers that with 25.3 cubes with the seat in place but offers an impressive 54.4 with the second row folded, and the Jeep Renegade checks in with 18.5 and 50.8-cubic feet in the same measures. Nissan’s Kicks, though a foot longer overall on the outside, offers 25.3 cubic-feet behind the rear seats but only 32.3 with them folded.

The segment champ for cargo is the Kia Soul, with 23.4 cubic feet with seats up and a comparatively massive 62.1 cubic feet with the seats flat, aided by its boxy shape and longer wheelbase. 

Style & Design: 8/10

Hyundai opted for middle-of-the-road style with the Venue, and the normal-looking crossover has aged well over the last few years. It lacks the funky split-headlight look of the Hyundai Kona and may be more appealing to everyday buyers than the boxy Kia Soul. There’s also a hint of the Palisade if you squint hard enough. Thanks to a lower ride height; it’s more proportionate and less awkward looking than the Ford EcoSport or Chevy Trax.

Inside, Hyundai went for function over form, as the Venue’s cabin is plain but usable. The space is packed with cheap plastics and isn’t the most visually appealing vehicle interior, but the uncluttered interior brings clearly labeled controls and good ergonomics for the driver.

Is the 2023 Hyundai Venue worth it? Which Venue is the Best Value? 

With a price tag that tops out at under $25,000, it’s hard to recommend anything but the most expensive Venue. The Limited trim brings the best features and tech and the most agreeable interior finishes, and even with every available option—there aren’t many, a cargo net, roof rails and floor mats among them—it still doesn’t crack the $25k threshold. Yes, you can get larger SUVs for that price, but they tend to come with much less equipment.

That said, those looking for max cargo capability or more rear passenger space, a midrange Kia Soul or Chevy Trailblazer may be a better choice. Buyers looking for the most sporting entry in the segment might want to check out an entry-level Mazda CX-30. 

How much does The Hyundai Venue cost to insure? 

The Hyundai Venue is about average among its competitors in terms of insurance costs. According to our data, a typical 30-year-old female driver with a clean record can expect an average annual premium of $1,720 for all three trims, though this averages all 50 states. That compares to an average of $1,746 for the Chevrolet Trailblazer, $1,937 for the Kia Soul and $1,950 for the Jeep Renegade. Visit our car insurance calculator to get a more accurate picture of your potential insurance expenses.