2021 Ford Mustang Mach-E vs 2020 Hyundai Venue

The 2020 Hyundai Venue filled a gap in Hyundai's lineup by offering a more affordable subcompact SUV option compared to the Kona. While the Kona was more premium and powerful, the Venue focused on being a practical people-mover with a distinctive upright design. It featured unique touches like a contrasting white roof on the Denim trim and a large chrome grille reminiscent of Hyundai's larger SUVs. Inside, the Venue boasted a modern and clean cabin with ample space for both front and rear passengers, providing excellent visibility due to its upright layout and large windows. The Venue was available in SE, SEL, and Denim trims, with the SEL being the recommended choice when paired with the Premium package for added features.

The 2021 Ford Mustang Mach-E aimed to capture the essence of the traditional Mustang with its sporty exterior styling, despite being an electric SUV. It featured Mustang-like elements such as thin headlights, a long hood, and a vibrant color palette. Inside, the Mach-E was dominated by a massive infotainment touchscreen, giving it a minimalist feel similar to Tesla vehicles. The interior materials were of decent quality, though some buyers might have missed the option for leather upholstery. The First Edition models offered unique trim elements, but the main appeal was being among the first produced. Overall, the Mach-E's design and features aimed to blend Mustang heritage with modern electric vehicle technology.

The 2020 Hyundai Venue was powered by a single 1.6-liter 4-cylinder engine producing 121 horsepower and 113 pound-feet of torque. It was available with a manual transmission on the base trim, but most trims came with a continuously variable automatic transmission (IVT). The Venue was front-wheel drive only, lacking an all-wheel-drive option. Despite its SUV aspirations, the Venue's performance was more akin to a compact hatchback, with underwhelming acceleration and a noisy engine. It offered drive modes like Normal, Snow, and Sport, but none significantly improved its performance. Fuel economy was decent, with the CVT achieving 30 mpg city, 34 highway, and 32 combined.

The 2021 Ford Mustang Mach-E offered a range of powertrain configurations, with the base RWD Select model producing 266 horsepower and 317 pound-feet of torque, achieving 0 to 60 mph in 6.1 seconds. The most powerful option was the AWD GT Performance Edition, boasting 480 hp and 634 lb-ft, with a 0 to 60 mph time of 3.5 seconds. Our test car had a lower-level AWD powertrain with 346 hp and 428 lb-ft, reaching 0 to 60 mph in 4.8 seconds. The Mach-E handled corners well, with responsive steering and a planted feel due to its low-mounted battery pack. It featured three drive modes—Engage, Whisper, and Unbridled—and offered one-pedal driving for regenerative braking.

The 2020 Hyundai Venue, while not particularly fast or sporty, offered a practical interior with ample head- and legroom in the front seats. Even with the driver's seat adjusted for a tall driver, the rear seats provided decent legroom. However, the Venue's cargo space was limited, with only 31.9 cubic feet available with the rear seats folded, compared to the Kona's 45.8 cubic feet. The Venue's control layout was user-friendly, with traditional buttons and dials for radio and climate controls, though the automatic climate control on higher trims had a slightly confusing display.

The 2021 Ford Mustang Mach-E, marketed as an SUV, had a packaging more akin to a station wagon or hatchback. Its low driving position and roofline didn't create a spacious feel, even with a panoramic glass roof. Compared to the Tesla Model Y, the Mach-E offered less interior space, with 59.7 cubic feet of cargo space with the second row folded and 29.7 cubic feet with the seats in place. It did have a 4.7-cubic-foot front trunk. The Mach-E's interior featured a decent-sized storage bin and a large area for smartphones, complete with a wireless charging pad and USB ports for both rows.

The 2020 Hyundai Venue came equipped with an 8-inch touchscreen infotainment system across all trims, featuring Bluetooth, USB ports, Apple CarPlay, and Android Auto. Hyundai's logical touchscreen layout minimized distracted driving, with large icons and fonts and redundant hard buttons for major functions. The screen placement was well thought out, allowing users to brace their hands while using the touchscreen.

The 2021 Ford Mustang Mach-E featured Ford's new Sync 4 infotainment system, with wireless Apple CarPlay/Android Auto and OTA software updates. The main touchscreen measured 15.5 inches, while the instrument cluster was 10.2 inches. The Mach-E's touchscreen displayed almost everything at once, resulting in a text-heavy design that could be overwhelming. The bottom of the screen replaced analog controls, with a large volume knob and touchscreen icons for climate controls.

The 2020 Hyundai Venue included standard safety features like a reversing camera, traction control, a tire-pressure monitoring system, and a full array of airbags. It also offered driver-assistance technology such as forward-collision avoidance with pedestrian detection, lane-keeping assist, and a driver-attention warning. The SEL trim with the Convenience Package added blind-spot monitoring and rear cross-traffic alert, standard on the Denim trim.

The 2021 Ford Mustang Mach-E's crash-test ratings were not available at launch. It came with standard driver-assist features like automatic high beams, blind-spot monitoring, lane-keep assist, and automatic emergency braking. Higher trims included a 360-degree camera system. The Mach-E was set to receive Active Drive Assist, allowing for hands-free driving on designated highways, with a driver-facing camera for monitoring distraction. This feature was standard on higher trims and available as an option on the Select trim.