2021 Hyundai Venue 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 stood out with its upright design and affordability. It featured unique touches like a white contrasting roof on the Denim trim and a large chrome grille reminiscent of the larger Hyundai Palisade. 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 trim being recommended for its added features and value, especially when paired with the Premium package.

In contrast, the 2021 Hyundai Venue maintained its stylish appeal with minimal changes to its exterior design. The grille was appropriately sized, and the vehicle's shape gave it a larger appearance than its actual size. The 2021 model saw the replacement of 15-inch steel wheels with 15-inch alloys on the base SE trim, while the SEL and Denim trims received 17-inch alloys as standard. The Denim trim remained the most visually appealing with its unique paint job and white roof. The SEL trim offered better value with standard features that were previously part of the Convenience Package. Inside, the Venue continued to provide a modern look, although the use of inexpensive materials was evident. The cabin felt spacious due to its design, and the heated seats in the SEL trim added comfort.

The 2020 Hyundai Venue was powered by a 1.6-liter 4-cylinder engine producing 121 horsepower and 113 pound-feet of torque. This engine was paired with a manual transmission on the base trim, while 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 acceleration being underwhelming and the engine making considerable noise. The Venue offered drive modes like Normal, Snow, and Sport, but none significantly improved its acceleration. Fuel economy with the CVT was 30 mpg city, 34 highway, and 32 combined.

For the 2021 Hyundai Venue, the same 1.6-liter four-cylinder engine was retained, delivering 121 horsepower and 113 pound-feet of torque. The manual transmission option was discontinued, leaving the CVT as the sole transmission choice. The Venue remained front-wheel drive, with no all-wheel-drive option. While the engine didn't provide thrilling performance, the Venue's lightweight design allowed it to move sprightly in lower-speed areas. The 2021 model's performance was comparable to competitors like the Nissan Kicks, Ford EcoSport, and Toyota C-HR, although the Venue was smaller and lighter.

The 2020 Hyundai Venue offered decent headroom and legroom in the front seats, even for taller individuals. However, its 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 essential functions. The automatic climate control on higher trims had a peculiar design, but overall, the Venue's interior was well thought out for everyday use.

In the 2021 Hyundai Venue, the front seats continued to provide ample headroom and legroom, with convenient storage options like a tray ahead of the gear selector. The back seat was tighter, with limited legroom for adults. Cargo space remained limited, with 18.7 cubic feet with the rear seats up and 31.9 cubic feet with them down. Compared to competitors, the Venue offered less cargo volume, making it less suitable for those prioritizing storage space.

The 2020 Hyundai Venue featured an 8-inch touchscreen infotainment system with Bluetooth, USB ports, Apple CarPlay, and Android Auto. The layout was intuitive, with large icons and fonts, and the screen placement allowed for easy use while driving.

In the 2021 Hyundai Venue, the infotainment system was enhanced with a high-resolution 8-inch touchscreen. Physical buttons provided quick access to media sources, and the interface was designed for simplicity. The system supported driver profiles and included Bluetooth, Apple CarPlay, and Android Auto. The base SE trim was set to receive wireless CarPlay in the future.

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

For the 2021 Hyundai Venue, standard safety features included automatic emergency braking, lane-keeping assist, and driver-attention warning. The SEL and Denim trims added blind-spot monitoring and rear cross-traffic alert. The Venue received four out of five stars in NHTSA's front collision and rollover tests.