2021 Hyundai Venue vs 2022 Hyundai Kona

The 2021 Hyundai Venue was a stylish little crossover that seemed to defy the passage of time with its design. Its upright stance, nearly horizontal roofline, and steeply dropping tailgate gave it a robust appearance that belied its small size. The grille was appropriately sized, drawing attention without overwhelming the car's design. The Venue's exterior updates from the 2020 model were minimal, with the most notable change being the replacement of 15-inch steel wheels with alloys on the base SE trim. The top-line Denim trim, with its white roof and unique paint job, was particularly appealing to those drawn to the Venue's fashion-forward style.

Inside, the Venue was a testament to how an inexpensive car could still feel modern and functional. While the interior was dominated by plastic, the design allowed for plenty of light, making the cabin feel airy. The SEL trim offered heated seats and a modern look despite its low-cost build. The Venue's shape, with thin A-pillars and big windows, contributed to a greenhouse-like feel, enhancing the driving experience even with its budget-friendly materials.

The 2022 Hyundai Kona received a significant makeover, giving it a more sophisticated look with revised front and rear fascias, enhanced LED lighting, and sporty new character lines. The Kona's exterior was further refined with new alloy wheel designs and lower body cladding, adding to its crossover appeal. Inside, the instrument panel and center console were separated, creating a more spacious look. Ambient lighting and a rear USB port added convenience and sophistication.

The 2022 Kona introduced two new trims: the sporty N Line and the even sportier Kona N. These trims featured unique styling elements, including body-color cladding and rocker panels, and new wheel designs. The N Line's interior boasted exclusive black seats with red stitching, a black headliner, and alloy sport pedals, while the Kona N took sportiness to another level with wide fenders, 19-inch alloy wheels, and N sport bucket seats. The refreshed 2022 model's proportions gave the Kona a more streamlined look, and the Blue Wave exterior color on the N Line was particularly striking.

The 2021 Hyundai Venue was equipped with a 1.6-liter four-cylinder engine, producing 121 horsepower and 113 pound-feet of torque. This small, economical engine was designed to provide just enough power for the Venue's lightweight frame, which weighed in at 2,612 pounds. The Venue's performance was comparable to competitors like the Nissan Kicks, Ford EcoSport, and Toyota C-HR, although it was the smallest and lightest among them. The Venue was only available with front-wheel drive, and a continuously variable automatic transmission (CVT) was the sole transmission option for 2021, as the six-speed manual was discontinued.

In contrast, the 2022 Hyundai Kona offered a variety of powertrains across its lineup. The base SE and SEL trims featured a 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine with 147 horsepower and 132 pound-feet of torque, paired with a CVT. For those seeking more performance, the N Line and Kona Limited offered a turbocharged 1.6-liter engine with 195 horsepower and 195 pound-feet of torque, mated to a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission (DCT). The new Kona N trim boasted a turbocharged 2.0-liter engine with 276 horsepower and 289 pound-feet of torque, paired with an N eight-speed wet DCT. The Kona's performance was further enhanced by features like launch control, a variable exhaust system, and an electronic limited-slip differential.

The 2021 Hyundai Venue provided ample headroom and legroom for front-seat occupants, with a decent amount of storage space. The center console's bin was small but functional, and automatic climate control effectively managed the cabin's temperature. However, the back seat was tighter, with limited legroom for adults, and cargo space was modest at 18.7 cubic feet with the rear seats up and 31.9 cubic feet with them down. The Venue's cargo capacity lagged behind competitors like the Nissan Kicks, Toyota C-HR, and Ford EcoSport.

The 2022 Hyundai Kona offered a comfortable front-seat experience, with ample headroom and legroom, even for taller drivers. However, rear-seat occupants faced challenges with small door openings and limited head- and legroom. Despite Hyundai's claims of improved rear-seat legroom, it remained tight. Cargo space was also limited, with 19.2 cubic feet available with all seats up and 45.8 cubic feet with the rear seats folded. The Kona's towing capacity was not recommended, further limiting its utility.

The 2021 Hyundai Venue featured an 8-inch touchscreen infotainment system with high resolution and quick swipe functionality. The system included Bluetooth, Apple CarPlay, and Android Auto as standard features, with the ability to set up driver profiles. The Venue's interface was designed for simplicity and ease of use, with physical buttons for quick access to media sources and settings.

The 2022 Hyundai Kona added more tech features, starting with an 8-inch display on the base SE trim. The SEL trim and above offered SiriusXM satellite radio, HD Radio, and Hyundai Blue Link. The Limited and Kona N trims featured a 10.25-inch touchscreen infotainment system with navigation and traffic information. Wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay were standard with the base screen, while the larger screen offered wired versions. The Kona also included a digital key, wireless device charging, and a suite of connected services through Hyundai Blue Link.

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

The 2022 Hyundai Kona offered standard safety features such as automatic emergency braking with pedestrian detection, lane-keeping assistance, and driver attention warning. Available technologies included adaptive cruise control, blind-spot warning, and rear cross-traffic alert. The Kona received five stars from NHTSA for overall crash protection and "Good" ratings from IIHS in all crashworthiness tests.