2022 Land Rover Defender vs 2021 Hyundai Venue

The 2021 Hyundai Venue was a stylish little crossover that managed to maintain its appeal over time. Its upright stance, horizontal roofline, and steeply dropping tailgate gave it a distinctive look that belied its small size and budget-friendly nature. The grille was appropriately sized, drawing attention without overwhelming the design, while roof rails and wide-spaced letters at the back added to its crossover credentials. The Venue's headlights and taillights featured unique designs, and the top-line Denim trim, with its white roof and unique paint job, was particularly eye-catching. Despite its low price, the Venue's interior was modern and functional, with plenty of light entering the cabin through thin A-pillars and large windows. While the materials were inexpensive, the Venue managed to avoid feeling spartan, offering features like heated seats and a leather-wrapped steering wheel in the SEL trim.

The 2022 Land Rover Defender retained its distinctive boxy profile, tailgate-mounted spare tire, and flat hood, which visually connected it to the original Defender and classic Series Land Rovers. Despite these retro elements, the Defender's design was thoroughly modern, with rounded corners for improved aerodynamics and recessed LED headlights that gave it a unique personality. The interior was spacious and ergonomic, with a comfortable driving position and good visibility. Land Rover's design emphasized the Defender's rugged character, with bare metal and exposed screws in the door, along with a mix of leather and suede upholstery. The Defender's interior was both functional and stylish, with a large center-console storage bin and optional features like a basket-style roof rack and cargo boxes for additional storage.

The 2021 Hyundai Venue was powered by 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 lacked options for more powerful engines or all-wheel drive. The Venue's front-wheel-drive setup and continuously variable automatic transmission provided adequate performance for city driving, but it wasn't the most thrilling experience on the highway.

The 2022 Land Rover Defender offered a range of powertrains, including a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine with 296 horsepower and 295 pound-feet of torque, and a 3.0-liter turbocharged inline-six mild-hybrid powertrain with 395 horsepower and 406 pound-feet of torque. The standout option was the new-for-2022 V8 engine, producing 518 horsepower and 461 pound-feet of torque, allowing the Defender 90 to accelerate from zero to 60 mph in 4.9 seconds. All Defender models featured a ZF eight-speed automatic transmission and standard four-wheel drive with a two-speed transfer case. The V8 model also included an electronic active rear differential, Dynamic drive mode, and unique transmission and suspension tuning for sportier handling. Despite its off-road capabilities, the Defender was comfortable on pavement, with a suspension that absorbed bumps well and minimized noise from the 22-inch tires.

The 2021 Hyundai Venue offered ample headroom and legroom in the front seats, with a decent amount of storage space, including a handy tray ahead of the gear selector. However, the back seat was tighter, with limited legroom for adults. Cargo space was also limited, with 18.7 cubic feet with the back seat in place and 31.9 cubic feet with it folded down. Compared to competitors like the Nissan Kicks, Toyota C-HR, and Ford EcoSport, the Venue offered less cargo volume, making it less suitable for those prioritizing storage space.

The 2022 Land Rover Defender featured 40/20/40 split-folding rear seats, which were comfortable but challenging to access in the two-door Defender 90 model. The four-door Defender 110 offered more versatility, with two-row and three-row configurations. Three-row models provided 11.4 cubic feet of cargo space with all seats in place, 35.4 cubic feet with the third row folded, and 70.4 cubic feet with the second row folded. Two-row versions offered 18.1 cubic feet with the rear seats up and 51.7 cubic feet with them folded. The Defender's interior emphasized functionality, with a large caged storage space below the dashboard and a spacious center-console storage bin. Optional features included a basket-style roof rack and cargo boxes for additional storage.

The 2021 Hyundai Venue was equipped with an 8-inch touchscreen infotainment system, featuring high resolution and quick swipe functionality. The interface was designed for simplicity, with physical buttons for quick access to media sources and settings. The Venue's infotainment system allowed for driver profile customization and included standard features like Bluetooth, Apple CarPlay, and Android Auto. The base SE trim was set to receive wireless CarPlay in the future.

The 2022 Land Rover Defender came with the standard Pivi Pro infotainment system, featuring a 10-inch central touchscreen and wireless Apple CarPlay/Android Auto connectivity. A 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster was standard on all trims except the base model, and an 11.4-inch touchscreen was newly available for 2022. The interface was user-friendly, with well-designed graphics and menu layouts, although the screen required a firm touch to respond. Optional features included a 14-speaker Meridian audio system, head-up display, and a surround-view camera system for off-roading.

The 2021 Hyundai Venue came 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 the NHTSA's driver-side and passenger-side front collision tests, as well as for rollover.

The 2022 Land Rover Defender included standard driver-assist tech like lane-keep assist, automatic emergency braking, and traffic-sign recognition with speed-limit adapter. Blind-spot monitoring and adaptive cruise control were optional. The Defender had not been rated by the IIHS or NHTSA, which is common for luxury vehicles.