Nissan Murano vs Hyundai Venue

The 2025 Nissan Murano showcased a completely revamped front design, featuring a next-gen lighting signature with a wing motif of horizontal lines that seamlessly integrated into the grille's slats. This new face was distinct from its predecessor, appearing wider due to both its horizontal design elements and an actual increase in width by nearly three inches, along with an additional 1.4 inches of ground clearance. The Murano's side profile was accentuated by a chrome arch lining the window tops, intersecting with black trim at the rear. While some styling elements were reminiscent of the Hyundai Tucson, the Murano's design was more cohesive and sophisticated. Standard 20-inch wheels and a sleeker interior with a horizontally oriented dash layout added to its modern appeal. The interior featured a new "Murano glass-inspired" treatment, enhancing the aesthetic with an ombre effect, although the SL trim's downgrade to leatherette seating was a notable change.

The 2026 Hyundai Venue, classified as a crossover SUV, had a design that leaned more towards a tall hatchback. Its small and narrow appearance, with an upright windshield and SUV-like cues such as a bluff nose and roof rails, gave it a European runabout vibe. The Venue's high nose was complemented by lower headlights and high-set daytime running lights, while black rocker panels and wheel flares added to its SUV aesthetic. Inside, the Venue's simple and functional design included a digital instrument cluster and a small touchscreen that resembled an iPad. The interior was practical, with body-color trim around the air vents and shifter, but lacked the premium feel of more expensive vehicles.

The 2025 Nissan Murano introduced a new powertrain with a 2.0-liter turbocharged inline four-cylinder engine, known as the 'VC turbo' for its variable compression ratio system, paired with a nine-speed automatic transmission. This engine delivered 241 horsepower and 260 lb-ft of torque, offering a torquier and potentially faster acceleration compared to the previous V6. The nine-speed automatic was a significant improvement over the old CVT, enhancing highway passing capabilities. While FWD and AWD options were available at the base level, SL and Platinum trims came with AWD by default. The Murano's high beltline did not hinder visibility, and higher trims offered features like Invisible Hood View for improved sightlines. Noise cancellation was effective, especially in the Platinum AWD model, which also featured an enhanced Bose audio system.

The 2026 Hyundai Venue was powered by a naturally aspirated 1.6-liter four-cylinder engine, producing 121 horsepower and 113 lb-ft of torque. This power was channeled through a CVT to the front wheels, with no AWD option. The Venue's 0-60 mph time ranged from 8.5 to 8.8 seconds, aided by its lightweight 2,738-pound frame. While peppy in city traffic, the Venue struggled at highway speeds, with the CVT slow to downshift for more power. The transmission's stepped gear ratios felt slurred, and heavy throttle caused engine droning. Handling was agile due to its small size and low weight, but the 6.7 inches of ground clearance led to some cornering lean. The ride was generally comfortable, though the solid rear axle made it jiggly on rough surfaces.

The 2025 Nissan Murano continued to offer impressive comfort features, including standard heated and power-adjustable front seats. The Platinum trim added massage functionality, easily accessible via a button near the seat-adjustment controls. Heated seat settings were screen-accessible, but Google Built-In allowed voice commands for adjustments. Both rows featured Nissan's Zero Gravity seats, with the front row offering increased legroom of 44.3 inches and headroom of 39.4 inches with the panoramic moonroof. However, the second row's legroom decreased to 36.3 inches. Cargo volume was competitive, with 32.9 cubic feet behind the rear seats and 63.5 cubic feet with seats folded. A power liftgate was standard, with foot-activation available on the Platinum trim.

The 2026 Hyundai Venue's interior featured cloth and H-Tex seats with black upholstery and white contrast stitching, offering decent comfort and six-way manual adjustments. Headroom was ample, but legroom was limited for taller occupants. The rear seat accommodated average-sized adults, but taller passengers would struggle for legroom. The rear seat folded flat in a 60/40 split, providing 31.9 cubic feet of cargo space, while space with seats up was 18.7 cubic feet. The Venue's rear cargo floor lifted to access a compact spare tire, revealing cost-cutting measures like a lack of sound deadening. The interior was dominated by hard black plastic, with limited soft-touch surfaces.

The 2025 Nissan Murano was well-equipped with tech features, including wireless charging, wireless Apple CarPlay, and Android Auto as standard. The monolith-style display housed two 12.3-inch screens for infotainment and driver-information. Four USB type C ports were standard, and the SL trim added Google Built-In, a 10-speaker Bose audio system, and a 64-color ambient lighting system. The Platinum trim included a head-up display, a feature not available on some competitors.

The 2026 Hyundai Venue featured a simple 8-inch touchscreen for basic infotainment, with large icons and quick response times. It offered phone, radio, media, and phone-projection connections, but lacked navigation, a Wi-Fi hotspot, and SiriusXM satellite radio. Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto were included, compensating for some missing features. The digital instrument cluster displayed limited information and was not programmable. The audio system was a basic six-speaker unit, with no premium option available.

The 2025 Nissan Murano came standard with the Nissan Safety Shield 360 suite, including lane-departure warning, blind-spot warning, rear cross-traffic alert, and automatic emergency braking with pedestrian detection. ProPILOT Assist was added, with SL and Platinum trims featuring a more advanced version that used navigation data for speed adjustments. The Murano earned a Top Safety Pick+ award from the IIHS, and new safety features included a passenger's side airbag, reinforced seating, and a 3D Intelligent Around View Monitor with moving-object detection.

The 2026 Hyundai Venue offered a good set of standard safety features, including forward-collision warning, automatic emergency braking, lane-keep assist, a driver-attention monitor, and a rear-occupant warning. Blind-spot monitors and rear cross-traffic alert were available on all but the base SE. The Venue's safety ratings were mediocre, with a four-star rating from the NHTSA and limited IIHS ratings. The driver attention monitor was overly sensitive, and the Venue's headlights received mixed ratings.