A small SUV throwing big punches.
Lets be honest; EVERYONE loves SUVs! Whether its a Bruh hitting the hotspots of Fourways or Ouma and Oupa heading down to the coast, we see these giants everywhere. But in this age of rising fuel prices, shrinking parking bays and the Green Movement, where do you draw the line between wanting an SUV and something that isnt going to make trips to the petrol station a costly affair? Well, you dont have to draw that line because Hyundai has done it for you with their Venue.
The Venue falls into the Compact SUV category, a market flooded with an array of brands and prices but, the Venue is the best overall for families looking for good looks, space, performance, fuel efficiency and affordability.
Starting with the looks, the Venue is the perfect mix of aggression and elegance, traits you wont really find in other cars in this class that seem too bubbly. The Hyundai beats that trend thanks to snarling lights and a massive grill that looks like it couldve come from something larger. Those big car looks however do hide my favourite thing about the Venue; the size! Despite its looks, the Venue is roughly the same size as a hatchback, sub-4 metres, which makes parking and getting around cramped parking lots so much easier than larger SUVs. The ground clearance also makes it easier to live with, ensuring that steep driveways and curbs are two less things to worry about in life!
Despite the cars exterior size, the inside has more than enough space for kids, the stuff that kids come with, and the dog! Upfront, the seats are comfortable and supportive, perfect for long drives, and whether you choose leather or cloth, you wont regret either. The rear seat is perfect for three young kids or two car seats but three adults in the back would feel the squeeze. As for the boot, its huge, and the cargo cover makes sure that prying eyes cant pry.
Out on the road, this small car lives up to big expectations. Under the bonnet, theres a 1.0 3-cylinder engine, and if you know anything about engines, you know thats nothing exciting. Hyundai has however added a turbocharger to the engine, which pumps up the power to 88kW, enabling the Venue to feel right at home at highway speeds or creeping in traffic. The small engine and turbo combination dont only do wonders for the power but also at the pumps, where you can expect combined fuel consumption of 6.5 litres/100km for the manual or 6.9 litres/100km for the automatic.
Safety-wise, the Venue is loaded with all the safety features weve come to expect from Hyundai; from ABS brakes to Hillstart Assist Control (to stop you rolling backwards) youll find them as standard on the Venue. On the inside, the Venues dedication to ensuring your familys safety continues and depending on the model you select, youll either have two or four airbags protecting you.
So, how much will the Venue cost you? Prices start from R311,900 for the base model, the Motion in manual and climb to R407,500 for the Glide Limited Edition DCT, DCT being the dual-clutch automatic variant. Personally, I would buy the Motion model in automatic because its affordable and much easier to drive when youre stuck in traffic or navigating the urban jungle.
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