Car review: Hyundai Venue may be small but it's packed with features, no further zhng-ing required

If, like me, you prefer SUVs to sedans, you might realise that along with the ride heights, the prices of SUVs tend to be higher than their sedan counterparts as well.

The first vehicle (read: van) I bought was no SUV, though it sat higher than most cars. With an impressive timing of 16 seconds to go from 0-100km/h, the van made up for its lack of power with its low annual depreciation of $4,100 — a big consideration when shopping for a car.

Venue, Hyundai's latest (and smallest) addition to their SUV line-up, sits at $92,000 (base Auto trim), making it one of the first few SUVs (or crossovers) you come across while sorting by price on automobile market websites.

The Venue is a contender if you're looking to buy an SUV on a tight budget. But would you be getting your money's worth with the car? Komoco Motors loaned me a unit for a day to take for a spin. Here's how it looks and feels, and the sort of trimmings that come along with it.

Bull-ish first looks

From the corner, the Cosmic Gray coat looks nice and glossy, but the yellow accents seem to clash with the elegance of the smooth body. The two-tone combination is an option for the higher-end Auto S trim priced at $97,000 — the upper-end of two trims offered by Komoco Motors — but the yellow on this unit seems to clash rather than complement.

The top signal lights sit high and narrow on the corners, like fierce, aggressive eyes. Coupled with the huge, wide, chrome-black grille, the car almost makes you feel like you're staring down a ferocious beast, a bull ready to charge with its yellow ears and 17" alloy wheels (15" on the base trim).

From the front, however, the headlights make the car look a bit less intimidating, and almost endearing even - the lower bumper gives it a kind of open-mouthed look, as if it's staring into the distance, lost in thought.

Emblazoned across the back under the Hyundai emblem sits the name Venue in chrome, along with 1.6 and S. If you're paying more for the top trim, people should see that, right?

The rear combination lamps take up very little real estate, arranged as they are in a Z-lined rectangle roughly the size of a lunchbox. Below at the corners sit its fog lights. Overall, the Venue is a very sharp and aggressive-looking car, if ferocity is what you go for.

Looks like a bull, charges like one?

The 1.6L naturally aspirated (that means no turbo-boost chargers) engine comes with an Intelligent Variable Transmission (IVT), Hyundai's take on the more common Continuous Variable Transmission (CVT).

One key difference is that the IVT uses a chain belt instead of a push belt like in CVT. Hyundai says this is better for efficiency as well as power - meaning a stronger car yet more fuel savings at the same time.

Die-hard gear fans will be disappointed to find no 6-speed dual clutch transmissions, though. If it's any consolation, there's a stick shift mode with simulated gear ratios.

At 1,142kg, its nimble body picks up with good low-end torque briskly, bringing it up to 60km/h easily for fun, zippy driving in the city. Even with the IVT, the power response comes immediately, no "CVT rubber-band" feel.

Disc brakes on both front and rear wheels mean better stopping power. In general, they look better than a front-disc, rear-drum setup, too. It feels very noticeable going over road bumps and humps in the Venue, so slowing down to a crawl over humps is needed for maximum comfort.

On the expressways, just turn the dial below the stick and you're in sports mode for an even more responsive throttle for merging, or just for whenever you're in the mood for a more spirited drive. While the 1.6L NA engine doesn't sweat much in overtaking, it certainly doesn't beat a good turbo setup.

8 inch display, reverse parking guide, smart lights and more

Inside, the 8" LCD infotainment display's UI looks polished and is intuitive enough that you won't need to browse through a manual to figure out how to pair your audio to the Bluetooth. There is a bit of a lag on the touchscreen, but this doesn't present much of a problem considering you won't have to use it much after setting up.

Music control is also convenient with the multimedia controls on the left of the steering wheel, and cruise control settings on the right.

Android Auto and Apple Carplay are included, so you can put your phone screen on the display for easier navigation. USB charging ports are available, but no wireless charging phone pocket - though wireless charging is not entirely necessary if you already plan to plug your phone in for Android Auto or Apple Carplay.

The Venue also comes with an in-built tyre pressure monitoring system (TPMS) that can be read from the dashboard, so you'll never have to wonder if the tyres are leaking after driving over shards of glass on the road.

Reverse-parking will be easy even for new drivers, with the stock rear camera, reverse parking distance warning, and reversing guidelines. Keyless entry and push-start are also standard across both trims, so crank-starting is a thing of the past.

The safety features are where the S trim really outshines the base trim.

Apart from a more elegant-looking grille and 17" rims, the S trim is stuffed with safety driving features that Hyundai calls Advanced Driving Aids. Here are the ones that I found most useful: lane-keeping assist, blindspot collision warning, and rear-cross traffic warning.

The blindspot collision warning lights up in orange on the side mirrors if it detects an object in your blindspot, and emits a loud warning noise if you signal into the lane. While this feature is useful, I found that it tends to trigger even where there was ample room to filter into the next lane safely. I turned it off after the first few times, but it's still a great feature, especially for new or nervous drivers.

The front lights are a weird mix of LED and halogen with auto lights so you won't have to fiddle with the lights settings whenever you enter a tunnel or go from dark to bright. The S trim includes a Static Bending light that illuminates the left and right corners of the car when turning so you have better visibility around corners at night.

The driver and front passenger seats are a leather-cloth mix across both trims. The front seats feel a little hard, almost like a semi-bucket seat, and are lacking in terms of comfort. The backseats can take three passengers with a bit of a squeeze.

The boot has 355L of space with the rear seats up, which can be knocked down for more cargo space. The soft cover that separates the boot from the cabin can be easily taken down, or even slotted down into a holder that aligns with the back of the rear seats when up.

Verdict: Small but mighty in features, great if you are on a budget

At $92,000 for the base trim and $97,000 for the S trim, the Venue is one of the more competitively-priced SUVs on the market but not the most competitive. What you get with the Venue, though, is the feeling that the car comes fully done. Meaning, after your purchase, your first thought won't be: "What aftermarket parts and upgrades do I need to get now?"

It already comes sleek, with sporty-looking alloy rims on both trims, DRLs, and fog lights. Features are plenty with keyless entry, push start, Apple Carplay and Android Auto, an internal TPMS, and a slew of driver safety features.

There's not much that you'll need to zhng (upgrade or modify, usually to make it look showy), like a set of sports rims, or aftermarket infotainment head unit or fog lights. If you're looking for an SUV that's well-packed with trimmings while also on a budget, the Venue should be a strong contender in your considerations.

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