2021 Hyundai Venue: Practical and Comfortable City Cruiser

Is the 2021 Hyundai Venue a good value? We look at powertrain, interior options, trim levels, and more. Find out our thoughts here.

What’s New for the 2021 Hyundai Venue?

No major changes take place for the 2021 model year aside from the fact that the manual transmission, which was offered on the base SE last year, has been discontinued. The convenience package that was optional on the SEL last year is now standard.

2021 Hyundai Venue - hyundainews.com

2021 Hyundai Venue – hyundainews.com |  Shop 2021 Hyundai Venue on Carsforsale.com

Body Style

Starting Price

MSRP $19,935

Drivetrain

Drivetrain

FWD

Drivetrain

Fuel Economy

30 City / 33 Hwy (MPG)

Number of Seats

Seating

Seats 5

The Breakdown

Very fuel efficient

Sizable interior

Great pricing

Lackluster engine

No AWD option

Noisy cabin

Needs another powertrain

2021 Venue Specs

Trims & Pricing

SE - $19,935
SEL - $20,985
Denim - $23,235

2021 Hyundai Venue Powertrain

2021 Hyundai Venue 1.6L I4 - carsforsale.com
2021 Hyundai Venue 1.6L I4 - carsforsale.com

Every Hyundai Venue comes with the same engine that’s factory-rated at 121 horsepower and 113 lb-ft of torque. If that sounds like a low number you’d be right. It’s just enough to get the little subcompact SUV around without real concerns when it comes to keeping up with traffic.

A light and smooth approach to throttle inputs is the best way to get the Venue up to speed as it keeps the little engine from buzzing noisily as the continuously variable transmission works to increase velocity.

Quite simply, the Venue isn’t meant to be an engaging driver’s car and that’s ok. Tightly congested cities are where the Venue really impresses though. At low speeds it’s punchy enough that you won’t notice a lack of power.

The 2021 Hyundai Venue is small enough to fit into just about any gap in traffic or any tight parking space. On the highway it’s noticeably loud in the cabin but that’s to be expected of just about any car on the market that costs less than $25,000 in its top trim.

2021 Hyundai Venue Fuel Economy & MPG

2021 Hyundai Venue - hyundainews.com
2021 Hyundai Venue - hyundainews.com

What the Venue might lack in driving excitement it makes up for with regard to fuel economy. It gets an EPA-estimated 30 mpg in the city and 33 on the highway. Those are impressive numbers for a vehicle that doesn’t have any sort of hybrid electrification going on and even more so when you consider just how much interior space the Venue has.

Interior, Comfort, & Cargo Space

Despite its diminutive footprint, the Venue feels bigger on the inside and short of needing to carry five tall adults, it’ll do the job quite nicely. The rear seats are a bit softer than we’d prefer but they recline which is a big bonus on long trips. The front seats are about as good as you’ll get in this segment as they’re both supportive and comfortable.

Aside from the seats, the rest of the interior is nicely appointed despite generous use of cheaper materials like plastic and foam. The center console is easy to navigate and the switchgear feels higher-quality than we expected. That seems to be a running theme as the Kona features similarly satisfying controls.

Cargo space isn’t copious but for a vehicle of this size it’s impressive. With both rows of seats in place you’ll find almost 20 cubic feet worth of cargo space. Drop those rear seats and the number jumps up over 30. That’s ever so slightly better than some other vehicles that are larger overall.

Entertainment & Technology

2021 Hyundai Venue - hyundainews.com
2021 Hyundai Venue - hyundainews.com

Every Venue comes with an 8-inch infotainment system featuring Android Auto and Apple CarPlay. The native user interface is good enough that you can skip the smartphone connectivity features if you prefer that though. In fact, response time to button presses seems to be faster in the Venue than it is in more expensive Hyundai products.

We’d skip the SE trim level if at all possible because it comes with just four speakers and they don’t sound very crisp at all. Thankfully, the SEL and the Denim both add a pair for a total of six. The top two trims also offer integrated navigation and real-time traffic updates as well. Finally, we love that Hyundai includes important safety technology like forward collision mitigation and lane-keep assist in the Venue.

Safety Features

Lane departure warning and a driver-attention monitor are included on every Venue in conjunction with the above mentioned technologies. Additionally, rear cross-traffic alert is available on the SEL and Denim trims. The NHTSA gave the Venue four stars in its crash testing and the IIHS did not select it as a Top Safety Pick.

2021 Hyundai Venue Trims & Pricing

2021 Hyundai Venue SE - carsforsale.con
2021 Hyundai Venue SE - carsforsale.con

SE – $19,935

The base Venue starts out with 16-inch wheels, automatic headlights, an 8-inch infotainment system, Android Auto, Apple CarPlay, four speakers, automatic emergency braking, and lane keep assist. Every Venue uses a 121-hp four-cylinder engine and a continuously variable transmission to power the front wheels only.

2021 Hyundai Venue SEL - hyundainews.com
2021 Hyundai Venue SEL - hyundainews.com

SEL – $20,985

The SEL trim adds automatic climate control, 17-inch alloy wheels, a leather-wrapped steering wheel, drive modes, blind-spot monitoring, and rear cross-traffic alert.

2021 Hyundai Venue Denim - hyundainews.com
2021 Hyundai Venue Denim - hyundainews.com

Denim – $23,235

The top trim Denim gets two-tone blue and white exterior paint along with faux leather upholstery, integrated navigation, LED headlights, LED tail lights, heated front seats, keyless entry, keyless ignition, and a power sunroof.

Warranties

Hyundai smokes everybody in the business by offering a five-year or 60,000-mile limited warranty along with a 10-year or 100,000-mile powertrain warranty. It also covers the first three years or 36,000-miles of maintenance.

What we think

2021 Hyundai Venue - hyundainews.com

2021 Hyundai Venue – hyundainews.com |  Shop 2021 Hyundai Venue on Carsforsale.com

The 2021 Hyundai Venue isn’t going to light a fire in anybody’s soul but it will provide practical, comfortable, and fuel efficient transportation in a package that doesn’t leave you feeling like you’re sitting in a penalty box. With a starting price under $20,000 and a top tier price under $25,000, it’s one of our easy go-to recommendations.

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Stephen Rivers

Stephen Rivers is a car enthusiast who loves all things built with passion, extending to nearly all car cultures. After obtaining an occupational studies degree in sports medicine, Stephen turned his attention to sports cars. He was employed as an auto shop manager, spent time in auto sales, and worked as a software developer for a racing company, but Stephen began writing about cars over 10 years ago. When he's not in front of a computer screen, he's racing his own Bugeye Subaru WRX in as many autocross and rallycross competitions as he can.

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