Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Cars
  3. News

Hyundai’s new entry-level Venue crossover targets used car buyers

Stephen Edelstein
By

At first glance, the Hyundai Venue looks like yet another entry in the bloated subcompact crossover segment. But Hyundai hopes to fill a different niche than most competitors, reports Automotive News. The Korean automaker will reportedly position the Venue as an ultra-value proposition aimed at wooing used-car buyers.

The Venue will be priced so low that it will be “competing against used cars in many cases,” Michael O’Brien, vice president for product, corporate, and digital planning at Hyundai Motor America, said in an interview with Automotive News. He said about one-third of the 40 million used-car transactions in 2018 started with a buyer looking for a new vehicle but not finding what they wanted.

Recommended Videos

Lowering the price point to reach that target market was behind Hyundai’s decision to forgo all-wheel drive and make the Venue front-wheel drive only, O’Brien said. Hyundai could have “easily” added all-wheel drive, but it would have made the Venue too expensive, he said. All-wheel drive is generally considered a prerequisite for a crossover, but not all vehicles have it. The Nissan Kicks and Toyota C-HR — which, like the Venue, are positioned as entry-level models — are front-wheel drive only. Nissan and Toyota have bet that distinct exterior styling and slightly taller driving positions will be enough to distinguish these vehicles from regular hatchbacks.

Related

Hyundai hasn’t disclosed pricing for the Venue, but O’Brien told Automotive News that it will start below the Hyundai Kona. With a base price of $21,035, the Kona is currently the cheapest crossover in Hyundai’s lineup. O’Brien also told Automotive News that the Venue will start “at a bit of a premium, but not much,” over the entry-level Hyundai Accent sedan, which has a base price $15,915.

The Venue is Hyundai’s seventh crossover, and its smallest. It’s about five inches shorter than the Kona, but Hyundai still promises comfortable seating for four adults and a respectable amount of cargo space. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto will be standard, with Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa integration available as well. The sole available engine will be a 1.6-liter, four-cylinder unit, coupled to a six-speed manual or continuously variable transmission (CVT). The Venue hits showrooms later this year.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics
Stephen Edelstein
Stephen Edelstein
Contributing Editor
Stephen is a freelance automotive journalist covering all things cars. He likes anything with four wheels, from classic cars…
Tesla will start delivering the new Model Y crossover on Friday the 13th
Tesla Model Y One Millionth Car

Tesla's time-honored habit of not sticking to the deadlines it sets will work out in the favor of Model Y buyers. The California-based automaker will begin delivering the Model Y, the latest addition to its range, on Friday the 13th.

Company co-founder and CEO Elon Musk unveiled the Model Y (pictured below) during a private event in early 2019, and he announced production would start in the fall of 2020. We're not out of winter yet, so fall isn't exactly around the corner, but Tesla fan site Electrek learned Tesla has started contacting early reservation holders to set up a delivery appointment. Future owners are sharing delivery information in real time on a Google spreadsheet.

Read more
Hyundai will use Canoo’s ‘skateboard’ chassis for future electric cars
Canoo electric car chassis

To develop future electric cars, Hyundai is leaning on Canoo, a Los Angeles-based startup developing a subscription-only vehicle. The two companies have signed an agreement to jointly develop a new electric car platform based on Canoo's existing chassis. That platform will underpin electric cars for both Hyundai and sibling brand Kia.

The Canoo chassis is called a skateboard because it's essentially a flat rectangle with four wheels attached. All mechanical components are housed within the chassis, making it easy to attach different bodies to create new models. Hyundai also expects this design to streamline the development and manufacturing processes for electric cars, according to a Canoo press release.

Read more
Hyundai’s flying car program will take off at CES 2020 with concept vehicle
hyundai flying car concept ces 2020 taxi hub

Hyundai recently established its own flying taxi division, becoming the latest in a long line of companies to take a shot at this sci-fi technology. While it's unclear when the first Hyundai flying taxi will go into production, the company will unveil a concept version at CES 2020.

Hyundai hasn't revealed many details of the flying taxi, which it refers to as a "personal air vehicle." The vehicle will be shown alongside an autonomous concept car Hyundai calls a "purpose built vehicle." This concept vehicle will have a customizable design, giving it a variety of possible uses, Hyundai claims. Both vehicles are designed to operate out of a transportation "hub" that could be built in city centers, Hyundai claims.

Read more