Page 45 - Car South Africa (February 2020)
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a short (in this case 2 500 mm) offers surprisingly generous head-
wheelbase but Hyundai’s engi- room all round, while the luggage
neers have done a fair job. It’s compartment swallows a claimed
slightly on the firm side but that’s 350 litres. Legroom at the back is
mitigated somewhat by 195 mm sufficient for passengers of aver-
of ground clearance and relatively age height, although the pint-sized
high-profile rubber. The second- pavement hopper’s rising hipline
ary ride, though, isn’t quite as and chunky C-pillars render the
polished, while the steering feels rear quarters slightly less inviting
a touch slow around centre. for those of a claustrophobic dis-
But such foibles are unlikely to position. It’s also worth noting the
concern buyers who do the ma- centrally sited rear passenger has
jority of their driving in bustling to make do with a lap belt rather
city centres. Here, the diminutive than an inertia-reel item.
01
Venue excels, with its upright While you don’t have to look
stance offering a commanding far to find hard plastics in the cab-
view of the road. The driving in, partial-leather upholstery and
position is suitably lofty, even a leather-trimmed steering wheel
with the height-adjustable perch along with an eight-inch touch-
dropped to its lowest position, but screen (boasting Apple CarPlay
frustratingly the steering column and Android Auto functionality)
offers tilt adjustment only. 02 03 lend the higher-spec variants add-
You’d think the Venue’s trun- ed tactile appeal. Fit and finish,
cated body would result in a decid- too, are impressive.
edly pokey cabin but the Korean So, what sort of cash are we
automaker has been smart with looking at? Well, with the base Mo-
its packaging. Making the most of tion derivatives stripped of various
its boxy proportions, the Venue items (such as the aforementioned
touchscreen, rear parking sensors,
01 Hyundai’s smallest crossover measures cruise control, alloy wheels and
just 3 995 mm long, substantially more roof rails) and settling for two air-
truncated than its direct competition. bags rather than the six employed
02 The flagship Glide variant boasts
automatic air-conditioning. 03 Instrument by the rest of the range, pricing
cluster offers a wealth of information. starts at a competitive R274 900.
04 Seats are trimmed in a mix of leather The best value, though, is found in
and cloth. 05 Steering column lacks
reach adjustment. the middle of the line-up, where
04 the well-specified Fluid variants
are priced from R309 900.
This flagship Glide derivative,
meanwhile, comes in at R369 900,
resulting in a small overlap with
the Creta. But it’s perhaps the
i20 hatchback that will be most
affected by the arrival of the
Venue as buyers continue their
migration towards crossovers.
Hyundai’s most impressive
achievement with the Venue is it
doesn’t feel at all hamstrung by
its compact dimensions. Indeed,
from behind the wheel it comes
across as larger than it is, allowing
it to go toe to toe with its slightly
stouter rivals. And while the gap at
the bottom of Hyundai’s crossover
range was by no means consider-
able, I suspect the Venue’s initial
sales figures will prove it was one
05
worth filling.
CARmag.co.za CAR FEBRUARY 2020 43
