Hyundai has added a seventh SUV to its lineup. Meet the new-for-2020 Venue, billed by Hyundai as an urban compact SUV.
What makes this one special? For one, the cost: Starting MSRP is $17,350.
And are you sitting down? The base version can be ordered with a six-speed manual transmission.
Hyundai says that it can post up to 35 mpg, too.
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In a world of 300-horsepower SUVs, maybe the Venue seems outgunned, but I see its place: inexpensive yet not bottom of the barrel. It looks stylish. Our $23,000 sported niceties like LED headlamps, 17-inch alloys and an 8-inch screen for the navigation.
The interior is today’s typical Hyundai, meaning that it delivers more than you’d expect. While the controls look contemporary, they’re still easy to figure out. Need to change the radio station? You won’t need the owner’s manual.
Driving experience? With just 121 horsepower, I won’t lie, it’s not a rocket ship. In the standard mode, the shifts come early. But dial in the Sport mode, and then it felt quite lively.
I don’t expect to find one in the press fleet, but I’d like to try the Venue with the manual box. That could make a neat, lower-cost people-mover for our crowd.
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