Hyundai Venue 1.0T Fluid Auto (2023) review - a big, bold face for a little car

The successful Hyundai Venue gets the botox treatment as part of its mid-life cycle update. A new look is complimented by tried and tested drivetrain and chassis but it's not without fault though. See what concerned us here.

Interior & Space

The Hyundai Venue has found a home in South Africa amongst consumers looking for a cost-effective, agreeable crossover that is as capable on the daily commute as it is on the weekend jaunt. Attractive proportions, low running costs and an impressive warranty means that over 17 000 Hyundai Venues have found homes in the driveways and garages of South Africans since its launch in 2019.

As is customary in the automotive world, a model will receive a facelift part-way through its lifecycle, helping keep it relevant to the market at hand. This helps all models retain their value a little better as too frequent an update to a completely new version hurts the perceived value of the models preceding it. In 2023 it’s time for the Venue to go under the knife and get a fresh, new look. The bones remain the same, but the packaging is markedly different.

Styling 

The immediate difference between the pre-facelift and this new facelifted model is the large and imposing grille. The ‘Y-shaped’ grille of the first iteration makes way for a bold new item, squared off and more in line with the design language we’ve seen in models like the Palisade, Creta, Tucson and one that we will soon see in the Santa Fe. This grille features, what Hyundai calls, cascading chocolate boxes; inverted grille elements that gradually get smaller as they make their way down the face of the grille.

This grille is flanked by split-element lighting with thin strips resting up high that incorporate the indicators and park lamps. Lower down, on this Fluid model, you will find the LED headlights and daytime running lights (DRLs).

While a facelift will usually only see minor changes made to the front end and the rear is usually left largely untouched, the 2023 Venue gets a full redesign of the rear. The horizontally-themed back bumper is complemented by a continuous taillight element that spans from one side to the other, joining the attractive new taillights. The shape of the hatch door has also been redesigned to include a wider lower section. This helps with access to the rear and allows you to load larger items with greater ease.

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Space & Interior 

The updates for this new model year are largely centred around the exterior and the interior remains largely unchanged. That’s not a bad thing though as the interior of the Venue is a rather pleasant space when one considers the overall price tag. You’re not going to get Rolls Royce interior trimmings but you’re also not paying Rolls Royce prices. As such, there’s generous use of plastics but the overall fit and finish is more than acceptable, especially if you have youngsters who are yet to understand the value of things.

The rear is the one area that will pleasantly surprise you. Rear legroom is more than generous and you will initially wonder how Hyundai have managed to get so much space out of a vehicle that has such a small overall footprint. The boot is sizeable too, coming in at 343-litres and further expandable by folding down the rear seats which will collapse in a 60:40 arrangement, allow you several different packing solutions.

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Comfort & Convenience 

The small, lightweight Venue will never glide along the road, absorbing every bump and ironing out every crease but it does an admirable job of contending with our local road conditions. The generous tyre profiles mean that small imperfections in the road surface, the ones that contribute to overall fatigue, are hardly noticeable. I’ve driven vehicles that are four times more expensive that struggle to get this right. The offside is that the larger undulations are still noticeable, the Venue’s lightweight seeing the entire body affected by the ebb and flow of the tarmac.

Fluid versions get a sizeable and adept 8-inch colour touchscreen infotainment system with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay functionality. The unit is equipped with Bluetooth if you prefer and steering wheel controls allow for the safe operation of the unit. The Venue supplies both USB and USB-C ports as well as a 12-volt socket for accessories or chargers.

Air conditioning is manual though, only N Line models receive automatic climate control but you do get air vents for the rear to help keep your passengers in the second row comfortable.

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Performance 

The same two engines that served the original Venue still do duty in this updated version. You get to choose between a 1.2-litre, 4-cylinder, naturally aspirated petrol engine or a 1.0-litre, 3-cylinder, turbocharged petrol engine. The 1.2-litre develops 61 kW and 115 Nm torque but our test model was the 1.0-litre turbocharged version. This engine produces 88 kW and 172 Nm torque, making it considerably sprightlier than its larger brother. Hyundai claims a 0 to 100 km/h sprint time of 11.4 seconds which is not going to win any races but will keep up with traffic just fine and manages the highway shuffle admirably.

This power unit is paired with a 7-speed Dual Clutch Gearbox. The purpose of this is to reduce gear shift times and help with fuel economy but instead, it has the side effect of causing erratic shifts and an uncomfortable drive. The entire experience is soured by this oversight. The programming of the shift points is lacking and too often will see the car out of boost, resulting in a lethargic pull-away. This is particularly concerning when crossing oncoming traffic. One learned to drive it, but this should not have to be the case.

Fuel Economy 

That gearbox programming is said to help with the fuel consumption and one would expect the rather small 1.0-litre engine to be able to hit the manufacturer’s claims of 6.9 l/100km. Instead, you will end up with figures around the 10 l/100km in and around town with the typical daily commute and will only see that figure drop into the 8s if you hit the open road and keep the speed sensible. Our best was an 8.2 after some extended highway driving.

The claimed range is 652 km from a single tank of 45-litres but at the rate we were going, you would only see around 450 km.

Safety 

The Venue is unchanged regarding its safety systems and the Fluid version is the one to have if you’re determined to stay as safe as possible. You get 6 airbags in the Fluid derivatives along with ABS antilock brakes, Electronic Brakeforce Distribution (EBD) and Emergency Brake Assist (EBA). The seatbelts are fitted with pre-tensioners to take up the slack in the event of an accident and at the rear, you’l find ISOFIX child seat anchors.

Price 

Aside from the N Line derivative with its sporty pretensions, the 1.0T Fluid Auto is the most expensive Hyundai Venue on offer. Price start from as little as R299 900 though for the 1.2 Motion with a manual gearbox.

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Competitors 

The sub-R300 000 mark for the entry-level Venue certainly makes it appealing but then you lose out on some of the creature comforts that make it bearable to drive. The 1.0T Fluid Auto is considerably dearer and this places it amongst some tough competition. You could look at a high-spec Chery Tiggo 4 Pro or an entry-spec, but larger Tiggo 7 Pro. You’re also playing with the Mazda CX-3 which is a little dated but still a lovely vehicle. The VW T-Cross is in your sights as is the Suzuki Vitara. You’d even be able to spring for a Toyota Corolla Cross.

Verdict 

I wasn’t too fond of the Venue in its first guise, the styling just didn’t appeal to me and while the price was right, it never captured my imagination. Spending time with this revised version allowed me to change my mind. The styling updates, overall practicality and space allowed me to forgive the poor gearbox programming for the most part; I ended up doing a lot of driving with the gearbox in Sport mode to help counter the lacklustre performance of the gearbox.

It’s easy to see why it is popular but with the competition being so tough, I fear my money would be placed somewhere else if I was in the market for this high-spec version. It starts getting rather tough when you’re prepared to live with some of the features though.

Keyword: Hyundai Venue 1.0T Fluid Auto (2023) review - a big, bold face for a little car