Kelley Blue Book: The 2023 Hyundai Venue: This roomy subcompact SUV has standout styling and plenty of safety features for under $20k

2023 Hyundai Venue pricing

The 2023 Hyundai Venue starts at $19,500. The popular mid-range SEL trim starts at $21,250, and the loaded Limited trim is still affordable, starting at $22,750. Similarly priced competitors include the Kia
000270,
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Soul, Chevy Trailblazer, and Nissan Kicks.

• Venue SE: $19,500

• Venue SEL: $21,250 | Most Popular

• Venue Limited: $22,750

These are the manufacturer’s suggested retail prices and don’t include the $1,295 factory-to-dealer delivery fee.

Before buying a Venue, check the Kelley Blue Book Fair Purchase Price to know what you should really pay. Hyundai Venue resale values have trended above average for the segment.

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What’s new?

The Hyundai Venue gets a few welcome changes for the 2023 model year. A rear occupant alert wasn’t previously available, but now it comes standard. Previously optional features, including a map lamp, a center console armrest, and a 4.2-inch color instrument cluster display, are all standard now. Also, the upscale Limited trim now adds a wireless charging pad to its list of features.

Driving the 2023 Hyundai Venue

Every Hyundai Venue is equipped with the same 4-cylinder engine. It motivates the Venue with adequate acceleration and is a good match for city driving. Getting up to highway speed requires a little patience in our experience, but once it does hit highway speed, the drive is pretty comfortable without too much wind noise.

One of the strong suits of the Venue is its maneuverability. We found it easy to drive around town and navigate in and out of tight parking spots. Its small footprint and short overhangs make it easy to discern where the car’s four corners are.

Although all-wheel drive isn’t available, drivers in snowy climates will appreciate the Snow Mode in the SEL and Limited trims. Snow Mode makes the traction control system a bit more aggressive to maximize traction and minimize wheel slippage. It makes a difference on snowy roads and makes the Venue capable of light off-roading.

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Appealing interior

The interior of the Venue is attractive and comfortable. The seating space is roomier than you might expect for an SUV this size. Thanks to the Venue’s boxy shape, we found that the rear seats can comfortably accommodate adults. In our experience, that’s not always the case in a subcompact SUV.

A few hard plastic surfaces in the Venue are forgivable considering its sub-$20,000 starting price. The design is nice, the tech features are up-to-date, and all the controls are easy to use from the driver’s seat.

One shortcoming of the Venue is cargo space. We never expect truck-like cargo space from an SUV in this class, but it’s still pretty tight in the cargo hold, even considering the subcompact dimensions of the Venue. Naturally, you get more cargo space when you can fold down the rear seats.

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Expressive styling

Who says a cheap car has to be boring? Stand-out styling is one of the strengths of the Hyundai Venue. Its boxy profile turns heads and is available in fun paint colors like Denim and Green Apple. We’re especially fond of the available 2-tone roof available on the Limited trim, adding to the Venue’s personality.

Our favorite features and tech

Android Auto and Apple CarPlay
These handy smartphone connectivity features come standard in the Hyundai Venue. They allow you to bring your maps, music, and more from your phone to the screen in your car. These features work wirelessly on the SE and SEL trims.

2-tone roof
The stylish 2-tone roof, available on the Limited trim, enhances the visual character of the Venue. The dark blue Denim paint has a white roof, while Ceramic White and Galactic Gray have a black roof.

Low ownership costs

The Hyundai Venue is our reigning champ for the Lowest 5-Year Cost to Own award for a subcompact SUV, based on factors like depreciation, insurance, maintenance costs, and fuel costs.

Wireless charging
The top Limited trim of the Venue now comes with a wireless charging pad. With this modern tech feature, you don’t have to fuss with cords to keep your phone charged.

Snow Mode
The Snow Mode that comes in the SEL and Limited trims make the Venue ready for snowy roads and light off-roading. It enhances the traction control system to ensure the right wheels get the right amount of torque in slippery conditions.

Hyundai SmartSense safety features
A host of Hyundai SmartSense driver assistance tech features adds safety and confidence to your drive. Standard features include automatic emergency braking, driver attention warning, lane-keep assist, a rear occupant alert, and automatic high beams. Additional available features include blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, and cyclist detection.

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Engine and transmission

The sole engine option in the Hyundai Venue is a humble 4-cylinder. It provides adequate power and torque while returning good fuel economy. It’s mated to a continuously variable automatic transmission (CVT), and every Venue has front-wheel drive. You’ll have to look elsewhere if you insist on an SUV with AWD, and the Hyundai Kona is a good option.

1.6-liter 4-cylinder engine
121 horsepower @ 6,300 rpm
113 lb-ft of torque @ 4,500 rpm
EPA city/highway fuel economy: 29/33 mpg

More Venue fuel economy information is available on the EPA’s website.

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Excellent warranty

The Hyundai Venue is tied with its Hyundai and Kia brethren for the best warranty in its class. It’s backed by a 5-year/60,000-mile basic warranty and a 10-year/100,000-mile powertrain warranty. This is a big part of what makes the Venue such a great value.

KBB’s car review methodology.

This story originally ran on KBB.com.