May 8

Which Hyundai SUV is Best for You? Hyundai Kona or Hyundai Venue

hyundai kona

You’ll find a wealth of options when you’re shopping for a subcompact SUV, including competitive choices within the same make. If you’re looking for a Hyundai in this category, the Kona and Venue are both top contenders. Explore what these models have to offer.

Under the Hood

The 2021 Hyundai Kona comes standard with a 2.0-liter MPI 4-cylinder engine with an automatic transmission that delivers 147 horsepower and 132 pound-feet of torque. At the Night trim level and above, the Kona features a 1.6-liter GDI engine with 175 horsepower. The Limited combines this GDI engine with a 7-speed dual-clutch transmission with SHIFTRONIC.

The 2021 Hyundai Venue has a 1.6-liter DPI 4-cylinder engine and CVT transmission at all trim levels. This vehicle offers 121 horsepower and 113 pound-feet of torque. Having a slightly lower torque, the Venue doesn’t deliver as much power to the wheels as the Kona. The Venue also has less horsepower, so you may prefer the Kona if you’re looking for a powerful ride.

The turning diameter of the Kona is 34.8 feet compared to 33.4 feet for the Venue. This makes the Kona a little better for maneuvering out of tight spaces or making it around corners.

The Hyundai Kona offers 27/33 MPG city/highway with a 13.2-gallon fuel tank. In the Hyundai Venue, you’ll have a slightly smaller fuel tank at 11.9 gallons. However, this option has better fuel economy, offering 30/34 MPG city/highway.

Exterior and Dimensions

Both the Hyundai Kona and Hyundai Venue are compact SUVs. Overall, the Venue is smaller. The wheelbase of the Venue is 99.2 inches compared to the Kona’s 102.4 inches. The Venue is 159.1 inches long and 69.7 inches wide (without mirrors) while the Kona is 164 inches long and 70.9 inches wide. Their overall heights are nearly identical, measuring 61 inches for the Kona and 61.6 inches for the Venue. Not surprisingly, the smaller Venue has a lighter curb weight of 2,612 pounds to the Kona’s 2,890.

Both the Venue and Kona offer projector headlights and automatic headlight control. The Kona comes standard with LED daytime running lights, while these LED lights, along with LED taillights, are optional on the Venue SEL and standard on the Venue Denim. The Venue also features optional projector LED headlights in the SEL and Denim. LED headlights and taillights are not available until the Night trim level and above on the Kona.

Roof side rails are standard on the Venue SEL and Denim as well as the Kona SEL and above. The base models of both lack this feature. You can get a power tilt-and-slide sunroof in the Kona SEL Plus, Limited, or Ultimate. This sunroof is optional in the Venue SEL, as well.

Interior Features

The Kona is notably larger inside than the Venue, making it the better choice if you’re looking for a spacious vehicle. The Kona offers 113.3 cubic feet of total interior space which includes 94.1 cubic feet of passenger space. With the rear seats up, you’ll have 19.2 cubic feet of cargo space. By folding the rear seats down, you can increase this to 45.8 cubic feet.

The Hyundai Venue has a total interior space of 110.6 cubic feet. Passengers enjoy 91.9 cubic feet of space. The cargo space is 18.7 cubic feet with the rear seats up and 31.9 cubic feet with the rear seats folded down. Despite the smaller overall dimensions, the Venue offers nearly an inch of extra headroom in the rear when compared to the Kona. Both options have comparable legroom, but the Kona offers more shoulder room and hip room in both the front and rear.

The Kona offers a more upscale cabin overall with incredible safety features. While you’ll only have six-way adjustable seats in the Venue, the Kona features eight-way adjustable seats at the SEL Plus trim level and above. Cloth seats are standard in the Venue SE and SEL as well as the Kona SE, SEL, SEL Plus, and Night. You’ll find leather seats in the Kona Limited and Ultimate. True to its name, the Venue Denim has seats featuring a combination of cloth and leatherette in an exclusive denim color.

Technology

In the Hyundai Kona, you’ll find a 7-inch color touchscreen that increases to an 8-inch screen in the Kona Ultimate. The Hyundai Venue comes with an 8-inch color touchscreen at all trim levels. Android Auto and Apple CarPlay are included in both models.

The Kona comes equipped with Infinity Premium Audio with Clari-Fi Music Restoration Technology. This includes eight speakers that deliver superior sound. In the Venue SE, you’ll find just four speakers, while the Venue SEL and Venue Denim have six.

Safety

The Hyundai Kona has received a five-star safety rating from the NHTSA, compared to the Hyundai Venue’s four stars. The Kona had five stars in all categories except the rollover rating, which was four stars. The Venue received four stars in the rollover rating as well as the overall front rating, front driver side, and front passenger side, while all other ratings were five stars.

Both models offer:

  • Electronic stability control.
  • Traction control.
  • Vehicle stability management.
  • Anti-lock braking system.
  • Tire pressure monitoring system.
  • Lane keep assist.
  • Driver attention warning.

At the SEL trim level and above, the Kona also offers blind-spot collision warning, lane change assist, and rear cross-traffic collision warning. All trims in the Kona provide forward-collision avoidance assist. Pedestrian detection is only included for the Ultimate trim.

All trim levels of the Venue offer forward collision-avoidance assist with pedestrian detection and brake assist.

Trim Levels

If you’re interested in options, the Kona has a lot more to explore. This makes it possible to customize your ride further. Here are the starting MSRPs for the Kona’s trim levels:

  • SE: $20,500.
  • SEL: $22,300.
  • SEL Plus: $24,150.
  • Night: $26,200.
  • Limited: $26,300.
  • Ultimate: $28,150.

Though the Venue has only three trim levels, the MSRP is lower here. Options include:

  • SE: $18,750.
  • SEL: $19,800.
  • Denim: $22,050.

If you’d like to take a closer look at either model, visit us at Huffines Hyundai Mckinney to learn more and take a test drive. We’ll help you find the right option for your needs.

Image via Flickr by myhsu


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