Hyundai’s Venue offers pretty decent value for Singaporean car buyers, but also throws in a dash of fun character as well

Photos: Ben Chia & Derryn Wong

SINGAPORE

Judging from the comments we get on CarBuyer’s Facebook page, it seems that price is a major sticking point for many car buyers here in Singapore. As it probably should, since given the amount of money Singaporeans fork out just to own a set of wheels here, it’s probably wise to question what you’re actually paying for.

But having a low price tag alone is not enough to get Singaporean to drive your car out of the showroom, otherwise our roads will be filled with Perodua Bezzas (the cheapest new car you can buy here today). Singaporeans seek value for their money, and that is the proposition with which the Hyundai Venue presents itself here.

For starters, the Venue’s price tag starts at $80,999 with COE, although the better-specced S version you see here goes for an extra five grand, at $85,999 with COE. For that money you get an 8-inch LCD infotainment system with Apple CarPlay/Android Auto compatibility, reverse camera, hill start assist, keyless entry and automatic headlights.

The S version adds in two tone paint, 17-inch alloy wheels, a heated driver’s side mirror, cruise control, engine push start button, and LED cornering headlights. In our opinion, the base spec is already fairly well-equipped, but five grand for those extras doesn’t seem like an unreasonable sum to fork out too.

Powering the Venue is a naturally-aspirated 1.6-litre four-pot, a surprising choice given today’s trend of downsizing and turbocharging. However, Hyundai says that the Venue’s powerplant features dual port fuel injection, which optimises the injection spray for greater efficiency.

Whatever it is, the engine produces 123hp and 154Nm of torque, which are decent figures for a car in this class. It’s not fast by any means, with 0-100km/h coming in 11.2 seconds and a top speed of 186km/h, but there’s a little bit of that peppy eagerness that makes you want to rev the car hard everywhere. It’s matched with a pretty responsive Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT), which Hyundai dubs IVT (‘I’ standing for Intelligent), and it makes the Venue a pretty gutsy car to drive.

There’s much of that same character in the Venue’s handling too, with the car gamely taking on corners in a fairly spirited manner. It’s no hot hatch of course, but the car only weighs slightly over 1,100kg, so it feels pretty chuckable even if you’re not going very fast.

It’s a theme that seems to flow through the Venue’s veins really, with the car giving off a vibe of youthfulness that should appeal to the millennial drivers of today. Aside from the two-tone paint, available in shades like Scarlet Red and Green Apple, the Venue also throws in practical features such as a roof rack, and a pretty functional dual-level boot floor, and a pretty decent cargo capacity of 355 litres. Our test car also came with denim cloth upholstery, which, like your jeans, is said to be more durable and easier to maintain and clean.

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But is it worth the money though? That’s a pretty tough question to answer, given that in this market there’s a whole plethora of choices to go for at this price point. Consider the fact that the Venue faces competition not just from outside, but also internally. The top-spec Hyundai Avante Elite retails for the same price, while the i30 hatchback is just an extra two grand more.

But nether them offers the same youthful charm as the Venue, so if you’re the kind of young millennial who wants a chic looking Korean hatchback that’s practical and fun to drive, then the Venue is worth considering. It does offer pretty good value for the money, but it also throws in something else that many other cars in this segment don’t offer too: character.

Hyundai Venue S

Engine 1,598cc, inline 4
Power 123hp at 6300rpm
Torque 154Nm at 4500rpm
Gearbox Continuously Variable Transmission
0-100km/h 11.2 seconds
Top Speed 186km/h
Fuel Efficiency 5.9L/100km
VES Band / CO2 B / 134g/km
Agent Komoco Motors
Price S$85,999 with COE
Availability Now

Verdict: Fun to drive and decent value, the Venue is a nice choice for young car buyers looking for an affordable and practical small runabout