What Are the Differences Between the Hyundai Venue and the Hyundai Kona?
Photo: Hyundai
The 2021 Hyundai Venue and the 2021 Hyundai Kona are both classified as subcompact SUVs, but a quick glance will tell you these aren’t interchangeable models. Go beyond surface-level styling for the Venue and Kona, and you’ll also find differences when it comes to cargo space, performance specs, and pricing. Here’s your guide to choosing between these two small Hyundai SUVs.
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Photo: Hyundai
Looks
Even if the Venue and Kona were exactly the same in every other respect, their respective styling choices would be enough to set them apart. The Venue has a squared-off profile and an upright stance — a bit like an old-school hatchback car with extra ride height. This design works well with the Venue’s available contrast roof. Meanwhile, the Kona is sleek, curved, and sporty, with an overall look that’s more in line with other SUVs on the road today. It’s also a little longer than the Venue.
Photo: Hyundai
Interior space
The Venue and Kona both hold five people and offer similar amounts of space for passengers. The Venue provides a bit more second-row headroom thanks to its straighter roofline. The Kona’s second row gives riders more hip room and shoulder room. When both rows are in use, the Venue and Kona also offer similar amounts of space in their cargo bays. However, these two models diverge quite a bit with their max cargo space measurements. The Venue tops out at 31.9 cubic feet of total cargo volume with the rear seats folded, while the Kona provides a much more spacious 45.8 cubic feet.
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Photo: Hyundai
Power, performance, and efficiency
The Kona is a more powerful vehicle than the Venue. Its standard 2.0-liter engine puts out 147 horsepower and 132 lb-ft of torque in tandem with a six-speed automatic transmission. It’s also available with a dual-clutch transmission and a 1.6-liter turbo engine that puts out 175 horsepower and 195 lb-ft of torque. The Venue’s 1.6-liter engine makes a more modest 121 horsepower and 113 lb-ft of torque, and it comes paired with an Intelligent Variable Transmission.
Unlike the Venue, which only comes with front-wheel drive, the Kona offers available all-wheel drive. The Venue claims an advantage with fuel efficiency, though. It gets 30 city mpg and 31 combined mpg compared to the Kona’s 27 city mpg and 30 combined mpg.
Photo: Hyundai
Available features
The Kona and Venue have similar standard features, including Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, Forward Collision-Avoidance Assist, and Lane Keeping Assist. However, the Kona’s six trim levels can be equipped with some optional amenities that the Venue doesn’t make available across its three trims. Key Kona options that aren’t offered on the Venue include LED headlights, leather seats, premium audio, and an auto-dimming rearview mirror. The Kona also gets a couple of safety-tech options that the Venue doesn’t: Lane Change Assist and Parking Distance Warning.
Photo: Hyundai
Pricing
The Venue is marketed by Hyundai as an affordable entry-level vehicle for city drivers. As such, it boasts the lower price tag, starting at $18,750 for the base SE trim. The Kona costs quite a bit more, with a base SE trim that starts at $20,500. The Venue is cheaper on the high end, too, offering a Denim trim that starts at $22,050. The Kona lineup tops out with a 1.6-liter turbo Limited trim that starts at $26,300.
For further reading on the Venue, Kona, and other Hyundai models, dive into our brand coverage here at The News Wheel.
A longtime editor/writer and recently transplanted Hoosier, Caleb Cook lives in Xenia, Ohio. His favorite activities are reading and listening to music, although he occasionally emerges from the heap of books and vinyl records in his basement to stand blinking in the sunlight. Once fully acclimated to the outside world again, he can be observed hanging out with his wife, attempting a new recipe in the kitchen, attending movies, walking the dog, or wandering into a local brewery to inquire about what’s on tap. See more articles by Caleb.