Quick Drive: 2020 Hyundai Venue SEL & Palisade Limited AWD

[William Maley]

• Walking around the Venue, you become surprised at how small this crossover is. It comes in at 13 feet long and just under 6 feet wide, making it slightly smaller than the Accent sedan.
• The design is very chunky and boxy, which helps with maximizing interior space. The front has some interesting design traits such as a similar grille seen on larger Hyundai crossovers and a split headlight arrangement.
• With a large glass area and tall roof, the Venue feels very open and spacious. Finding a comfortable position upfront is no problem and the seats provide a good balance of comfort and support. The rear legroom is a bit tight for any over six-feet.
• Cargo space is on the small end with 18.7 cubic feet with the rear seats up and 31.9 with them folded. The Nissan Kicks as a comparison offers 25.3 and 53.1 cubic feet of space respectively.
• The interior design is quite pleasant with contrasting plastics used on the dash and door panels. I also like how all models get an eight-inch touchscreen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto as standard.
• Power for the Venue is a 1.6-liter four-cylinder with 121 horsepower and 113 pounds-feet of torque. The base SE has a six-speed manual as standard*, while a CVT is optional. My SEL tester only comes with the CVT. Power goes to the front wheels only.
• If most of your driving takes place in an urban area, then the Venue is a perfect partner. It responds quickly off the line and can keep with the flow of traffic. The small size and quick steering make it a breeze to nip around and fit into tight parking spots.
• The highway is a different story as it takes the engine a bit of time to get up to speed. I should note that isn’t exclusive to the Venue as all cars on the subcompact class experience this issue.
• Fuel economy is rated at 30 City/34 Highway/32 Combined. My average landed around 30.2 mpg in a 60/40 mix of rural and city driving.
• Having a short wheelbase usually means a pretty choppy ride. But the Venue’s suspension does a surprising job of minimizing the impacts.
• For the money, the Venue is surprisingly well equipped. All models come with automatic headlights, automatic emergency braking, lane departure warning, and an eight-inch touchscreen. The SEL is the sweet spot adding 15-inch alloys, automatic climate control, and a six-speaker audio system. It also allows you to order the Convenience package that adds blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, and a sunroof.
• The Venue is perfect for someone who is looking for a new car and lives in an urban environment. The small size, nimble nature, and list of equipment make it a strong contender in the growing subcompact crossover class. But if you need more cargo space or planning on driving on the highway more than the city, save up a little bit more money and move up to a Kona.

(*Author’s Note: Hyundai dropped the six-speed manual for the 2021 model year.)

Palisade Limited

• The Palisade is certainly a looker. Take the front end. There is a unique grille shape with a massive chrome surround, flanked by a split headlight arrangement. The Limited adds more a bit more chrome along with the windows and a set of 20-inch multi-spoke wheels. I think the abundance of chrome is a bit much.
• The interior could make some people at sister brand Genesis a bit envious. My Limited tester featured a suede headliner with openings for the dual glass roof panels; quilted door panels, and aluminum trim used throughout.
• Technology is another strong point to the Palisade. Similar to the Hyundai Sonata I drove earlier, the Palisade Limited comes with a reconfigurable 12.3-inch gauge display and a 10.2-inch infotainment system. Both are vibrant and easy to read even in direct sunlight. Hyundai's infotainment system still leads the way in being easy to use.
• Space is plentiful for front and second-row passengers. Third-row passengers get short-changed on legroom and seat padding. Limited and SEL come with seating for seven, while the base SE seats up to eight.
• Cargo space is in the mid-pack with 18 cubic feet with all seats up, 45.8 with the third-row folded, and 84 with all seats folded.
• The Palisade comes with a 3.8L V6 producing 291 horsepower and 269 pound-feet of torque. An eight-speed is teamed with either front-wheel or all-wheel drive. My tester had the latter.
• I never felt that I was looking for more power from the V6. Whether I leaving from a stop or needing to make a pass, the V6 and eight-speed automatic delivered a smooth and steady stream of power.
• Fuel economy is average for three-row crossovers. EPA says the Palisade AWD will return 19 City/24 Highway/21 Combined. I saw 22 in my week-long test.
• Ride quality could rival some luxury sedans as various road imperfections seem to be ironed out. Road and wind noise is almost non-existent.
• To be clear, the Palisade isn't trying to be any sort of sporty crossover. But I was surprised at how well it minimizes body roll when on a winding road.
• Considering Hyundai's past attempts at a large three-row crossover, the Palisade is a clear winner. The interior is class-leading, it offers a pleasant ride, performance is smooth, and the trademark value proposition is here. The Limited seen here comes in at just under $48,000 with destination. What may set some away is the Palisade's styling, which I'll admit I did like for the most part.

Disclaimer: Hyundai Provided the Venue and Palisade; Insurance, and One Tank of Gas

Year: 2020
Make: Hyundai
Model: Venue
Trim: SEL
Engine: 1.6L DPI Four-Cylinder
Driveline: Front-Wheel Drive, CVT
Horsepower @ RPM: 121 @ 6,300
Torque @ RPM:  113 @ 4,500
Fuel Economy: City/Highway/Combined - 30/34/32
Curb Weight: 2,732 lbs
Location of Manufacture: Ulsan, South Korea
Base Price: $19,250
As Tested Price: $23,405 (Includes $1,120.00 Destination Charge)

Options:
Premium Package - $1,750.00
Convenience Package - $1,150.00
Carpeted Floor Mats - $135.00

Year: 2020
Make: Hyundai
Model: Palisade
Trim: Limited AWD
Engine: 3.8L GDI D-CVVT 24-Valve V6
Driveline: Eight-Speed Automatic, All-Wheel Drive
Horsepower @ RPM: 291 @ 6,000
Torque @ RPM: 262 @ 5,200
Fuel Economy: City/Highway/Combined - 19/24/21
Curb Weight: 4,387 lbs
Location of Manufacture: Ulsan, South Korea
Base Price: $46,625
As Tested Price: $47,905 (Includes $1,120.00 Destination Charge)

Options:
Carpeted Floor Mats - $160.00

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[G. David Felt]

@William Maley Great review, thank you.

Question for you, comfort of the Palisade Seats for long road trips. Any positive or negatives about the front and back seats?

[William Maley]

6 hours ago, David said:

@William Maley Great review, thank you.

Question for you, comfort of the Palisade Seats for long road trips. Any positive or negatives about the front and back seats?

I think both the front and second-row seats will provide enough comfort for a long drive.

[regfootball]

I just don’t get the feelin for the telluride or palisade. The Kia in particular looks cheap on the road and the times I’ve sat in either of them at the auto shows, while being nice, don’t warrant superlatives. 
 

while for some these are surely a good choice in comparison to Gm’s Barra-ized Acadia for the same money, the pair to me is not a slam dunk in the segment. Merely a good competitor that honestly to me looks a bit small yet. 
 

reality is Kia and Hyundai are being enabled to flood the market with all sorts of new products and GM pats itself on the back if they put a new front end on the Enclave and don’t even redesign part of the dash to give it a larger screen.  
 

GM is normalizing retreat and Hyundai and Kia are being over rewarded by the press mainly because they just keep churning out new products and entering new segments.  
 

seeing new Kia K5’s all over the place around here and GM wants to get rid of all sedans basically. Is Kia the new easy credit mfr? (Or has been for awhile). Gm doesn’t seem interested in the concept of market share anymore ….for quite awhile actually ….

[balthazar]

I don't think I've noticed a K5 out on the road. It basically is a Malibu body with a cheaper-looking nose, so I doubt I would.

[daves87rs]

While both are nice, I still like the styling of the Kia twins over these…

More of a matter of taste I guess!

[G. David Felt]

13 hours ago, regfootball said:

I just don’t get the feelin for the telluride or palisade. The Kia in particular looks cheap on the road and the times I’ve sat in either of them at the auto shows, while being nice, don’t warrant superlatives. 
 

while for some these are surely a good choice in comparison to Gm’s Barra-ized Acadia for the same money, the pair to me is not a slam dunk in the segment. Merely a good competitor that honestly to me looks a bit small yet. 
 

reality is Kia and Hyundai are being enabled to flood the market with all sorts of new products and GM pats itself on the back if they put a new front end on the Enclave and don’t even redesign part of the dash to give it a larger screen.  
 

GM is normalizing retreat and Hyundai and Kia are being over rewarded by the press mainly because they just keep churning out new products and entering new segments.  
 

seeing new Kia K5’s all over the place around here and GM wants to get rid of all sedans basically. Is Kia the new easy credit mfr? (Or has been for awhile). Gm doesn’t seem interested in the concept of market share anymore ….for quite awhile actually ….

I have not seen a single K5 around here. Everything is very CUV/SUV focused in the Seattle market.

[regfootball]

i see a K5 at least everyday, and even in places that used to be GM strangleholds up here (ruralish communities)

dealers must be doing bangup lease deals on them or simply maybe there are just many in stock and available at the dealerships.  Probably some risky credit deals too

Edited July 20, 2021 by regfootball

[Robert Hall]

GM is only about profits from trucks and SUVs anymore.    I suspect within 5 years the Corvette will be the only car left that they build.  The rest of their products will be forgettable trucks, CUVs and SUVs.  
 

Speaking of the Telluride, last month when I was at the Jeep dealer I noticed they had 4-5 low mileage Tellurides on the lot.  Wonder what the story was with that.  Traded on GCs or Durangos?  

Edited July 23, 2021 by Robert Hall

[balthazar]

48 minutes ago, Robert Hall said:

GM is only about profits from trucks and SUVs anymore.    I suspect within 5 years the Corvette will be the only car left that they build.  The rest of their products will be forgettable trucks, CUVs and SUVs.  

Obviously you're specifically speaking from your own opinion, and that's fine. I believe Jeep also is only about profits from 'forgettable SUVs', but the vast majority of consumers find them 'memorable' enough to buy them.

I expect the Corvette & Camaro to continue, and at least a pair of sport sedans @ Cadillac. 

[regfootball]

On 7/20/2021 at 3:49 PM, regfootball said:

i see a K5 at least everyday, and even in places that used to be GM strangleholds up here (ruralish communities)

dealers must be doing bangup lease deals on them or simply maybe there are just many in stock and available at the dealerships.  Probably some risky credit deals too

My brother in law just stopped by from out of town, he travels  a lot for work. His rental du hour for this week is a 21 sonata. Perhaps many of these Kia and Hyundai sedans are rentals now too. Altima’s used to be rental queens.