Drew Dowdell

Hyundai brought out its newest entry to their burgeoning SUV lineup today at the New York International Auto Show. They Hyundai Venue will take a place alongside the Hyundai Kona as a small SUV. Unlike the Kona, the Venue sits more upright in a traditional 2-box design. Venue conveys a fun, yet functional design in a versatile and modern compact package. For those constantly on-the-go, Venue offers adaptability to the urban entrepreneur lifestyle many consumers experience in today’s fast-paced environment. From everyday workplace activities to weekend fun, Venue is a great fit in accommodating busy lifestyles with an abundance of playful and practical features including seamless safety, versatility and connectivity. The design of the new Venue exhibits small but confident body forms, delivering a new interpretation of Hyundai’s signature design language. The vehicle side profile showcases a solid and full volume wheel arch and strong character line, while the front cascading grille includes the new Hyundai signature face that’s found on both Kona and NEXO, including composite LED lights and cube shape headlamps. This unique character line continues through the tail lamps. Venue is available with striking 17-inch alloy wheels along with the 15-inch standard wheels. “The Hyundai SUV lineup can be compared with the pieces on a chess board,” said SangYup Lee, executive vice president of design, Hyundai Motor Group. “Our new Palisade is the King, but we are missing the smaller piece. And that’s where Venue comes in. It may be small, but its unique and bold design sets it apart from the rest of the pack,” he explained. “We can see the Hyundai look in Venue but there is a unique quality that will appeal to individual customer’s tastes and preferences in a way that sets it apart from the other SUVs in our lineup.” Advanced Safety Technologies Venue offers a suite of advanced safety technologies evoking a strong sense of protection in an entry level vehicle. Forward Collision-Avoidance Assist (FCA) uses the car’s front-facing camera to help detect an imminent collision and avoid impact or minimize damage by braking Lane Keeping Assist (LKA) helps prevent accidental lane departure by sensing road markings automatically steering the car if necessary. Blind-Spot Collision Warning (BCW) helps detect approaching vehicles that may be obscured from view during highway Driver Attention Warning (DAW) system monitors a spectrum of driver-related characteristics to help detect driver fatigue or careless Rear Collision Cross-Traffic Warning (RCCW) helps detect when a vehicle may have entered a car’s rearward path providing a driver Drive Modes includes a snow mode for improved FWD road Each of these advanced systems provides a relaxing experience during urban driving adventures. Efficient Powertrain Fuel economy is an important consideration for customers who purchase an entry-level vehicle. Venue won’t disappoint thanks to Hyundai’s Smartstream Gamma 1.6-liter four-cylinder engine. The Dual Port Fuel Injection (DPFI) engine is paired with either a six-speed manual transmission or Intelligent Variable Transmission (IVT) automatic. Based on internal estimates, Venue is estimated to deliver up to 33 miles per gallon (City/Highway combined). Numerous design changes were made to the Smartstream Gamma 1.6 engine to realize fuel economy improvements while maintaining power and torque. To improve fuel economy, Venue incorporates a number of design changes including: High Tumble Combustion System by optimizing the port and valve shapes Maximized Thermal Efficiency by reducing the surface-to-volume ratio Cooling System Optimization incorporating a cross-flow configuration and narrow water jacket core to speed up cabin warming Dual Port Fuel Injection with improved injectors and optimized spray targeting with a sophisticated injection strategy Integrated Thermal Management System (ITMS) featuring a 2-way rotary control valve, distributing engine coolant to the radiator, transmission warmer and heater core module along with a 6-phase control strategy to prioritize coolant and heat flow for passenger comfort in cold weather and temperature management in hot weather High Ignition Energy EGR system with an external EGR cooler to expand the EGR-operated region for improved fuel economy Hyundai’s first and internally developed proprietary IVT offers a shift control strategy which enhances shift response through a continuous range of effective gear ratios. The ability to match a gear ratio with engine operating conditions provides a number of benefits including smooth transition of engine operating speeds and improved fuel efficiency. SUV Utility The SUV’s appealing interior space and comfortable cabin provide adequate space for the versatile urban commuter. Venue comes standard with a 60/40 split flat folding backseat to maximize utility for those trips to the farmer’s market or transporting musical instruments. With Venue’s SUV styling cues and utility, it is the ideal alternative to a subcompact car. Venue offers comfort and convenience features. The cargo space features a rear covering shelf for added privacy and can be conveniently stowed along the rear seatback when not being used. While, the dual level cargo floor feature provides flexibility to have the floor of the cargo area in either the top position - level with the seats when folded down, or at a lower position to accommodate taller cargo. Consumers will appreciate available convenience features such as Dual USBs, 3.5” TFT instrument cluster display to illustrate useful information, rearview camera and Bluetooth® hands-free phone. The leather-wrapped steering wheel provides daily comfort for the driver. Fun, Youthful Colors To complement the dramatic design, Venue is available with fun, youthful colors. A total of eight exterior colors are available, including Ceramic White, Black Noir, Steller Silver, Galactic Gray, Scarlet Red, Intense Blue, Green Apple and Denim. Denim can be coupled with denim cloth and leatherette interior with a white contrasting roof. Venue offers a choice of gray or black cloth interiors. An all-new two-tone roof, power sunroof and privacy glass contribute further to the head-turning style options. View full article