Do you ever find yourself looking at Hyundai’s compact Kona and think to yourself, “man, that’s just too much car for me”? Well, Hyundai’s got you covered, fam. Say hello to the even smaller Venue.

The Venue is one of those vehicles that leaves us scratching our heads. It’s actually good, but we can’t help but wonder why it exists. Why does Hyundai need two sub-compact crossovers that occupy the same space? And why does Hyundai think that size-obsessed Americans would want to hop into the smaller one?

And Hyundai is all-in on touting the Venue’s compact size. In what has to be an industry-first, Hyundai’s press site has a whole section detailing just how much smaller the Venue is compared to the Kona. Curious to see how much room you lose? Here you go:

Outside, the Venue is 5.1-inches shorter, 1.2-inches narrower, and rides on a wheelbase that’s 3.2-inches tinier than the Kona. Total interior volume is down 2.7 cubic feet, with 2.2 of those feety cubes being taken away from the passenger space. Cargo capacity is down a whopping 13.9 cubic feet when the rear seats are folded down, so don’t get a Venue hoping to carry anything big. But then, you wouldn’t exactly buy a Kona looking to haul large stuff, either.

So why would you buy a Venue? If you’re a city-dwelling professional who puts a premium on style and value, then you’re a fictional character ripped out of Hyundai’s strategy decks. If you’re a normal person, you’ll be checking out the Venue because you need something small and cheap. And for something small and cheap, the Venue is better than what you’d expect.

Hyundai is saying that the Venue is the style maven of its SUV family. We like it, but it’s one of those designs that can look either really elevated, or really cheap, depending on how it’s equipped. With our tester, thankfully it’s the former.

Its design is clean, with no fussy lines or excess details, and is a perfect match for tester’s Stellar Silver hue. Up front, the Venue gets Hyundai’s new trademark split-headlight treatment. Around the back, the tail lamp housings feature illuminated inserts that bring a cyberpunk vibe to what otherwise are basic red squares. And when riding on its optional 17-inch alloy wheels, the Venue just looks right. But when riding on the standard 15s, well, the Venue looks like budget option from the rental counter.

The Venue’s cabin gets a simple layout that just works. Photos don’t quite do the cabin justice, as Hyundai has really stepped up its materials game and has finally ditched the cheap-feeling plastics we’ve long associated with the brand. Real buttons and rotary dials control key functions, and the high-res 8-inch touchscreen makes it easy to access the higher-tech stuff. We just plug in our phones and let Apple CarPlay handle the rest, making this cabin super easy to use.

Things are nice for those up front, with ample headroom and a greenhouse that further adds to that feeling of spaciousness. Seats are comfortable enough, but are nothing fancy. In the back… we hope you have short friends. It’s tight back there, where even a toddler will complain about the lack of legroom.

Mechanically, there’s not much to get excited about. Power comes from a 1.6-liter four-banger rated at 121 hp and 113 lb-ft of torque, and you can get a proper 6-speed manual transmission. Our tester, on the other hand, came with the Smartstream IVT, which is Hyundai’s fancy way of saying “CVT.” And we hope you like front-wheel drive, ‘cause that’s all you’re getting here.

There’s nothing about the actual driving experience that jumps out, though. Nothing negative, but nothing really positive, either. When driving solo, the suspension is harsh, rattling the cabin in such a way that the interior frequencies make your ears want to explode. Load up a passenger or two and the harshness subsides, though. The Venue never feels powerful, but it’s more than adequate for blasts around the city, long drives on the freeway, and everything in between.

So the Venue isn’t the most exciting vehicle out there, but it offers an insane bang for the buck. Our fully loaded tester came in at just $23,425, and that includes that massive 8-inch touch screen, 17-in alloy wheels, a large suite of electronic safety assists, heated front seats and leather-wrapped steering wheel. And if you look at the average transaction price for a similarly spec’ed Venue, that out-the-door cost sits a lot closer to $21k. Maybe that’s why people would jump into a Venue. But for us, we’ll save our pennies and wait for the Kona N.

Highlights	Description
Engine	1.6-liter Smartstream G inline 4
Horsepower	121 @ 6300 rpm
Torque	113 lb-ft @ 4500 rpm
Transmission	Intelligent Variable Transmission (CVT)
Suspension, F/R	MacPherson strut/Coupled Torsion Beam Axle
Brakes, F/R	11.0-in. vented discs/10.3-in. solid discs
Wheels and Tires	17-in. alloy, 205/55R17 tires
Curb weight	2732 lbs.
Overall length	159.0 in.
Overall width	69.7 in.
Overall height	62.7 in.
Wheelbase	99.2 in.

Hyundai Venue