The Difference Between The 2020 Hyundai Kona and Hyundai Venue

Recently I test-drove both the 2020 Hyundai Kona and Hyundai Venue. With so many subcompact SUVs on the market, it can actually get confusing for consumers. Especially when the same manufacturer offers two of similar size in the same showroom.

The 2020 Hyundai Kona and the 2020 are brothers. Let's look at what they have in common and the differences. As I have already reviewed the 2020 Hyundai Venue at Torque News, which I found to be realistic, comfortable and affordable, in this report I will focus more heavily on the 2020 Kona.

Hyundai Venue, introduced towards the end of 2019, is actually more compact than the already very small Hyundai Kona. Since sales of small cars are down in North America in favor of SUVs, Hyundai has simply chosen to replace the Accent with the Venue.

This is a technique that makes one think of what Nissan is doing with the Qashqai and the Kicks, or Mazda with the CX-3 and the CX-30, notes William Clavey in his comparison.

The big difference between the Hyundai Kona and a Venue is the lack of all-wheel drive. While the Kona can be powered by all-wheel drive, the Venue is only driven by the front axle.

In addition, these two vehicles have different sizes of cargo spaces. The trunk of the Kona has a dimension of 19.2 ft³, 45.8 ft³ with seat area. Hyundai Venue's trunk is a little smaller. It has 18.7 ft³, 31.9 ft³ with seat area. In both vehicles you can lower the rear seats, but Venue has more compact interior dimensions.

In terms of driving, the Venue behaves much more like a car than the Kona, mostly due to a platform derived from the Accent. I personally enjoyed the Venue more than the Kona when it comes the interior and the driving experience. But different people may have different taste.

Think of the Hyundai Venu as a subcompact hatchback whose suspension is slightly lifted. The 2020 Kona, meanwhile, is a tad more refined, especially at high speed where the soundproofing of its cabin is superior.

That said, these two vehicles sport a good quality of assembly and surprisingly comfortable interiors given their small size.

The 2020 Hyundai Kona starts at $20,300 MSRP and comes in five trim levels: SE, SEL, SEL Plus, Limited and Ultimate. While Hyundai Venue starts at $17,350 MSRP and comes in four trims: SE Manual, SE CVT, SEL and Denim.

Focus on Hyundai Kona

The 2020 Kona offers two engines 1.6 L 4-cylinder, 2.0 L 4-cylinder that respectively provide 147 to 175 hp. The MPG is up to 28 city and 32 highway.

The Design of The 2020 Hyundai Kona

Despite large SUVs, where the imposing dimensions are more important than the design in a small SUV like the Hyundai Kona, design plays a key role in its success. Hyundai has some of the best car designers in the world. The 2020 Kona offers both a general modern and refined finish and a host of small dynamic elements.

As for the interior of the 2020 Kona, the small SUV from the Korean manufacturer offers a finish to match the rest. It is certain that the quality of finish is a little latent in places, but can we really expect that a vehicle of this price range is perfect everywhere? Thus, Hyundai simply cut where it was necessary and where the majority of people will never realize it.

The Hyundai Kona is pretty and crisp. In short, it is an SUV that knows how to capture attention, even if the Korean manufacturer does not offer anything very new with regard to its small SUV for 2020. I think Kona is a benchmark in its segment, notes Jean-Sébastien Poudrier of Autoaubaine. In fact, recently U.S. News named the Hyundai Kona electric as the best electric vehicle.

The 2020 Hyundai Kona dominates in every respect in its category and it is for this reason that it is so popular. Thus, I think you could say that its incredible quality and price ratio is what makes the 2020 Hyundao Kona such an appreciable vehicle.

Also, please look at Kevin Mayn's recent story discussing if Hyundai is a luxury brand.

Armen Hareyan is the founder and the Editor in Chief of Torque News. He founded TorqueNews.com in 2010, which since then has been publishing expert news and analysis about the automotive industry. He can be reached at Torque News Twitter, Facebok, Linkedin and Youtube.