Hyundai’s SmartSense also includes warnings for blindspots, rear cross traffic as well as leading vehicle departure alerts — all of which could be helpful if you have to deal with rowdy children at the back, for instance.
The car also comes with six airbags — for the driver, passenger as well as side and curtain airbags at the back — that serve as added protection should you find yourself in an unfortunate accident.
Cool exteriors
One of my favourite things about this car is, well, its exterior. The compact sport utility vehicle (SUV) is tall enough to allow you a slight vantage view while on the roads, and is small enough to navigate tight spots and low car parks.
In fact, we managed to squeeze this vehicle into a smaller lot — a huge plus when you cannot be choosy about selecting spacious lots in a crowded car park.
Another one of the car exterior’s stand-out features is its grille.
The Venue 1.6 comes with a flux edition new front radiator cascading grille in black and chrome that resembles a swanky geometric pattern, an upgrade from its previous grille that resembled plaid.
The car comes in nine fun colours for you to choose from, including fiery red, polar white, cosmic grey and exotic green.
The one I tried was the cosmic grey model with neon green highlights, which was cool, sporty and easily recognisable in equal parts.
Convenience
If you are like me and always travelling with a large bag with capacious depths, you will love the car’s keyless entry.
How this works is, once your car key gets within range of the car, you will be able to open your car doors without having to fish out your key.
Of course, this means that you will have to pay attention and remember to remove your key from the car, or anyone can simply enter and drive it away!
That said, the controls in the driver’s seat are easy to navigate, especially the push start button, and the vehicle’s dashboard can be comprehended easily.
The car’s eight-inch colour LCD infotainment system also lets you get to your music easily, as well as pick up calls hands-free with its Bluetooth feature with voice recognition.
The system also comes with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay as well as a USB port, which means you will not have to panic when your phone battery runs out.
Great performance
The drive was smooth, although it felt a tad lighter than the Kona, which seemed sturdier.
However, the Venue is reasonably-priced, and its new Smartstream Gamma II 1.6 engine with Intelligent Variable transmission (IVT), which maintains the fuel and engine efficiency, is an important consideration, as it means lesser trips to the petrol kiosk and workshop.
The car’s 45-litre fuel tank capacity also means you can go for several days without having to top up on petrol. I also enjoyed its safety features.
After all, it got me to many places — from the east to the west, and back to the east again — in one piece, with no drama.
Hyundai Venue 1.6
$94,999 (Venue 1.6 Auto) and $99,999 (Venue 1.6 ‘S’) – both prices include COE
Engine: 1,598 cc
Max power: 90.2 kW/6,300 rpm
Max torque: 154nm/4,500 rpm
Fuel consumption: 5.8L/100km
0 to 100 kph: 11.2 seconds
Top speed: 186km/h
