2026 Hyundai Venue SEL 2-Tone Roof - Review by David Colman

It’s Nimble, Practical, and Attractive.

David Colman

Story and Photos by David Colman
Special Correspondent
THE AUTO CHANNEL

I've spent the past year testing dozens of bus-sized, inappropriately named "sports" utility vehicles. These gargantuan boxes lack vision in all directions. Consequently, you're relegated to determining approximate vehicle position via cameras and screen displays rather than actual sightlines. This 2026 Venue SEL, however, proved to be a refreshing blast from the better sighted past. From the comfy driver's seat, this little Hyundai boasts perfect view corridors to all corners, and expansive rear vision when you flip the rear seat backs flat. The sprightly, admirably well tailored SEL, priced at just $24,440, proved to be the perfect antidote to the size and mission creep afflicting today's SUV industry.

The Venue proves you can design a miniature SUV - weighing just 2,645 pounds - and make it concise looking outside but surprisingly spacious inside. On top of that advantage, it also boasts the kind of nimbleness the MINI once trademarked - before BMW took over and lost the plot. Scooting around in the Venue proved to be a refreshing blast from the past. I spent quality seat- of- the- pants driving time behind the Venue's leather wrapped steering wheel, flicking it from lock to lock as its Nexen NPRIZ AH8 radials (205/55R17) squirted from apex to apex with reassuring traction. From a handling perspective, it's no drawback that this SUV is offered in front wheel drive only form. That seat-of-the--pants sensation was boosted by the SEL's Denim interior seat covers and blue trimmed dash and door cards. A white roof and white rear view mirrors set off the SEL's "2-TONE" Denim exterior paint. The combo is a provocative throwback to the Levi Gremlin that American Motors built from 1973-1975.

Of course, for this kind of money you can't expect performance miracles. The shortfall lies under the hood, where an anemic 121hp inline 4, neither turbocharged, supercharged nor Hybridized, has a tough time providing the squirt the well balanced chassis deserves. Driving the Venue demands patience and planning, especially if you hope to complete a passing maneuver on a two-lane road, or merge gracefully with 75mph freeway traffic. Acceleration numbers aren't too bad - 0-60 occupies: 8.5 seconds to 60mph and a 16.7 second run through the quarter mile at 83mph. But at least you can stir your own kettle here courtesy of an "Intelligent Automatic Transmission" which is Hyundai's moniker for a CVT that gives you some speed range choices. You can either plant the stick shift in Drive, or slot it over to the left gate for manual operation. Bump the stick backward for simulated upshifts and forward for downshifts. Hyundai also affords you the opportunity to select "Snow" or "Sport" mode from among several driving preferences. If you fiddle with the controls, you can achieve a rewardingly sporty driving profile. Unfortunately, paddle controls on the steering wheel are unavailable.

I measured the available interior cargo length when the rear seats are stowed and the 48 inches of flat floor is commendable for such a small vehicle. Unfortunately that number proved to be just 6 inches short of what I needed to stow my bike on board. The interior is a visual treat, with those Cloth/H-Tex Denim-weave seats spicing up the cabin. While we missed a heated steering wheel, the front seats base and back cushions are quick to warm you up. The practical 19 cubic foot flat floor storage space, which Hyundai calls its "2 Stage Rear Cargo Floor," puts to shame the non-contiguous, lumpy floor arrangements I have recently encountered on SUVs costing 3 times more than this Venue.

Instead of the monster video touch screens demanding your attention in so many vehicles these days, the Venue makes do with a perfectly adequate 8-inch, i-Pad sized unit that does not block forward vision at all, offers crisp clear graphics, and is allocated only non-critical tasks like audio selection for the standard AM/FM/HD 6 speaker radio system. All important HVAC and driving functions are consigned to clearly labeled switches, a variety of oversized buttons, or steering wheel mounted controls. The cruise control is delightfully ease to use and immediately responsive.

In sum, the Venue really surprised me with its ability to punch above its light weight. Driving it in urban traffic is a particular brand of joy that is fast becoming unknown as the rest of the SUV world migrates to vehicles that are too large for our streets and too difficult to control without the aid of a co-pilot.

2026 HYUNDAI VENUE SEL 2-TONE ROOF

• ENGINE: 1.6 liter inline-4, aluminum block and head, port fuel injection
• HORSEPOWER: 121hp@6300rpm
• TORQUE: 113lb.-ft.@4500rpm
• FUEL CONSUMPTION: 29MPG City/33MPG Highway/31MPG Combined
• PRICE AS TESTED: $24,440

HYPES: Nimble, Practical, and Attractive

GRIPES: Would be a Treat with a 150hp Motor

STAR RATING: 9 Stars out of 10

©2026 David E Colman