Like almost all car manufacturers, Korean giant Hyundai has steadily increased the number of crossovers in their range, as consumer taste continues to shift ever more in favour of this body style over traditional saloon and hatchback models. It took a while, as having added the mid-sized Tucson to the range in late 2004, not that long after their first venture into this genre, the Santa Fe of 2000, both went through three generations of model before smaller stablemates arrived. First of these was the Kona, launched in June 2017, which only really seemed like half a size smaller than the Tucson, and that certainly left space for something smaller again, which duly followed in 2019. Rather than producing a single model for global consumption as had been the case to date, Hyundai came up with a European specific offering, the Bayron, designed and built in Europe and closely related to the i20 hatch, whereas other markets received a car called the Venue. Unashamedly quite boxy in design, to maximise space for people and luggage in a small footprint, the Venue had the job in the important US market not just of acting as a competitor to an array of rivals such as the Chevrolet Trax, Buick Encore, Ford EcoSport and Nissan Kicks, but also of taking over from the hatch version of the Accent which in its most recent guise had been confined to a saloon body. There’s a steady demand for cars like this in the US, either for those who want something compact for city use, or for whom the appeal of a new car has to be matched with affordable pricing, and of course the rental car fleets are staple customers so that they can offer something to their customers who want the cheapest transport available. Although entry level cars are now a whole lot better than they were, my experience with most of those models already listed suggests that you really would still be better off paying a couple of dollars a day for something that is categorised in a higher rental group, so on yet another evening when Hertz’ Phoenix Sky Harbor airport facility was exceedingly limited in choice, when I selected a silver coloured Hyundai Venue as my next rental car, I wondered if this would be another one of those cars that you really can’t enjoy, or would it be better than that? Time to find out.

The Venue is one of a small number of cars on the market these days that still requires a key to start it, unless you upgrade to a posher trim version. All versions of the car have the same engine, a 1.6 litre 4 cylinder unit which generates 121 bhp and all versions come with the same CVT transmission, the previously available six speed manual having been dropped for 2021. This is a relatively small and light car, by modern standards so although that does not sound like a lot of power, in practice it should prove more than ample for most purposes. The Venue accelerates well off the line and the CVT transmission does ensure that the car can more than hold its own in the cut and thrust of urban motoring. Work the car hard and it will get quite noisy, but for most of the time, this is smooth and refined and noise levels at a steady speed are pleasingly low. I know all about that as I covered a lot of miles in my time with the Venue, exactly 600 of them. In total I put in 15.2 gallons during the day. There was an interim fuel stop after 224 miles at which point the trip computer declared 42.1 mpg and at the end of the day it still said 41.9 mpg US (which is a touch over 50 mpg Imperial), a very creditable result indeed.

The Venue does not pretend to be a fun car, majoring instead on practicality and affordability, so it is no surprise, perhaps, to have discovered that whilst it is perfectly acceptable to drive, this is not a car that will have you seeking out the long and winding way home. The steering is light with not that much in the way of feel, which along with the compact dimensions does mean that the Venue is easy to manoeuvre, but it does not give you a lot of sensation as to what the steered wheels are really doing. There is more than enough grip and the handling feels safe and predictable. Most of my 600 miles were undertaken on the freeway heading well west from Phoenix, where what mattered rather more was the ride comfort and here the venue, running on 185/65 R15 did well, though it has to be said that these freeways are pretty well surfaced so less of a challenge than some roads. There were no concerns with the brakes. The Venue has a conventional pull-up handbrake between the seats. The boxy styling certainly helps when it comes to visibility and the car is both easy to place on the road and to park, with the rear-view camera helping out. There are few electronic fripperies, and I felt the car all the better for that.

The Venue is aimed at the bottom end of the market, and so you would be unreasonable in expecting anything that feels plush and indeed you don’t get that, but the interior does well to hide the budget positioning of the car. Decent quality materials are used, even though many of the plastics are actually quite hard to the touch. There is a stippled texture to the dash and some gunmetal inlays provide some visual variety. There is a surprisingly chunky plastic moulded steering wheel. The dash layout is pretty conventional with a pair of large dials, for speedometer and rev counter and smaller ones for fuel level and water temperature inset within them presented under a single binnacle. All prove very easy to read at a glance. There are a pair of column stalks which include the lights which have an auto function. The steering wheel hub as buttons for cruise control and audio repeater functions. The centre of the dash contains an 8” touch screen which is used for infotainment functions. These are fairly limited on the SE trim, with the thing you will use the most being the AM/FM radio. This has four speakers and sound quality was surprisingly good for such a set up. Apple Car Play and Android Auto are included in the spec. Pleasingly, there are still physical buttons and knobs to operate the functions so you do not have to rely on the touch element of the screen. Lower in the centre of the dash are the buttons for the simple air conditioning system.

Seats in the SE version of the Venue are upholstered in a decent feeling and looking cloth. There is a wide range of manual adjustment and the steering wheel telescopes in/out as well as up/down so you should be able to get comfortable. Only the driver’s seat has an adjustment for height, though the car’s SUV-esque styling means that headroom should not be an issue for anyone, but the car does feel quite narrow (it is!), so there is not quite the feeling of space that you would get in a car of the next size up.

The rear seat area is roomy for such a small car and the squared off door shape means that access is easy. Provided the front seats are reasonably well forward there is ample legroom, and the Venue’s tall styling means that there should be more than enough headroom for everyone. The car is not really wide enough for three adults to sit here, though. Befitting the entry level trim, there is no central armrest, but you do get pockets on the doors which are shaped to take bottles and there is a single net on the back of the passenger seat.

The boot is also a good size for a small car. It is a nice regular shape which means you should be able to make the most of its compact dimensions. Even on the entry level trim, a load cover is included. There is a space saver under the floor and there is quite a lot of room to tuck odds and ends around it. More space can be created by dropping the asymmetrically split rear seat backrests down to create a much longer load area. Inside the passenger compartment there is a good-sized glovebox, a useful recess in front of gearlever, a lipped area over glovebox and door pockets. On SE trim there is no central armrest so no associated cubby. You need to upgrade to the SEL to get this but even so there are probably enough places for those odds and ends you might want to keep in the car.

The 2021 Venue is the most affordable SUV in Hyundai’s already value-oriented lineup. It comes in three trim levels: SE, SEL and the stylish Denim trim. All models come with the same 121 bhp 4 cylinder engine, and following the deletion of the manual gearbox option for 2021, a continuously variable automatic transmission (CVT) and front-wheel drive. There is no all-wheel drive option. Even the entry level SE comes well equipped for the money, with highlight features including tarts you off with automatic headlights, 16-inch alloy wheels, an 8-inch touchscreen display with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto smartphone integration, a four-speaker sound system and a number of safety features which include automatic emergency braking and lane keeping assist. The mid-tier SEL includes the SE features and adds 17-inch alloy wheels, a leather-wrapped steering wheel and shift knob, a centre storage box with sliding armrest, automatic climate control, an additional USB port, and a six-speaker audio system. There are Normal, Sport and Snow drive modes and added safety features include blind-spot monitoring and rear cross-traffic alert. One option package is available on the SEL, the Premium Package, which comprises LED front and rear lighting, heated front seats, heated side mirrors, a power sunroof, keyless entry and push-button start, a navigation system and Hyundai’s Bluelink Connected Car system which includes a variety of communication functions, such as remote locking and automatic emergency assistance). Top of the range is the Denim trim which includes almost all of the above and also has two-tone blue and white paint (the only available colour) and simulated leather and cloth seating.

The Venue was never intended to be exciting. And it is not. But it was intended to be practical. And that, it is. For such a small car, there is ample space for people and luggage, added to which, this drives decently and whilst far from luxurious, is actually quite nicely finished with few of the signs of mean cost-cutting that are evident in other cars at this price point. Unlike some of its rivals, it’s perfectly acceptable on a long haul, as I proved with my test, covering a lot of miles in one day. Couple in the other Hyundai benefits of the longest warranty on the market and a reputation for reliability and you are left with the pick of the class for a retail consumer, and, based on my evidence, the rental customer.