• The Hyundai 1.0 TGDI Fluid DCT 2 Tone is part of Wheels24's long term garage.
• It's the smallest crossover vehicle in the Korean carmaker's line-up.
• Power is derived from a 1.0-litre turbo motor with 88kW and 172Nm.
We've had about two months behind the wheel of Hyundai's latest crossover, the Venue, and it hasn't missed a beat.
The Venue is the Korean carmaker's smallest pseudo-SUV vehicle, it's powered by a 1.0-litre three cylinder turbocharged engine with 88kW and 172Nm.
It uses a seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox to direct power to the front axle.
This particular model's full name is the 1.0 TGDI Fluid DCT 2 Tone, and as the latter part of its name suggests, it has a two-tone colour scheme. The test unit is finished off in a metallic navy hue with a contrasting white roof. It also has white door mirrors and accents on the front wheels arches.
Its front-end is perhaps more recognisable than the firm's other crossovers, boasting a chrome grille, and headlights located a bit lower down than usual with metallic-border surrounds.
It rides on striking diamond-cut 16-inch wheels and I'm a big fan of the navy hue, but perhaps not so much of the white roof.
What do you think of the Hyundai Venue? Do you own one and would like to tell us about it? Please email us your thoughts and pictures here.
I'm a big fan of the touchscreen that houses the infotainment system and use the Apple CarPlay religiously. Other niceties in the cabin include a myriad of storage binnacles for bottles, keys and miscellaneous items. Although the tray below the climate control knobs partial to seeing items rolling around a bit.
The cruise control located on the multi-function steering wheel is standard and came in handy on a recent drive to Hermanus.
Image: Wheels24
What's it like to drive?
Wheels24 received the Venue with less than 400 kilometres on the odometer and therefore the engine felt a bit 'tight'. Two months later and with close to 3000km on the clock, I can feel the motor revs more freely. Perhaps more importantly, the fuel consumption figure has been reduced to 6.7-litres per 100km from around its initial eight litres.
In terms of the drive, there's very little to complain about. The steering is light and artificial, but that helps when navigating tight city streets and other parked cars.
The gearbox sometimes suffers from feeling jerky on pull-away, but slot it into manual mode to swap cogs when it the 'box labours in one gear for too long, and that could take away the hindrance.
Image: Wheels24
The ride is comfortable, with decent damping in normal driving conditions. We're yet to take it on a gravel road, but will provide an update on that when the opportunity arrives.
As mentioned, the Venue hasn't put a foot wrong so far. The highlights have been the peppy engine, and positive feedback from friends and family about its looks. It offers a comfortable ride, and a low fuel bill.
The Venue ships in with a five-year or 150 000km warranty, and a three-year or 45 000km service plan.
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Image: Wheels24