Will New Zealand get Hyundai's new baby SUV?
Monday, 9 September 2019
A baby brother to Hyundai's Kona - the small Venue SUV revealed in April - would seem to be an obvious choice for the local distributor's line up, but it has yet to be confirmed. However, a final decision is just weeks away and mainly rests on an agreeable outcome to pricing negotiations between the New Zealand distributor and the factory.
'We still have not made an absolute decision… there are things we are still trying to weigh up, like positioning at the right price,' said Hyundai New Zealand public relations manager Kimberley Waters.
'While we haven't committed we have expressed interest, we are definitely keen. We can certainly see a place for it.'
No potential launch timing has been indicated, yet it's conceivable the car can be fast-tracked as it has just been announced for Australia, where sales start next week.
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The Venue is small crossover powered by a 1.6-litre petrol engine that, despite all the usual cross-pollination between Hyundai and Kia, is not entirely like the Kia Seltos, though it will have many common sector rivals. Hyundai New Zealand has said it is looking at two of the three models heading to Australia – their base and highest specifications.
Consumer preferences for SUVs is well cemented now, accounting for more than 60 per cent of new cars sales. Hyundai NZ is getting its share of the action with the Tucson established as the make's top seller here, while Santa Fe and Kona are also doing well.
Hyundai has aimed the Venue directly at the Mazda CX-3, Ford EcoSport and Suzuki Ignis, and while the local distributor has taken that onboard, Waters adds: 'We're still looking to exactly it would fit in comparison with other models.
'It won't compete in the compact SUV sector where Kona is. It would open up new opportunities – we see it as having potential to essentially start a new micro SUV segment for us.'
The Venue is 127mm shorter than Kona (whereas the Seltos is 20mm longer), 25mm narrower but only fractionally less tall. Its wheelbase is almost 80mm shorter.
The interior is understandably tighter than Kona's, particularly in luggage capacity, though the 355 litres' capacity is still reasonable when pitted against other babies.
The entry car is on 15-inch wheels with wheel trims, four-speaker audio and cruise control, an infotainment system with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity, and active safety systems spanning automated emergency braking, lane keeping assist, driver attention warning and automatic high beam.
The high-end edition has 17-inch alloys, six-speaker audio, the same infotainment system, LED DRLs, leather appointed steering wheel and gearshift, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic warning, power window for the driver, climate control and 'premium' cloth trim seats. There's also an extra USB power outlet upfront.
The Venue is powered by a 1.6-litre four-cylinder petrol, producing 90kW of power and 151Nm of torque through the front wheels via a six-speed automatic.
That in itself sets it apart from Seltos, which is coming at year-end with a 110kW/180Nm 2.0-litre unit matched to a constantly variable transmission in its entry form while the flagship has a 1.6-litre turbo from Cerato GT, in 130kW/265Nm tune. The latter is expected to be matched to a version of the GT's seven-speed dual-clutch transmission and send power to all four wheels, whereas the 2.0-litre is front-drive.
While Venue is conceivably set to be foremost a seal-tuned car, settings for the drive mode do include software developed for the stability control system on slippery surfaces, which is more or less the norm in this segment.