Hyundai’s smallest SUV wins a big safety award

With IIHS, the Venue scored very high.

It was more than a year ago when Hyundai first introduced the world its entry-level crossover. At 2019, the 2019 New York Auto Show, the sub-compact Venue was introduced and quickly became a beloved machine. The Venue was awarded the 2020 Top Safety Pick by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.

Over the years, the criteria for this award have changed. It requires that several crash-safety metrics and crash prevention metrics be met for 2020. This includes good ratings from six crash tests. For crash prevention, a vehicle must have advanced or superior ratings for vehicle-to-vehicle and vehicle-to-pedestrian situations. A minimum acceptable rating must be given to headlights.
The Venue received superior in crash prevention for vehicles with standard trim or with optional extras. The advanced rating for pedestrians was awarded to the Venue’s standard-issue vehicle. This rating was then upgraded to a superior rating when there were optional systems. Crash ratings were excellent and the optional LED projector headslights received an acceptable rating. The standard lights were only marginal because of poor visibility around corners. The Top Safety Pick + Award could have been given to the Venue if the LED lenses had been standard issue.

Our take on the venue:

Hyundai's smallest SUV wins a big safety award

Since its launch, every experience has been enjoyable and pleasant. Its spacious interior offers comfort for both driver and passenger. The Venue’s small size makes it impressive. Although the styling of the Venue is subjective, we think it stands out in a highly competitive segment that is growing rapidly. It could do with a little more power, but that’s just a minor issue in one of the most popular small crossovers on the market.