Hyundai Kona vs Hyundai Venue

A proper head-to-head in South Africa — we cover price, performance, petrol economy, safety and what it'll actually cost you to own each one long term.

Hyundai Kona in South Africa

Hyundai Kona

1.0T DCT Executive Petrol Automatic
ZAR 565,900 ex-showroom
⚡ 88 kW 🔧 172 Nm ⛽ 15.5 km/l
VS
Hyundai Venue in South Africa

Hyundai Venue

1.0T DCT Executive Petrol Automatic
ZAR 414,900 ex-showroom
⚡ 88 kW 🔧 172 Nm ⛽ 16.4 km/l
Add a 3rd car

At a Glance — Who Wins What

Performance Tie
Fuel Economy Tie
🛡 Safety Tie
📦 Practicality Tie
🔑 Ownership Tie
Venue starts ZAR 459900 cheaper Kona from ZAR 459,900 · Venue from ZAR 343,900

Key Specs Side by Side

The specs that matter most — highlighted where one car leads.

Spec Kona Venue
Engine Power 88 88
Torque 172 172
Engine Size 998 998
Claimed Mileage 15.5 16.4
Ground Clearance 165 188
Boot Space 466 355
Airbags 6 6
Kerb Weight 1460 1180
Seating Capacity 5 5
Warranty 5 5

= leads in this spec

The Overall Score — Here's How They Stack Up

🏆 Winner
#1

Kona

58
/ 100
+0
pts
#2

Venue

58
/ 100

Very close match. Final decision depends on buyer preference.

The Bottom Line

Both Kona and Venue are extremely closely matched, making the final choice dependent on buyer preference.

Where They Actually Differ

Performance Equal
Efficiency Equal
Safety Equal
Practicality Equal
Ownership Equal

Score Breakdown by Category

🏆 Overall Winner

Kona

Performance 8/20
Efficiency 0/20
Safety 18/20
Practicality 12/20
Ownership 20/20

Venue

Performance 8/20
Efficiency 0/20
Safety 18/20
Practicality 12/20
Ownership 20/20

What Each Car Gets Right (and Wrong)

🏆 Overall Winner

Kona

Strengths
  • Nothing stands out clearly here.
Weak Spots
  • No obvious weak spots to flag.
Best suited to: General Use

Venue

Strengths
  • Nothing stands out clearly here.
Weak Spots
  • No obvious weak spots to flag.
Best suited to: General Use

Which One's Right for You?

Kona

  • Buyers looking for a balanced all-round vehicle

Venue

  • Buyers looking for a balanced all-round vehicle

Full Specs, Side by Side

Spec Kona Venue
Length 4355 4040
Width 1825 1770
Height 1570 1619
Wheelbase 2660 2520
Ground Clearance 165 188
Kerb Weight 1460 1180
Seating Capacity 5 5
Boot Space 466 355
Rear Track Width 1556 mm 1495 mm
Gross Vehicle Weight 1850 kg 1670
Front Track Width 1561 mm 1499 mm
Turning Radius 5.5 m 5.1 m
Towing Capacity 1000 kg (Unbraked) 800 kg (Unbraked)
Load Bed Length Not Applicable Not Applicable
Load Bed Width Not Applicable Not Applicable
Doors 5 5
Seats 5 5
Front Legroom Available Available
Rear Legroom Available Available
Front Headroom Available Available
Rear Headroom Available Available
Front Shoulder Room Available Available
Rear Shoulder Room Available Available
Boot Space Seats Folded Available 1106
Number of Doors Available Available
Max Payload Available Available
Boot Volume Available Available
Front Overhang Available Available
Fuel Tank Capacity Available Available
Rear Overhang Available Available
Spec Kona Venue
Engine 1.0 T-GDI Turbo 1.0 T-GDI Turbo
Engine Type Petrol Petrol
Displacement 998 998
Cylinders 3 3
Power 88 88
Torque 172 172
Fuel System Direct Injection Direct Injection
Turbocharger Yes Yes
Top Speed 185 178
0-100 km/h 10.5 10.8
Power @ RPM 5500 5500
Torque @ RPM 1500 1500
Valves per Cylinder 12 (4 per cylinder) 16
Compression Ratio 9.9:1 9.9:1
Engine Position Front Front
Fuel Grade Required Petrol Petrol
Engine Type Config Inline Inline
Variable Valve Timing Yes Yes
Cylinder Bore Available Available
Piston Stroke Available Available
Engine Code Available Available
Engine Oil Capacity Available Available
Power 150 150
Cylinder Layout Available Available
Engine Aspiration Available Naturally Aspirated
Maximum Engine RPM Available Available
0–100 km/h Available Available
Battery Capacity Available Available
Charging Port Available Available
AC Charging Time Available Available
Engine Displacement Available Available
EV Range Available Available

So, Which One Should You Buy?

🏆 Hyundai Kona wins with 58 pts vs 58 pts for Venue

In structured scoring, Kona emerges as the stronger overall package. However, Venue may appeal to buyers prioritising different factors. Ultimately, the right choice depends on your driving priorities in South Africa.

Buyers Also Looked At These

Other comparisons that people in the same boat tend to check out.

Questions Buyers Usually Ask

On our scoring the Kona edges ahead overall. That said, the right choice depends on what you actually use the car for — the breakdown above shows exactly where each one wins and loses.

Efficiency scores: Kona 0 vs Venue 0. In the real world, diesel variants of either car will beat the claimed figure on long highways and fall short in Joburg traffic.

Safety scores: Kona 18, Venue 18. Check each model page for NCAP ratings and which trim levels include AEB and blind-spot monitoring — those features aren't always standard.

Long-term ownership scores: Kona 20, Venue 20. Service intervals, parts availability in SA, and whether a service plan is bundled all factor in — check the individual variant specs for that detail.

Practicality scores: Kona 12, Venue 12. This covers boot space, seat flexibility, and day-to-day usability — not just interior dimensions on paper.

Performance scores: Kona 8, Venue 8. This looks at real-world pace — 0–100 kph, highway flexibility, and how either car feels when you actually need to overtake on an N-road.

Resale varies with colour, spec, and market timing, but Japanese brands — and Toyota specifically — have a strong track record in SA. Check current used prices for both on AutoTrader to see the real gap right now.

Ground clearance and 4WD availability are what matter most here. Scroll to the spec table above to compare both side by side — if either model offers a 4WD variant, that's the version worth comparing.

Fuel, insurance, and service costs are the big three. Diesel variants of both models typically save R800–R1,500/month in fuel at current SA pump prices. The Kona edges the overall ownership score, but check whether either variant includes a service plan — that changes the monthly maths significantly.

The Kona scores better overall, but neither car is a bad buy here. It comes down to what features matter to you — check the full spec table above to see exactly what you gain and lose at each price point.

In Depth — Breaking It All Down

The comparison between Kona and Venue in South Africa evaluates performance, efficiency, safety, practicality and long-term ownership value.

Performance: Kona scores 8 vs 8.

Efficiency: Kona scores 0 vs 0.

Safety: Kona scores 18 vs 18.

Practicality: Kona scores 12 vs 12.

Ownership: Kona scores 20 vs 20.

Final structured scoring gives Kona the advantage in this comparison.