Toyota RAV4 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.

Includes a historical vehicle

Current, upcoming and historical vehicles can be compared side by side. Historical records keep their verified specifications, while price labels show last-listed context rather than current new-car availability.

Hyundai Venue Discontinued model
Toyota RAV4 in South Africa

Toyota RAV4

2.5 HEV GR-S CVT Hybrid CVT Current
ZAR 941,800 ex-showroom
⚡ 137 kW 🔧 221 Nm ⛽ 21.3 km/l
VS
Hyundai Venue in South Africa

Hyundai Venue

1.0T DCT Executive Petrol 7-Speed DCT Discontinued model
ZAR 414,900 last listed
Discontinued model Verified historical specifications remain visible for owner and used-car comparisons.
⚡ 88 kW 🔧 172 Nm ⛽ 16.4 km/l
Add a 3rd car

Decision summary

Toyota RAV4 vs Hyundai Venue: the short answer

RAV4 has a modest catalogue-index lead, while Venue remains close.

Recorded price context RAV4: current from ZAR 610,000 · Venue: last listed from ZAR 343,900

Five key differences

Exact selected derivatives
Specification RAV4 Venue
Maximum Power RAV4137 kW @ 6000 rpm Venue88 kW @ 5500 rpm
Maximum Torque RAV4221 Nm Venue172 Nm @ 1500 rpm
Engine Size RAV42500 cc Venue998 cc
Combined Fuel Economy RAV421.3 km/l Venue16.4 km/l
Ground Clearance RAV4186 mm Venue188 mm

Strongest published figure in that row; no road-test winner is implied.

Evidence for Hyundai Venue 1.0T DCT Executive

Source type: Hagalu catalogue record

What Each Car Gets Right (and Wrong)

Specification evidence leader

RAV4

Strengths
  • More powerful engine output
  • Better fuel efficiency
  • Stronger listed safety equipment
  • Stronger published practicality figures
Weak Spots
  • No obvious weak spots to flag.
Best suited to: Published Performance Published Efficiency Published Practicality

Venue

Strengths
  • Nothing stands out clearly here.
Weak Spots
  • Less powerful engine setup
  • Lower fuel efficiency
  • Fewer listed safety features
  • Lower published practicality figures
Best suited to: General Use

Which One's Right for You?

RAV4

  • Buyers prioritising the stronger published powertrain figures
  • Buyers prioritising the lower published fuel or energy use
  • Buyers prioritising the more complete listed safety equipment
  • Buyers prioritising the stronger published space and capacity figures

Venue

  • Buyers who prefer this derivative's confirmed specification mix

Full Specs, Side by Side

Archived cars use verified historical spec records. Rows remain comparable; unavailable historical values are shown plainly rather than estimated.

Spec RAV4 Venue
Model Introduced Year 2026 2019
Generation All-new sixth-generation RAV4 introduced in South Africa in July 2026 First generation Venue — the global model adapted for SA with minor market-specific changes; no second-gen yet in SA
Facelift History Full model change for 2026 with HEV, PHEV and GR-Sport derivatives Launched in SA in 2019; subtle updates to safety and infotainment tech followed in subsequent years
Facelift Launched Since Full model change for 2026 with HEV, PHEV and GR-Sport derivatives 2019
Facelift Version Ending Current South African 2026 specification Not confirmed
Body Style SUV Not confirmed
Model Year 2026 Not confirmed
Production Status published Not confirmed
Segment SUV Not confirmed
Tare Mass Kg 1725-1740 kg 1180 kg
Vehicle Type SUV Not confirmed
Spec RAV4 Venue
Length 4645 mm 4040 mm
Width 1880 mm 1770 mm
Height 1680 mm 1619 mm
Wheelbase 2690 mm 2520 mm
Ground Clearance (Default) 186 mm 188 mm
Fuel Tank Capacity 55 l 45 l
Boot/Cargo Space 732 l 355 l
Gross Vehicle Weight (GVW) 2230 kg 1670 kg
Towing Capacity 1000 kg Not confirmed
Seating Capacity 5 seats 5 seats
Doors 5 doors 5 doors
Minimum Turning Radius 5.6 m Not confirmed
Kerb Weight - 1180 kg

In depth: how these cars differ

This RAV4 and Venue comparison uses the exact South African derivatives selected above. The catalogue index covers performance, efficiency, safety equipment, practicality and ownership cover only where comparable source-backed fields are present.

Performance index: RAV4 50 vs Venue 39.

Efficiency index: RAV4 84 vs Venue 64.

Safety-equipment index: RAV4 93 vs Venue 87.

Practicality index: RAV4 71 vs Venue 64.

Ownership-cover index: RAV4 not separately scored vs Venue 65.

These figures are Hagalu catalogue-comparison indicators, not customer ratings, crash-test scores, resale guarantees or a substitute for a road test. Each page shows its weighted source coverage beside the result.

Specification Evidence Index

A transparent comparison of published catalogue fields. This is not a road-test score, owner rating or editorial review rating, and it appears only when every vehicle clears the same comparable-data threshold.

Evidence / 100
Evidence-index readout

RAV4 leads by 10 points

RAV4 has a modest catalogue-index lead, while Venue remains close.

Evidence leader 73 /100
Lead 10 points
Data 61% source coverage
73
#1 Evidence leader

RAV4

61% source coverage 3 strong categories
Best at Safety 93 Check Performance 50
Performance 50
Efficiency 84
Safety 93
Practicality 71
Leads by 10 points
63
#2

Venue

89% source coverage 1 strong categories
Best at Safety 87 Check Performance 39
Performance 39
Efficiency 64
Safety 87
Practicality 64
Ownership 65
Performance 24% Safety 22% Practicality 22% Efficiency 17% Ownership 15%
Category leaders What moves the verdict
Performance RAV4 +11 Efficiency RAV4 +20 Safety RAV4 +6 Practicality RAV4 +7

Moderate difference in the source-backed catalogue index.

Why this score View full breakdown
Evidence-index leader

RAV4

Performance 50/100
Efficiency 84/100
Safety 93/100
Practicality 71/100

Venue

Performance 39/100
Efficiency 64/100
Safety 87/100
Practicality 64/100
Ownership 65/100

What the evidence means

Evidence index Toyota RAV4 leads the specification evidence index with 73 pts vs 63 pts for Venue

In Hagalu's specification evidence index, RAV4 leads. However, Venue may suit buyers prioritising different confirmed fields. Ultimately, the right choice depends on your driving priorities in South Africa.

RAV4 vs Venue questions

There is no universal winner. Use the comparison table to match the exact South African derivatives on price, safety equipment, space, powertrain and ownership cover. The category indicators summarise published catalogue data; they are not a road test or customer rating.

Compare the published consumption or mileage rows for the exact derivatives using the same unit and test basis. A catalogue figure is useful for like-for-like comparison, but traffic, speed, load, weather and driving style can change actual fuel use.

Compare only equipment explicitly listed for each derivative, including airbags, stability control and driver-assistance systems. Confirm the exact trim with the manufacturer, and treat any independent crash-test result separately because equipment and ratings can differ by market.

A reliable five-year total cannot be calculated from catalogue data alone. Add the exact purchase and finance cost, fuel or electricity, insurance quotes, scheduled servicing, tyres and expected resale value. Check whether the selected derivative includes a service or maintenance plan.

Use the seating, boot or load-space, ISOFIX and safety rows as a first check. Then test the exact cars with your child seats, passengers and typical luggage, because published dimensions do not show every access or comfort difference.

Compare the published power, torque and 0–100 km/h rows when they are available for both exact derivatives. Vehicle weight, gearing and power delivery also matter, so catalogue outputs alone do not establish real-world overtaking or response.