Toyota Starlet Cross 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 Starlet Cross in South Africa

Toyota Starlet Cross

1.5 XR CVT Petrol CVT Current
ZAR 375,900 ex-showroom
⚡ 77 kW 🔧 140 Nm ⛽ 18.5 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 Starlet Cross vs Hyundai Venue: the short answer

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

Recorded price context Starlet Cross: current from ZAR 304,900 · Venue: last listed from ZAR 343,900

Five key differences

Exact selected derivatives
Specification Starlet Cross Venue
Maximum Power Starlet Cross77 kW Venue88 kW @ 5500 rpm
Maximum Torque Starlet Cross140 Nm Venue172 Nm @ 1500 rpm
Engine Size Starlet Cross1498 cc Venue998 cc
Combined Fuel Economy Starlet Cross18.5 km/l Venue16.4 km/l
Ground Clearance Starlet Cross185 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)

Starlet Cross

Strengths
  • Better fuel efficiency
Weak Spots
  • Less powerful engine setup
  • Fewer listed safety features
  • Lower published practicality figures
  • Lower published ownership cover
Best suited to: Published Efficiency
Specification evidence leader

Venue

Strengths
  • More powerful engine output
  • Stronger listed safety equipment
  • Stronger published practicality figures
  • Stronger published ownership cover
Weak Spots
  • Lower fuel efficiency
Best suited to: Published Performance Published Practicality

Which One's Right for You?

Starlet Cross

  • Buyers prioritising the lower published fuel or energy use

Venue

  • Buyers prioritising the stronger published powertrain figures
  • Buyers prioritising the more complete listed safety equipment
  • Buyers prioritising the stronger published space and capacity figures
  • Buyers prioritising the stronger published warranty or service cover

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 Starlet Cross Venue
Model Introduced Year 2022 2019
Generation First generation Starlet Cross for SA market First generation Venue — the global model adapted for SA with minor market-specific changes; no second-gen yet in SA
Facelift History Introduced to SA in 2022 as a Starlet-based crossover Launched in SA in 2019; subtle updates to safety and infotainment tech followed in subsequent years
Facelift Launched Since 2022 2019
Facelift Version Ending Current Not confirmed
Body Style SUV Not confirmed
Color Note White Pearl, Silver Metallic, Black, Blue, Red Not confirmed
Dealer Stock Note Top grade in the South Africa lineup Not confirmed
Model Year 2026 Not confirmed
Production Status published Not confirmed
Segment SUV Not confirmed
Tare Mass Kg 1080 kg 1180 kg
Vehicle Type SUV Not confirmed
Spec Starlet Cross Venue
Length 4055 mm 4040 mm
Width 1740 mm 1770 mm
Height 1575 mm 1619 mm
Wheelbase 2520 mm 2520 mm
Ground Clearance (Default) 185 mm 188 mm
Fuel Tank Capacity 42 l 45 l
Boot/Cargo Space 270 l 355 l
Kerb Weight 1080 kg 1180 kg
Gross Vehicle Weight (GVW) 1480 kg 1670 kg
Seating Capacity 5 seats 5 seats
Doors 5 doors 5 doors
Minimum Turning Radius 5.1 m Not confirmed

In depth: how these cars differ

This Starlet Cross 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: Starlet Cross 34 vs Venue 39.

Efficiency index: Starlet Cross 70 vs Venue 64.

Safety-equipment index: Starlet Cross 70 vs Venue 87.

Practicality index: Starlet Cross 58 vs Venue 64.

Ownership-cover index: Starlet Cross 43 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

Venue leads by 8 points

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

Evidence leader 63 /100
Lead 8 points
Data 89% source coverage
63
#1 Evidence leader

Venue

89% source coverage 1 strong categories
Best at Safety 87 Check Performance 39
Performance 39
Efficiency 64
Safety 87
Practicality 64
Ownership 65
Leads by 8 points
55
#2

Starlet Cross

79% source coverage 2 strong categories
Best at Efficiency 70 Check Performance 34
Performance 34
Efficiency 70
Safety 70
Practicality 58
Ownership 43
Performance 24% Safety 22% Practicality 22% Efficiency 17% Ownership 15%
Category leaders What moves the verdict
Performance Venue +5 Efficiency Starlet Cross +6 Safety Venue +17 Practicality Venue +6 Ownership Venue +22

Close catalogue match. Buyer priorities should decide the outcome.

Why this score View full breakdown
Evidence-index leader

Venue

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

Starlet Cross

Performance 34/100
Efficiency 70/100
Safety 70/100
Practicality 58/100
Ownership 43/100

What the evidence means

Evidence index Hyundai Venue leads the specification evidence index with 63 pts vs 55 pts for Starlet Cross

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

Starlet Cross 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.