Hyundai upgrades Venue small SUV

HYUNDAI’S VENUE SITS IN THE RANGE below the Seltos, and that makes it the ideal size for many buyers, including over-50s. Now Hyundai has announced upgrades including Qi wireless charging standard on all variants and the inclusion of the Bluelink connect car service.

Standard on the Venue Elite (but not yet on the two lower spec variants), Bluelink introduces features such as Automatic Collision Notification, Natural Voice Control and segment-first remote vehicle control functionality via the Bluelink App.

New features for 2023

4.2-inch LCD instrument cluster display

Featuring a 4.2-inch colour LCD display, the new digital style supervision cluster is now featured as standard across all 2023 Venue grades. It includes a standard digital speedometer and tachometer and is customisable with three colour theme selections through the vehicle system settings.

Qi wireless charger

A new wireless charger (it might be our age, but every time we read “wireless charger” we get a mental image of valve radios!) is fitted as standard across the 2023 Venue range and allows for compatible Qi-standard devices to be charged in a dedicated recess in the front centre console, improving convenience for front seat occupants. The charging pad is also fan cooled to help prevent the device from overheating whilst charging.

USB-C type charge port / Rear USB-C type charge ports

In addition to the USB-A multimedia port, the new 2023 Venue range adds a USB-C type charging port in the front centre console for added convenience. Venue Elite will also gain two USB-C type charging ports for the rear seat passengers including a small storage compartment suitable for mobile phones. Those of us with multiple USB-A devices will appreciate having the option as we transition to the newer USB-C.

Rear occupant alert (ROA)

Rear Occupant Alert (ROA) – logic type, is now fitted as standard across the 2023 Venue range and detects the entry of occupants via the rear doors opening and closing. Upon parking and opening the driver’s door, ROA issues an audible warning chime and prompts the driver with a visual warning message to ‘check rear seats’, to ensure that rear occupants are not accidentally left behind.

Revised steering wheel controls

2023 Venue sees the adoption of Hyundai’s latest revised steering wheel remote control button layout, improving ease-of-use. The new “Custom” button (denoted by a star) allows the driver to program their desired function, ensuring that their most-used vehicle functions are just at their fingertips.

ECM rear view mirror

Elite variants of the 2023 Venue are now available with an Electro-chromatic rear-view mirror (ECM) as standard. When driving at night, the ECM prevents driver glare by lowering the reflectance of the mirror when detecting the headlights of a vehicle following.

Antenna

For 2023, the sharkfin type external aerial has been replaced by a pole type aerial across all Venue grades.

HYUNDAI BLUELINK

The launch of the 2023 Venue Elite continues the Australian rollout of Bluelink connected car services, marking a step change on Hyundai’s mission to create smart mobility solutions and a better future for everyone.

Bluelink and the accompanying connected car services are complimentary (free of charge) for the first 5-years of new vehicle ownership and are transferrable to subsequent owners within this 5-year period. (We asked Hyundai how much this service will cost after the initial 5-year complimentary period, but they haven’t set pricing as yet. And we confirmed that owners can opt out of the subscription.)

Hyundai Bluelink key features are listed below:

Feature	Description
Automatic Collision Notification	Automatic Collision Notification (ACN) is an important safety feature within Bluelink. In the event of an accident and an airbag deploys, an Automatic Collision Notification signal will be automatically transmitted to the Bluelink Customer Care Centre. A trained Bluelink response operator will attempt to establish voice communication with the vehicle occupants, dispatch appropriate services and remain on the line until help arrives. In addition, an SOS button can be used for emergency assistance 24/7, 365 days a year.
Connected Routing	Included in the Bluelink subscription, Connected Routing allows the navigation route to be calculated by a powerful server in the Bluelink cloud, rather than by the in-car navigation system. The vehicle sends the user-set destination to the server and guides them through the optimal route based on the pattern information that analyses real-time and estimated traffic information.
Voice Recognition (Server-based)	2023 Venue Elite drivers can now access hands-free calls, navigation and search for system settings by activating Voice Recognition with a push of the button on the steering wheel. The natural-language-based Voice Recognition allows users to perform commands, including route guidance and weather updates, with natural language phrases such as ‘What will the weather be like tomorrow?’ or ‘Stop guidance’. Drivers can also phone anyone in their contacts by saying ‘Call’ or navigate to an address or point of interest (POI) by saying ‘Find’ followed by the address or POI name.
Valet Mode	Valet mode lets the driver set a personal PIN code to override the infotainment system disabling access to all of the 8-inch Multimedia system functions, for situations when vehicle privacy or security is required for examples at Parking Stations, Car Washes etc. In addition, with the Bluelink app, the driver can monitor the vehicle status (vehicle location, driving time, driving distance, average and top speed) while somebody else (such as a valet attendant) is responsible for the car.
Weather	Bluelink users will know in advance whether they’ll need a jacket – or their Hyundai’s windscreen wipers – with on-map weather information for their location, the set destination, or their favourite city. The cloud-based Weather function provides live weather information for the current time, the weather in 3 or 6 hours and can even provide the weekly forecast ahead.
Calendar Sync	Bluelink enables Google or iCloud calendar users to sync their calendar with the vehicle, even enabling route guidance via the calendar entry location
Destination Send-to-Car	After searching a trip on the app, users can send the route to their Hyundai’s navigation system, ready to go
Last Mile Navigation	After parking near their destination, users can use the Bluelink app to continue the in-car navigation experience on foot with Augmented Reality or Google Maps smartphone guidance.
Remote Services	Bluelink lets users remotely lock/unlock doors, start their vehicle, set their climate control temperature, and/or window defroster.
Remote Vehicle Check	“Did I lock the car?” If the user forgets, Bluelink app will send a push notification to their smartphone to let them know the car is unlocked. The user can then remote lock their car via the app. Other vehicle systems, such as battery health and lights can be easily checked via the app. The app also lets users check fuel level and remaining range.
Vehicle Health Report	Bluelink lets users run a diagnostic check from the app to get a report alerting them if any of their Hyundai’s systems need to be checked (such as tyre pressure, brakes and battery)
Find My Car	Forgotten where you parked? Open the Bluelink app, touch vehicle icon on the map and you can be guided to your car’s location by Augmented Reality (AR), or you can find the car by sight and sound (Light/Horn)
Cloud Back-Ups	Bluelink cloud back-ups let users save their personalisation and vehicle settings and easily transfer them to another car

Pricing 

Engine	Transmission	Venue	Active	Elite
1.6 MPi	6 speed manual	$21,900	–	–
	6 speed automatic	$23,900	$26,000	$28,500

Option Pricing	Venue	Active	Elite
Metallic/mica paint	$595	$595	$595

All prices plus on road costs

The 2023 Venue model line-up has also been streamlined, with the discontinuation of the Active manual variant.

The 2023 upgrades come with a small price increase versus 2022 Venue (between $160 and $960):

Variant	Transmission	2022 Venue	2023 Venue	Increase
Venue	6 speed manual	$21,740	$21,900	$160
Venue	6 speed automatic	$23,760	$23,900	$140
Venue Active	6 speed manual	$23,690	–	–
Venue Active	6 speed automatic	$25,690	$26,000	$310
Venue Elite	6 speed automatic	$27,540	$28,500	$960