EVERYTHING NEW WITH THE VENUE
Five years after it first arrived on our shores, a familiar name from Hyundai is back to take on the popular Toyota Raize and Kia Sonet.
The Hyundai VENUE subcompact crossover made its local debut last Sept. 12, 2025 at the Hyundai Mobility Experience held in the Bonifacio High Street Amphitheater in Taguig City.
“The return of the Hyundai VENUE reaffirms HMPH’s commitment to making the Hyundai ownership experience more within reach, while maintaining the brand’s renowned quality and reliability,” said HMPH managing director Cecil Capacete in a press statement.
“We are proud to reintroduce this vehicle, which offers the right balance of premium features, trusted engineering, and smart value; which we think is the perfect blend for the modern Filipino – especially those who wish to join the Hyundai family for the first time,” he added.
Three variants are available, namely the GL 6MT, the GL 6AT and the top-spec GLS 6AT.
Petite with personality
The VENUE distinguishes itself from its strong-selling cousin, the Sonet, with its more striking front end.
High-mounted turn signals flank a large grill that is shaped like the upper half of an hourglass. But the little Hyundai’s most distinct styling features are its separate halogen headlights, which include LED daytime running lights and steering-dependent static bending in the GLS variant.
The VENUE’s side profile incorporates a strong character line that runs from the front fender to the taillights (LED in the GLS), along with a sharply cut C-pillar. The GL 6MT gets 15-inch steel wheels, while the GL 6AT sports 15-inch alloy wheels and the GLS comes with 17-inch alloy wheels wrapped in 205/55 series tires and four-wheel disc brakes.
Value-adding tech
Despite being the cheapest model in the HMPH lineup, the VENUE offers useful features for first-time car buyers and seasoned owners alike.
All variants come with an 8-inch touchscreen infotainment system with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, while moving up to the GL 6AT gets you a digital gauge cluster, a tilting-and-telescoping steering wheel and power-folding side mirrors. The top-of-the-line GLS adds a leather-wrapped steering wheel and three selectable drive modes (Normal, Eco and Sport).
Safety-wise, all VENUE models get a driver’s airbag and child-restraint anchors – the GL 6AT also packs a passenger’s airbag and reverse parking sensors, while the GLS adds electronic stability control and hill-start assist.
Class-leading power
Under the VENUE’s hood is a 1.6-liter, twin-cam, 16-valve inline-4 gasoline engine producing a hearty 121 horsepower and 151 Newton-meters of torque, which is mated to either a 6-speed manual or a 6-speed automatic transmission.
This makes the little Hyundai considerably more powerful than rivals like the Toyota Raize Turbo, Kia Sonet, Chery Tiggo Cross and Geely GX3 Pro. All VENUE variants are available in four colors, namely Denim Blue, Abyss Black Pearl, Ecotronic Gray Pearl and Atlas White.
Pricing is also very competitive for the class, with the GL 6MT costing P778,000, the GL 6AT at P898,000 and the GLS 6AT at P998,000. HMPH said Hyundai Finance makes taking home the VENUE even more accessible with financing plans through EastWest, BDO and BPI.
In addition, customers who purchase through the brand’s bank partners can score cash discounts of up to P46,000. Meanwhile, buyers can also choose to make a downpayment of as low as P28,000 or enjoy monthly amortization as low as P15,000.
With the Hyundai VENUE back in the game, can the best-sellers from Toyota and Kia keep their lead for long?
