By Otsile Kadiege

 Hyundai Automotive South Africa has launched the Venue Cargo which joins the Grand i10 Cargo, which was launched in 2019. Both the Venue and Grand i10 Cargo features an enlarged cargo load area (by removing the rear seat bench) and fitting it with a steel mesh grille for extra security.

Venue Cargo exterior design

Hyundai launched a refreshed Venue model range in 2022, and the Cargo is based on the entry-level derivative, the Venue 1.2 Motion. The Venue Cargo has a bold new front grille with wider dimensions and a cascading appearance, with the indicator light cluster on the far top corners forming a unit with the grille. The headlamps are housed in separate clusters.

On the Venue’s redesigned rear end, the new taillights are joined across the new hatch door with a horizontal strip to form a visual unit. The hatch door has also been made wider at the bottom, offering a bigger bottom opening that would – especially in the case of the Venue Cargo – ease the loading of large items into and out of the rear compartment.

The Venue Cargo, equipped with 15-inch steel wheel rims with a styled plastic cover, comes in a Polar White exterior colour.

More room for Cargo

The main feature of the Cargo’s interior is its big load compartment behind the front seats with a 1 296-litre capacity, enhanced by the security features mentioned earlier. The dimensions of the cargo compartment are:

Length: 1 200 mm;

Width: 1 200 mm; and

Height: 900 mm.

Convenience features include USB ports, a Supervision 4,2-inch TFT LCD display, and an infotainment system that features an 8-inch display audio touchscreen system and rear-view monitor in the front console. The system is compatible with both Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

Safety

The Venue Cargo’s passive safety features include two front airbags and three-point seat belts with pre-tensioners and force limiters (for driver and passenger respectively). More safety features include Advanced Braking System (ABS) with Electronic Brake-force Distribution (EBD) and Brake Assist.

Engine

Powering the Venue Cargo is a naturally aspirated 4-cylinder Kappa 1.2-litre MPi petrol engine, delivering 61 kW maximum power and 115 Nm maximum torque. It’s paired to a 5-speed manual transmission and a claimed 6.5 litres per 100 km, measured in a mix of open-road, highway and city driving.

Pricing

The new Hyundai Venue Cargo is priced at R329,900. Included in the price is Hyundai’s groundbreaking 7-year / 200 000 km warranty; 7-year / 150 000 km roadside assistance; and a 3-year / 45 000 km service plan. Service intervals are at 15 000 km, or annually when applicable.