NEW YORK MOTOR SHOW: Hyundai Venue SUV makes debut

Hyundai will replace the current Accent hatch and sedan with the Hyundai Venue SUV it has revealed at today's New York motor show.

Set to arrive Down Under in the second half of 2019, the Hyundai Venue will be priced at below $20,000 but won't be quite as cheap as the $15,990 the brand charged for the base Accent.

For that, you get a stylish small entry-SUV that features looks inspired by the current Kona, with the Hyundai Venue sporting the same cuboid lamps and split slimline daylight running lights that sit just below the leading edge of the bonnet.

An enlarged version of the firm's trademark Cascading grille, chrome highlights and plenty of plastic cladding around the wheel arches all give the impression of the current Kona following an unfortunate hot wash incident.

Measuring in at 4036mm long, 1770mm wide and standing 1565mm tall, the little Hyundai Venue is 130mm shorter, 31mm narrower but 16mm taller than the Kona it slots beneath in the car-maker's SUV range.

Despite being created to rival cheaper versions of Mazda's CX-3 and cut-price cars like the Suzuki Ignis, the Venue offers a generous 350 litres of luggage space – 180 litres more than the Mazda.

Under the bonnet, the Hyundai Venue will be offered with just one engine – the car-maker's next-gen Smartstream Gamma 1.6-litre four-cylinder engine that's mated with either a six-speed manual or six-speed automatic.

Likely to produce around 100kW, the little 1.6-litre is said to major on efficiency, introducing new tech like an on-demand coolant system and sophisticated new dual port fuel injection system.

Available with either 15-inch or larger 17s, all Venues will be front-drive with all-wheel drive not even an option for the small SUV but traction-enhancing driving modes should help in snow or mud.

Read the Hyundai Venue 2019 International Review

Inside, all models feature an 8-inch infotainment system that works with both Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

Hyundai Australia has confirmed, at the New York show, that the Venue has already completed the first round of Australian tuning, hinting that the small Hyundai SUV should be among the best to drive in its crowded class.

Our cars will come from one of Hyundai's Korean plants, with all models coming with a high level of standard specification.

Currently, Hyundai Australia says it is considering two or three trim levels, but even the base models that will cost less than $20,000 will come with autonomous emergency braking and plenty of other safety tech that could include collision warning, lane keep assist, blind-spot warning, driver attention alert and a cross-traffic warning.

For those Venue buyers who want to make their Hyundai their very own, the Korean car-maker says it will offer a full range of customisable options with up to eight exterior colours and three roof colours, plus a range of interior choices.

When it arrives around Q3 of 2019, the Venue will be sold alongside both the Accent hatch and sedan - before both models are quietly phased out towards the end of 2019.

Check out full New York Show gallery at motoring.com.au