2023 Hyundai Palisade vs 2024 Hyundai Venue

The 2023 Hyundai Palisade, as Hyundai's largest SUV, had an imposing presence on the road, further enhanced by its 2023 styling update. The new front fascia, with its bold strokes and squared-off grille, gave the Palisade a stronger, more commanding look. Standard LED accents, daytime running lights, and headlights added to its modern appeal, while the top Calligraphy trim featured premium rear accent lighting and a unique grille design. The interior of the Palisade was equally impressive, with premium Nappa leather in the Calligraphy trim and a dual-pane sunroof that brightened the cabin. The seating configurations allowed for flexibility, accommodating up to eight passengers in the lower trims, while higher trims offered luxurious features like heated and ventilated seats.

In contrast, the 2024 Hyundai Venue was a compact SUV with a more subdued and mature appearance, especially in the Ecotronic Gray paint of the Limited trim. Despite its small size, the Venue's design was stylish and appealing, with unexpected touches like stripes and piping on the seats and white trim on the dashboard. The interior, while featuring hard plastics, did not look cheap, and the digital instrumentation and 8-inch touchscreen infotainment display added a modern touch. The Venue's compact dimensions made it ideal for city driving, offering nimble handling and excellent visibility, though its suspension struggled on rougher roads.

The 2023 Hyundai Palisade was powered by a robust 3.8-liter V6 engine, delivering 291 horsepower and 262 pound-feet of torque. This made it more powerful than several competitors, including the Mazda CX-9 and Volkswagen Atlas. The Palisade's eight-speed automatic transmission, with standard paddle shifters, provided smooth power delivery to the front wheels, with an optional all-wheel-drive system available for added traction. The Palisade excelled in towing, with a capacity of up to 5,000 pounds, and offered a comfortable ride, though it wasn't suited for serious off-roading. Fuel economy was reasonable, with front-wheel-drive models achieving 19 mpg city and 27 mpg highway.

The 2024 Hyundai Venue, on the other hand, was equipped with a 1.6-liter four-cylinder engine producing 121 horsepower and 113 pound-feet of torque. While not particularly powerful, the Venue's lightweight design and continuously variable transmission (CVT) allowed it to navigate city streets with ease. The Venue's small size and nimble handling made it well-suited for urban environments, though its suspension struggled on rough roads. The Venue lacked all-wheel drive, but its 6.7 inches of ground clearance provided some capability in snowy conditions. Fuel economy was a highlight, with a combined rating of 31 mpg, though real-world testing showed slightly lower results.

The 2023 Hyundai Palisade offered generous interior space, comfortably seating seven or eight passengers. It provided 44.1 inches of front legroom, 42.4 inches in the second row, and 31.4 inches in the third row, surpassing competitors like the Toyota Highlander. The Palisade's cargo space was impressive, with 18 cubic feet behind the third row, expanding to 86.4 cubic feet with the second and third rows folded flat. The interior was designed with passenger comfort in mind, featuring HVAC vents in all three rows and ample storage options.

The 2024 Hyundai Venue, despite its compact size, offered decent comfort and practicality. The front seats featured manual height adjustment and tilt-and-telescopic steering, with appealing fabric inserts and heated cushions. The back seat, while technically accommodating three passengers, was more comfortable for two, with limited storage and no air conditioning vents. Cargo space was on par with a compact car, offering 18.7 cubic feet with the rear seats up and 31.9 cubic feet with them folded down.

The 2023 Hyundai Palisade was a technology powerhouse, featuring a 12.3-inch color touchscreen infotainment system with Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, and navigation. A premium Harman Kardon sound system was available, and the Palisade offered a WiFi hotspot as standard. The vehicle's Bluelink connected services allowed for remote access and management, including the ability to start the car and adjust heated or cooled seats via an app. The Palisade also introduced Digital Key 2 Touch, compatible with both Android and Apple devices, allowing for keyless entry and start.

The 2024 Hyundai Venue featured an 8-inch touchscreen infotainment display with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, Bluetooth connectivity, and a six-speaker sound system. The Limited trim added navigation, SiriusXM satellite radio, and a wireless smartphone charger. However, the switch to wired Apple CarPlay and Android Auto in the Limited trim was a drawback. Despite this, the Venue's infotainment system was user-friendly, with modern graphics and a native voice recognition system.

The 2023 Hyundai Palisade was equipped with Hyundai's Smart Sense suite of safety features, including forward collision avoidance, lane-keeping assist, and blind-spot collision avoidance. The Palisade also offered advanced features like Highway Driving Assist II and a full-display digital rearview mirror. While the 2023 model had not been rated by the IIHS at the time of writing, the 2022 model earned a Top Safety Pick+.

The 2024 Hyundai Venue came with Hyundai SmartSense, offering forward-collision warning, lane-departure warning, and a driver monitoring system. The Venue SEL added blind-spot monitoring, while the Limited trim included cyclist detection. However, the Venue lacked adaptive cruise control and lane-centering assist. The IIHS rated the Venue with Good ratings in three crash tests, while the NHTSA gave it an overall rating of four stars.