2023 Jeep Grand Cherokee 4xe vs 2024 Hyundai Venue

The 2023 Jeep Grand Cherokee 4xe expanded its lineup with the introduction of the 30th Anniversary edition, bringing the total to six trim levels. Starting at $61,660, the price could climb to $80,320 for the Summit Reserve, excluding options like paint color and a wireless smartphone charger. Our test vehicle, a Trailhawk trim, came with a panoramic sunroof, Luxury Tech Group II, and Advanced ProTech Group II, raising the MSRP to $72,630. A federal income tax credit of $3,750 could reduce the cost to $68,880. The Trailhawk was distinguishable by its sky blue detailing and matte-black hood decal, with unique wheels and all-terrain tires. However, the interior fell short of luxury expectations, with excessive plastic and glossy surfaces that attracted dust and fingerprints. The controls were often hard to read, except for the matte-black steering wheel controls, which were user-friendly.

The 2024 Hyundai Venue was available in SE, SEL, and Limited trims, with prices ranging from $21,275 to $24,525. Our test vehicle, a Limited trim, featured Ecotronic Gray paint and carpeted floor mats, bringing the MSRP to $24,735. The Venue's design was appealing, with a mature look despite its affordable price. Inside, the Venue had hard plastic surfaces but managed to avoid looking cheap. The interior featured stylish seat stripes and piping, and white trim around the dashboard air vents. The digital instrumentation and 8-inch touchscreen infotainment display were well-suited to the Venue's size. The controls were of typical Hyundai quality, making the Venue a thoughtfully designed and high-quality small SUV.

The 2023 Jeep Grand Cherokee 4xe featured a plug-in hybrid powertrain combining a turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine with a 17.3-kilowatt-hour lithium-ion battery pack and an 8-speed automatic transmission. This setup produced 375 horsepower and 470 pound-feet of torque, with a towing capacity of up to 6,000 pounds. The Trailhawk had a standard four-wheel-drive system with a two-speed transfer case, Selec-Terrain technology, and a height-adjustable air suspension. It offered 10.9 inches of ground clearance and could ford 24 inches of water. However, the Grand Cherokee 4xe's real-world performance fell short, with an EPA-estimated 25 miles of all-electric range and 23 mpg in hybrid mode. During testing, it achieved only 21.2 miles of electric range and averaged 19.3 mpg. The off-road capabilities were impressive, but the daily driving experience was marred by an unrefined gas engine, uneven power delivery, and sketchy handling.

The 2024 Hyundai Venue was equipped with a 1.6-liter four-cylinder engine producing 121 horsepower and 113 pound-feet of torque. Weighing 2,612 pounds in base SE trim, the Venue's continuously variable transmission (CVT) maximized available power for city and suburban driving. The Venue's small size, nimble handling, and excellent visibility made it ideal for urban environments. However, the suspension struggled on rough roads, resulting in a busy ride quality. On the highway, the Venue could keep pace with traffic, but the engine and CVT became noisy under hard acceleration. The Venue lacked all-wheel drive, but its 6.7 inches of ground clearance allowed it to handle snow better than a typical car. The Venue achieved an EPA rating of 31 mpg in combined driving, but our testing loop yielded 30.3 mpg.

The 2023 Jeep Grand Cherokee 4xe struggled with practical storage and cargo space due to its off-roading hardware. The Trailhawk featured eight-way power-adjustable front seats with leather and artificial suede upholstery, but comfort was lacking. The front seats were firm and flat, while the rear seat cushion was low and unsupportive. Rear legroom was tight, and the cargo space measured 37.7 cubic feet behind the back seat, expanding to 70.8 cubic feet with the seats folded down, which was small for a midsize SUV.

The 2024 Hyundai Venue offered decent comfort despite its small size. The driver's seat had a manual height adjuster, and the steering wheel offered tilt-and-telescopic adjustment. The front seats featured fabric inserts, artificial leather bolsters, and heated cushions. The back seat technically accommodated three people, but two would be more comfortable. Taller passengers might find the hard plastic front seatbacks uncomfortable. The Venue provided USB ports for rear-seat passengers but lacked air conditioning vents and dark-tinted rear privacy glass. Cargo space was on par with a compact car, with 18.7 cubic feet behind the rear seats and 31.9 cubic feet with the seats folded down.

The 2023 Jeep Grand Cherokee 4xe boasted up to six screens, including a head-up display and dual-screen rear-seat entertainment system. The Trailhawk trim featured a 10.3-inch digital instrumentation panel, a 10.3-inch front passenger infotainment screen, and a 10.1-inch touchscreen infotainment system with Uconnect 5 technology. It included wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, SiriusXM satellite radio, a navigation system, and Jeep Connect services. The Alpine premium sound system and configurable digital instrumentation were highlights, but the graphics and voice recognition system were average. The optional wireless smartphone charger and camera-based digital rearview mirror were notable tech-related options.

The 2024 Hyundai Venue featured an 8-inch touchscreen infotainment display with modern graphics and logical menu structures. Standard features included Bluetooth connectivity, wireless Apple CarPlay, wireless Android Auto, Bluelink connected services, and a six-speaker sound system. The Venue Limited added a navigation system, SiriusXM satellite radio, a wireless smartphone charger, and Bluelink+. However, the Limited trim switched to wired Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, which was a drawback. Despite this, the Venue's infotainment system was sophisticated, with an impressive native voice recognition system.

The 2023 Jeep Grand Cherokee 4xe came equipped with adaptive cruise control, forward-collision warning, automatic emergency braking, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, lane-departure warning, lane-keeping assist, and a reversing camera with rear parking sensors. The Trailhawk added an active blind-spot monitoring system, intersection assist, a surround-view camera, front parking sensors, automatic reverse braking, and a Night Vision system. The Grand Cherokee 4xe received a five-star overall rating from the NHTSA and a Top Safety Pick+ rating from the IIHS, though the latter did not specifically apply to the 4xe.

The 2024 Hyundai Venue featured Hyundai SmartSense, which included forward-collision warning with pedestrian detection, automatic emergency braking, lane-departure warning, lane-keep assist, a driver monitoring system, and a rear-seat reminder system. The Venue SEL added blind-spot monitoring with rear cross-traffic alert, and the Limited trim included cyclist detection. The Venue lacked adaptive cruise control and lane-centering assist. The IIHS gave the Venue Good ratings in three crash tests, while the NHTSA awarded it a four-star overall rating.