Hyundai announces name of new entry-level crossover…

By: CAR magazine

Hyundai has announced its upcoming new entry-level crossover will be badged as the “Venue”, confirming the vehicle will be unveiled at the New York International Auto Show in April.

Known internally at the Korean automaker as the “QXi”, earlier rumours suggested the baby crossover would be called the “Styx”. But a fresh press release from Hyundai confirms the Venue badge will be used.

So, what’s the thinking behind the moniker? Well, the automaker typically names its SUVs after a city or place (think Kona, Tucson and Santa Fe, for example), but has strayed slightly from that strategy, with the new badge referencing a “place where people want to be seen” and symbolising a “trendy, unique style”.

The Venue is expected to slot into Hyundai’s burgeoning crossover range below the Creta and Kona, with the SA-spec version likely to be imported from India.

In February 2019, SangYup Lee, head of the Hyundai Global Design Centre in Namyang, told MotorTrend the new model would be “smaller” and “distinctively different than Kona”. Lee added the new crossover featured a “very, very distinctive two-box area”.

“So imagine Kona as a really fast profile, distinctive, iconic character to it, but this one is almost very boxy, bold, bull-doggy character,” he told the US-based publication at the time.

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