Hyundai Venue vs Kia Sonet: what owners and experts say

Rear seat space

Venue: Generally positiveSonet: Strongly negative

Venue: “This car is 20mm longer in the wheelbase than the previous car. It doesn't sound like a whole lot, but it really has worked wonders... plenty of space to tuck your entire feet under the front seat”

Sonet: “Like the Venue, this isn't a very spacious back seat... in fact if anything the seat base is slightly shorter, so under-thigh support is not quite as good as in the Venue.”

Dashboard layout

Venue: Strongly positiveSonet: Mixed reviews

Venue: “physical controls galore here on the centre console for the AC and the basic shortcut keys for the infotainment system are also hard keys and I absolutely love it”

Sonet: “Another thing that I wish they had changed with this update is getting rid of this instrument bezel, which is quite thick and it will fall in your line of sight.”

Ride comfort

Venue: Generally negativeSonet: Strongly negative

Venue: “it's still not completely sorted, and there are other compact SUVs that ride better than it. You feel a bit of movement, a little bit of bounce as you go over bumps or unruly surfaces.”

Sonet: “Suspension is the biggest concern. At low speed the suspension is a little stiff. So if you're driving somewhere at low speed, it will be a bit of a problem there.”

Highway overtaking

Sonet: Strongly positiveVenue: Strongly negative

Sonet: “Out here on the highway it's an absolute dream to drive... this engine is very refined and it has a nice strong surge of torque right from the mid-range which makes overtaking a doddle on the highway.”

Venue: “this car takes over 15 seconds to accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h... if you are an enthusiast and you love revving out this motor, you will be left yearning for more performance. Power delivery tapers down quite sharply beyond 5,000 RPM”

Fit & finish

Sonet: Strongly positiveVenue: Mixed reviews

Sonet: “It certainly looks nice and premium, build overall is also very good, all the buttons and switches have a nice reassuring click.”

Venue: “thode dino ke baad hi gaadi mein rattling noise aana shuru ho gayi thi... plastic quality thodi si weak hai... gaadi ke andar scratches waghera bahut zyada aa gaye hain”

Highway stability

Sonet: Strongly positiveVenue: Mixed reviews

Sonet: “Gaadi chipak ke chalti hai. If I am running on the expressway highway 120-130 pe bhi ja raha hoon to gaadi mein koi fark nahi pata lagega. Very smooth.”

Venue: “there is a bit more heft to the steering, at least at low speeds, but as soon as you pick up the pace, it disappears and becomes all loose in your hands once again, which is a little bit disappointing”

Seat comfort

Sonet: Strongly positiveVenue: Generally positive

Sonet: “Seats really nice and comfy, I like the perforation on the seats as well, and the driver's seat is powered and ventilated -- so it's really a good comfortable seat to be in.”

Venue: “The Venue's rear seat recline angle is quite good -- it has a one-step recline, and after driving 250km the rear passenger was basically lying down comfortably”

Which is better, the Venue or the Sonet?

Owners and experts rate the Venue better for rear seat space, dashboard layout and ride comfort, while the Sonet comes out ahead on highway overtaking, fit & finish and highway stability. Go for the Venue if rear seat space and dashboard layout matter most to you. Pick the Sonet if you care more about highway overtaking and fit & finish.

Which is cheaper, the Venue or the Sonet?

The Venue starts at ₹7.99 lakh and the Sonet at ₹7.4 lakh ex-showroom, so the Sonet is about ₹0.59 lakh cheaper to start with.

How did CarDhoondo compare the Venue and Sonet?

We went through 21 owner and expert video reviews of the two cars, tagged every statement by topic, such as mileage or rear seat space, and scored how positive it was. Nobody paid for this comparison and it is not sponsored.