Venue

Make
Hyundai
Segment
SUV

It didn't take long after Hyundai unveiled its new Venue crossover for reports to begin surfacing of a sportier version in the works. Now we have a pretty good idea of what that performance-oriented subcompact crossover will probably look like.

Rendered by the prolific automotive artist Nikita Aksyonov, these images seek to apply the N treatment to the Venue, giving it a decidedly more aggressive look. And as much as we may lament the demise of the hot hatch in favor of these taller vehicles, we have to admit we like what we see.

Revealed at the 2019 New York Auto Show not even two weeks ago, the Venue is the smallest crossover Hyundai has offered yet in the North American market. Smaller than the Kona, the Venue is about the size of a Ford EcoSport, but wears decidedly boxier bodywork.

You might not think, then, that it'd translate well to a performance variant, but looking at these renderings, we're inclined to disagree. The lightweight-looking alloys fill the wheel wells nicely, and the ground effects with red accents add a welcome dose of performance-oriented aggression to the design.

At present, we're expecting Hyundai to give the Venue a lighter N-Line treatment (like it has to the Elantra and Tucson) rather than full-on N upgrades (like it offers on the Veloster). That means the enhancements will likely revolve mostly around aesthetic upgrades and a sportier suspension, stopping short of massaging the engine (or dropping something altogether more powerful under the hood). But a more potent version could yet follow. Either way, we can anticipate the sportier take on the subcompact crossover to look something along these lines, however much muscle it may or may not pack.