2024 Hyundai Venue vs 2025 Toyota Sequoia

In Canada, the 2024 Hyundai Venue was available in Essential, Preferred, and Ultimate trim levels, with prices ranging from $23,581 to $28,081, including the destination charge. The Venue Preferred, priced at $25,581, was recommended for its enhanced exterior appeal and added convenience and safety features. Our test vehicle, equivalent to the U.S. Ultimate trim, featured Ecotronic Grey paint, bringing the MSRP to $28,331. While the grey colour lent a mature and subdued appearance, the Venue's design was generally appealing, offering a sense of genuine style uncommon in affordable cars. Inside, the Venue's interior, despite its hard plastic, did not appear cheap. Unexpected style elements included seat stripes and piping, and white trim around the dashboard air vents and transmission shifter. The digital instrumentation and 8-inch touchscreen infotainment display were highlights, with controls exhibiting typical Hyundai quality.

The 2025 Toyota Sequoia, specifically the U.S.-only 1794 Edition, was equivalent to the Canadian Platinum trim but featured unique elements like dark grey painted 20-inch wheels and less exterior chrome. In Canada, the Sequoia lineup included the SR5 TRD Off-road, Limited, Platinum, and Capstone trims, with prices ranging from $87,174 to $106,175. Our test vehicle, dipped in Lunar Rock paint, garnered attention despite the Sequoia's established presence. The cabin, apart from the leather upholstery, was covered in typical Toyota-grade plastic, which was not a compliment. The Sequoia's design, while cool, was not without its drawbacks, particularly in terms of interior material quality.

The 2024 Hyundai Venue was equipped with a 1.6-litre four-cylinder engine producing 121 horsepower and 113 pound-feet of torque. Despite its modest power, the Venue's lightweight, ranging from 1,200 to 1,250 kilograms, and its continuously variable transmission (CVT) allowed it to perform adequately in urban settings. The Venue excelled in cities and suburbs, offering nimble handling and excellent visibility. However, its suspension, featuring MacPherson strut front and torsion-beam rear axle, struggled on rough pavement, resulting in a busy ride quality. On highways, the Venue could maintain pace but sounded unpleasant under hard acceleration. The Venue lacked all-wheel-drive, with power directed to the front wheels, but its 17 centimetres of ground clearance aided in snowy conditions. Fuel economy was rated at 7.5 litres per 100 kilometres, but our testing loop averaged 7.8 L/100 km.

The 2025 Toyota Sequoia came standard with an i-Force Max hybrid powertrain, combining a twin-turbocharged 3.4-litre V6 engine, an electric motor, and a 10-speed automatic transmission. This setup delivered 437 horsepower and 583 pound-feet of torque. Despite its 2,790-kilogram weight, the Sequoia's drivetrain provided quick acceleration and a satisfying engine note. However, fuel economy was disappointing, with a tested average of 14.5 L/100 km compared to the expected 11.7 L/100 km. The Sequoia excelled in towing, with a maximum capacity of 4,137 kilograms and a peak payload of 640 kilograms. However, its packaging and driving dynamics were compromised by the rear-mounted battery pack and solid rear axle, affecting ride quality and interior space. Ground clearance was 22.1 centimetres, but the front air dam limited off-road capability.

The 2024 Hyundai Venue's increased ground clearance facilitated easier entry and exit. Despite its small size, the Venue offered decent comfort, with manual height adjustment for the driver's seat and tilt-and-telescopic steering wheel adjustment. The front seats featured appealing fabric inserts and heated cushions. The back seat technically accommodated three people, but two would be more comfortable. Storage space was limited, and there were no rear air conditioning vents. Cargo room was 528 litres, expanding to 902 litres with the back seat folded.

The 2025 Toyota Sequoia could carry up to eight people, though seven or six would be more comfortable. The Platinum and Capstone trims featured 10-way power adjustable seats with heating, ventilation, and massage. Access to the second and third rows was facilitated by long rear doors, though they were cumbersome in tight spaces. The third row offered limited headroom and was awkward for adults to access. With the third row in use, cargo space was 325 litres, expanding to 1,387 litres with the third row folded and 2,460 litres with both rows down. These figures were less than rival full-size SUVs.

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, and a six-speaker sound system. However, the Venue's youthful target audience might have appreciated better stereo speakers.

The 2025 Toyota Sequoia was equipped with a 12.3-inch digital instrumentation panel and a 14-inch touchscreen infotainment system. Four connected services plans were available, with trial subscriptions ranging from three to ten years. The Toyota Audio Multimedia system offered features like cloud-based navigation and remote engine starting, but many required active subscriptions. Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto were standard, and a 14-speaker JBL premium sound system was available on higher trims. The system's natural voice recognition was reasonably capable but had limitations.

The 2024 Hyundai Venue came with standard forward-collision warning, automatic emergency braking, lane-keep assist, and a driver monitoring system. The Venue Preferred added blind-spot monitoring and rear cross-traffic alert. The Venue received Good ratings in three IIHS crash tests and an Acceptable rating for its LED headlights. The NHTSA gave it an overall rating of four stars.

The 2025 Toyota Sequoia featured Toyota Safety Sense 2.5, including adaptive cruise control, forward collision warning, automatic emergency braking, lane departure warning, lane keep assist, lane-centring assist, and automatic high-beam headlights. Blind-spot monitoring and rear cross-traffic alert were also standard. The lane assist features were sometimes aggravating, causing false warnings. At the time of publication, crash-test ratings were not available for the Sequoia.