Kia

Venga

Combining a perfect blend of economy and performance, the Kia Venga supermini also boasts the flexibility of a much larger car. And there’s plenty of specifications to choose from too.

Test Drive

Kia Venga 1.4 petrol SR7

The Kia name has become synonymous with reliability, style, quality and value for money and anyone who should doubt that theory needs to check out the stylish, practical and very economical Venga model.

While the likes of the Sorento and Sportage grabbing the headlines, the Kia line-up is packed with smaller models to suit all budgets and requirements.

The Venga is a five-door hatchback with practicality written all over it thanks to its tall stance which makes life in the back seats all the more agreeable.

First impressions are vital and the Venga looks great from any angle thanks to its 16-inch alloys, rear spoiler, privacy glass (rear windows and tailgate), black high gloss radiator grille, body-coloured door mirrors, handles and bumpers, rear fog lights and smart sweeping light clusters.

The interior is simplistic in its layout, but there are plenty of techno treats to be explored such as a six-speaker sound system with CD player/radio and MP3 compatibility, Bluetooth with music streaming, air conditioning, reversing sensors and plenty more besides.

There is a truly modern feel to the cabin with red contrast stitching on the cloth seats and on the leather steering wheel and gear knob surround.

All the controls are neatly housed in a driver-focused central stack and all dials and instrumentation is clear and very simple to operate so eliminating driver distractions.

The Venga is a very practical vehicle and the boot is a perfect example of versatility at its finest with an under-floor storage area with compartment trays and nets to keep items safely secured and elsewhere there are plenty of handy storage options scattered throughout the cabin including a split-level glove-box.

And when extra storage space is required the 60:40 split-folding rear seats can quickly be folded flat to increase capacity.

The test car was powered by a 1.4-litre 89bhp petrol engine and whilst it’s not the fastest kid out of the starting blocks it can reach 60mph from a standing start in 12.5 seconds with a top speed of 103mph. Combined fuel economy is 50.4mpg with carbon emissions of 130g/km.

The five-speed manual gearbox is beautifully smooth and the driver benefits from excellent all-round visibility.

This is a major plus factor as the Venga will regularly be used for the congested school run with cars and children darting out from all angles.

In and around town it coped easily with the busy traffic and there was always enough power and oomph to feel assured on faster-moving motorways too.

There is a little engine noise when the car is pushed particularly hard, but when driven with a lighter right boot that sound diminishes considerably.

The Venga is kitted out with a comprehensive list of safety specifications, such as anti-lock brakes with brake assist, electronic stability control, hill-start assist control, emergency stop signalling, intelligent stop and go, gear shift indicator, an engine immobiliser and numerous airbags.

All in all, the Kia Venga may not be the most all-singing, all-dancing MPV on offer, but it is a very good all-rounder with great spec, impressive performance capabilities and a very attractive on-the-road price-tag of £13,595.

Plus is comes complete with Kia’s incredible fully-transferable seven-year, 100-000-mile warranty package.

Test Drive

Kia Venga 1.4 CRDi 3 EcoDynamics 89bhp

The Kia Venga can simply be described as the TARDIS on wheels.

And that’s because despite its somewhat compact appearance on the outside, the interior is deceptively spacious with ample room for five adults to travel in comfort – four in absolute style.

And when you consider the economical Venga 3 EcoDynamics model can offer combined fuel economy of 65.7mpg and has a very reasonable asking price of £15.3k, it’s easy to see why this vehicle is attracting plenty of attention.

The Venga may not exactly be the most gorgeous streamlined model you’ll ever set eyes on but that’s due to its practicality.

The high roof line means extra head room for back seat passengers who also benefit from seats that can slide and a very light and spacious cabin environment.

But don’t get me wrong, the Venga has plenty of attractive plus points.

For example, there are tinted windows, smart 16-inch alloys, rear spoiler, neat light clusters, front fog lights and a massive double panoramic sunroof.

And there is plenty of on-board technology too with a smart central stack housing the automatic air conditioning and audio controls with USB, iPod and AUX connections underneath.

The Venga features a somewhat simplistic but stylish interior layout which means everything is clearly marked and perfectly positioned for driver usability and the black dashboard with flashes of brushed aluminium makes for a nice mix.

The generously sized boot has additional under-floor storage and there is the option of 60:40 split folding rear seats if capacity needs to be increased further.

Elsewhere, there are plenty of smaller storage compartments including what seemed like an abundance of cup holders.

The driver has quite a high seated position which is good for all-round visibility.

Although I did find there was quite a lot of windscreen glare and the windscreen pillars were a bit thick too.

Acceleration through the six-speed manual transmission was smooth and there was a plenty of power delivered by the 1.4-litre, diesel-driven engine.

There is an Eco gear shift indicator which informs the driver of the best time to change gears and therefore gain maximum fuel efficiency.

The Venga’s road holding was impressive even in wetter driving conditions and although there was a little engine and road-surface noise, it was not that unbearable.

Kia has fitted a very comprehensive list of safety features to the Venga, including anti-lock brakes, electronic brakeforce distribution, electronic stability control, traction control with brake assist, hill assist control, numerous airbags and plenty more besides.

All in all, the Kia Venga is an impressive all-rounder with plenty of positive points.