Compare the2025 Nissan Kicks PlayVS 2025 Hyundai Venue

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Fuel Economy and Range
Brakes and Stopping
Tires and Wheels
Suspension and Handling
Passenger Space
Cargo Capacity
Ergonomics
Recommendations

Safety

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For enhanced safety, the front seat shoulder belts of the Nissan Kicks Play are height-adjustable to accommodate a wide variety of driver and passenger heights. A better fit can prevent injuries and the increased comfort also encourages passengers to buckle up. The Hyundai Venue doesn’t offer height-adjustable seat belts.

The Nissan Kicks Play has standard driver and front passenger side knee airbags mounted low on the dashboard. These airbags help prevent the driver and front passenger from sliding under their seatbelts or the main frontal airbags; this keeps them better positioned during a collision for maximum protection. Knee airbags also help keep the legs from striking the dashboard, preventing knee and leg injuries in the case of a serious frontal collision. The Venue doesn’t offer knee airbags.

Over 200 people are killed each year when backed over by motor vehicles. The Kicks Play has standard Rear Automatic Braking that use rear sensors to monitor for objects to the rear and automatically apply the brakes to prevent a collision. The Venue doesn’t offer backup collision prevention brakes.

The Kicks Play has a standard blind spot warning system that uses sensors to alert the driver to objects in the vehicle’s blind spots where the side view mirrors don’t reveal them. Only the Venue SEL/Limited offers a blind spot warning system.

To help make backing out of a parking space safer, the Kicks Play has standard Rear Cross Traffic Alert and Rear Automatic Braking automatically engages the brakes to help avoid a collision. Only the Venue SEL/Limited offers Rear Cross-Traffic Collision Warning and the Venue’s Rear Cross-Traffic Collision Warning does not include automatic braking.

Both the Kicks Play and the Venue have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, front wheel drive, plastic fuel tanks, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, lane departure warning systems, rearview cameras and available driver alert monitors.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does 35 MPH front crash tests on new vehicles. In this test, results indicate that the Nissan Kicks Play is safer than the Hyundai Venue:

	Kicks Play	Venue
	Driver
STARS	4 Stars	4 Stars
HIC	191	335
Neck Injury Risk	32%	32%
Neck Compression	27 lbs.	182 lbs.
Leg Forces (l/r)	343/312 lbs.	769/350 lbs.

New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does side impact tests on new vehicles. In this test, which crashes the vehicle into a flat barrier at 38.5 MPH and into a post at 20 MPH, results indicate that the Nissan Kicks Play is safer than the Hyundai Venue:

	Kicks Play	Venue
	Front Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	139	154
Chest Movement	.9 inches	1.1 inches
Abdominal Force	172 lbs.	215 lbs.
	Rear Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Spine Acceleration	47 G’s	82 G’s
Hip Force	517 lbs.	843 lbs.
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	218	343
Spine Acceleration	30 G’s	42 G’s
Hip Force	535 lbs.	790 lbs.

New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.

Warranty

There are over 25 percent more Nissan dealers than there are Hyundai dealers, which makes it easier should you ever need service under the Kicks Play’s warranty.

Reliability

To reliably power the ignition and other systems and to recharge the battery, the Kicks Play has a standard 120-amp alternator. The Venue’s 110-amp alternator isn’t as powerful.

To reliably start during all conditions and help handle large electrical loads, the Kicks Play has a standard 510-amp battery. The Venue’s 410-amp battery isn’t as powerful.

Fuel Economy and Range

On the EPA test cycle the Kicks Play gets better fuel mileage than the Venue (31 city/36 hwy vs. 29 city/32 hwy).

Brakes and Stopping

The Kicks Play SV/SR’s standard front and rear disc brakes are vented to help dissipate heat for shorter stops with less fading. The rear discs on the Venue SEL/Limited are solid, not vented.

The Kicks Play stops shorter than the Venue:

	Kicks Play	Venue
60 to 0 MPH	119 feet	125 feet	Motor Trend

Tires and Wheels

For better traction, the Kicks Play has larger tires than the Venue (205/60R16 vs. 185/65R15).

The Kicks Play’s tires provide better handling because they have a lower 60 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Venue’s standard 65 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the Kicks Play has standard 16-inch wheels. Smaller 15-inch wheels are standard on the Venue.

The Kicks Play has a standard easy tire fill system. When inflating the tires, the vehicle’s integrated tire pressure sensors keep track of the pressure as the tires fill and tell the driver when the tires are inflated to the proper pressure. The Venue doesn’t offer vehicle monitored tire inflation.

Suspension and Handling

The Kicks Play has vehicle speed sensitive variable-assist power steering, for low-effort parking, better control at highway speeds and during hard cornering, and a better feel of the road. The Venue doesn’t offer variable-assist power steering.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Kicks Play’s wheelbase is 3.9 inches longer than on the Venue (103.1 inches vs. 99.2 inches).

The Kicks Play handles at .82 G’s, while the Venue Limited pulls only .79 G’s of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.

Passenger Space

The Kicks Play has 1 inch more front headroom, 2.4 inches more front legroom and 5.6 inches more rear hip room than the Venue.

The front step up height for the Kicks Play is .5 inches lower than the Venue (15.5” vs. 16”). The Kicks Play’s rear step up height is 1.1 inches lower than the Venue’s (15.9” vs. 17”).

Cargo Capacity

The Kicks Play has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat up than the Venue with its rear seat up (25.3 vs. 18.7 cubic feet). The Kicks Play has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat folded than the Venue with its rear seat folded (32.3 vs. 31.9 cubic feet).

A low lift-over cargo hatch design makes loading and unloading the Kicks Play easier. The Kicks Play’s cargo hatch lift-over height is 27.6 inches, while the Venue’s liftover is 30 inches.

The Kicks Play’s cargo area is larger than the Venue’s in almost every dimension:

	Kicks Play	Venue
Length to seat (2nd/1st)	35.4”/64”	25.4”/57”
Max Width	49.7”	47.5”
Min Width	38.3”	42.5”
Height	31.6”	28”

Ergonomics

The Kicks Play’s front power windows open or close fully with one touch of the switches, making it more convenient at drive-up windows and toll booths, or when talking with someone outside the car. The Venue’s standard power window switches have to be held the entire time to close them fully. Only its driver’s window opens automatically.

The Kicks Play has a standard Intelligent Key that allows you to unlock the doors from either front door handle, unlock the cargo door, and start the engine, all without removing the key from the pocket or purse. Only the Venue SEL/Limited offers a Proximity Key with Push Button Start.

Consumer Reports rated the Kicks Play’s headlight performance “Good,” a higher rating than the Venue’s headlights, which were rated “Fair.”

Compared to the Hyundai Venue, the Nissan Kicks Play eliminates the need for separate garage door openers and associated risks of losing, breaking, or having dead batteries with its optional integrated Homelink® universal remote controlled from the rear view mirror.

Recommendations

Consumer Reports® recommends both the Nissan Kicks Play and the Hyundai Venue, based on reliability, safety and performance.

Motor Trend performed a comparison test in its June 2020 issue and they ranked the Nissan Kicks Play higher than the Hyundai Venue SEL.

The Nissan Kicks Play outsold the Hyundai Venue by over three to one during 2024.

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