The Kia Venga first appeared back in 2010 and for anyone wanting a no-frills small MPV it makes an option worth considering. Admittedly, the Kia Venga is starting to show its age a little, especially when it comes to the overall design but at the same time there is no denying its practicality. Boot space, and the ability to increase it massively by dropping the back seats makes it one of the best small car options out there if you're frequently in need of more space. This is boosted by affordability and lower running costs.
Alongside the fairly conventional styling, this mini-MPV car is reasonably low thrills when it comes to powertrain options, with a front-engine, front-wheel drive arrangement that can be had in 1.4-litre and 1.6-litre variants, with 1.4-litre and 1.6-litre diesel if you're keen to enjoy even more frugal running costs. Performance is acceptable and the ride quality isn't bad either, but its the practicality of the Kia Venga that stands out as its most appealing aspect.
If you're not on the hunt for lots of space, the Hyundai ix20, which appeared at around the same time so the too cars share similar roots, is perhaps the better option. It's got a better look and the interior and trim levels are more substantial. But if space is key to your used car search, other rivals vying for attention are the likes of the ever dependable Vauxhall Meriva or Ford B-Max, both of which are reasonably plentiful in the used marketplace.
If you're after a used car bargain then the Kia Venga will likely appear in your searches as they offer quite a lot of car for not a lot of money. The compromise here though is the car itself, and indeed the mini MPV format looks a little tired by today's standards. In fact, while the design certainly affords plenty of space on the inside, the exterior of the Kia Venga does look a little dated.
The obvious upside to the Kia Venga is its practicality though, so anyone wanting a family runaround that can handle everyday life will find it very useful indeed. A real bonus is the flexibility of the seating setup, which means it can become almost van-like in terms of storage space. Get one of the better trim levels and you'll start to see the everyday extras helping to make the Kia Venga feel a little more special.
On the economy side of things though it's best to stick to either of the diesels, especially if you plan on filling all of the interior space on a regular basis. Performance from any of the models is acceptable, but again it's the diesels that actually feel like the better bet to get you from A to B. Any way you look at it, the Kia Venga is a little primitive by modern standards, but head for a later car with the higher spec trim and you still get quite a lot of car for your money.
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A generous standard specification is almost a given when it comes to Kia cars, and the Venga is no different. As standard, all Venga models were fitted with front electric windows, USB and AUX inputs for the CD/radio system, audio controls mounted on the steering wheel and hill start assistance. The 1 Air trim adds air conditioning to the basic 1 model, and is the minimum specification that we would suggest looking at.
The best compromise of cost and equipment is the 2 model, which has alloy wheels, Bluetooth, reversing sensors, rear electric windows and an iPod connector - even if that tech is a bit old hat these days. The 3 trim adds a ton of other kit including a touchscreen with nav, but will likely cost a fair bit more than a 2 model.
You're not going to be bamboozled by engine options for the Kia Venga, with a simple, no-nonsense petrol or diesel choice revolving around 1.4-litre or 1.6-litre either way. Later models featured six-speed manual or automatic transmissions, while earlier editions kept things far simpler.
At best though, the Kia Venga isn't going to be fast, with a 0-60mph in 10.4 seconds being the best you can hope for from the 1.6-litre petrol followed by an okay 115mph top speed. It's all perfectly adequate for the sort of car this is mind.
Kia Venga 1.4-litre petrol: A simple format powertrain that delivers pretty good fuel consumption given the sizeable load-carrying format of the car itself. There's an official combined figure of 50mpg under the old NEDC rules, which in reality should be good for about 40mpg.
Kia Venga 1.6-litre petrol: Less great is the 1.6-litre petrol with a manual gearbox with a combined figure of around 44mpg, which drops into the 30s during shorter runs.
Kia Venga 1.4-litre/1.6-litre diesel: Either engine option makes sense if you're looking to squeeze better economy from your Kia Venga with official figures being around 64mpg, so real world results are still likely to be around the 50mpg mark.
Trim levels for the Kia Venga are, much like the whole package, pretty simple and it's therefore quick and easy to firm up a preferred model when you're searching the used car market.
Kia Venga Basic 1 trim: This includes everyday essentials including electric front windows along with USB and AUX inputs, although there's no air conditioning so if you like modern day amenities it's probably best to give this level a wide berth. There was a 1 Air trim that added air-con in, but it still lacked some basics.
Kia Venga 2 trim: This level and upwards are the ones to search out , as they feature a more comprehensive range of features including Bluetooth and reversing sensors.
Kia Venga 3 trim: Best of the trim level crop is the 3 edition, which delivers climate control, LED running lights and even half-leather trim. You also get heated front seats, a reversing camera and a 7-inch touchscreen system, which makes the car feel a little bit more special.
Kia Venga 4 trim: Latter day models also had the option of a 4 trim, which bumped the quality levels up a tad thanks to a panoramic sunroof, LED rear lights and a keyless entry/start. Minor premium touches included a heated steering wheel and auto-dimming rear view mirror.
The Kia Venga’s dimensions are:
Length: 4075mm
Width: 1765mm
Height: 1600mm
Ground clearance: 156mm
The Kia Venga’s boot size is:
440-litres
1486 litres with rear seats folded down
It's worth thinking about the road tax aspect of the Kia Veniga as no model was ever efficient enough to get it below the 100g/km CO2 mark. However, more efficient diesels, if registered before April 2017, qualify for a £30 per year annual rate road tax but this jumps up to £150 per year from April 2017 onwards. The 1.4-litre petrol versions cost £125 pre-April 2017 and £150 afterwards, while the 1.6-litre rises from £150 to £165 or £205 if fitted with the automatic transmission.
Cheapest to insure is the 1.4-litre Venga 1, which falls into group 7, but move up to a 2 or 3 specification car with the same engine and this goes up to group 9. Meanwhile, the 1.4-litre diesel is in group 10 or 11 depending on specification you choose but it's the high end of the scale where the 1.6-litre petrol and diesel options sit that are most expensive. For example, the 1.6-litre diesel in 3 spec falls into group 15, which is a whole eight groups higher than the 1.4-litre petrol Venga 1.