Hyundai SUV Size Comparison

2026 hyundai venue 

TL;DR:

  • The Venue and Kona are ideal for city commuters who want practicality but in a smaller package.
  • Families needing more space should consider the Santa Fe or Palisade, which comes with generous spacing.
  • Buyers looking for truck utility without sacrificing SUV comfort will enjoy the Santa Cruz.

When it's time to get your next Hyundai SUV, there's no such thing as one size fits all, as buyers all have different needs.

This Hyundai SUV size comparison will help you learn all about the different sizes of Hyundai SUVs available now at Hyundai of Saco.

What Are the Hyundai SUV Models by Size?

Let's take a walk through the Hyundai SUV family, starting with the smallest and making our way to the largest SUV Hyundai now offers.

The smallest of Hyundai's SUV lineup is the subcompact Venue and Kona. Next up are their compact SUVs, the Tucson and its hybrid sibling, the Tucson Hybrid.

Hyundai's Santa Cruz crossover truck is effectively competing in this compact SUV segment and the compact truck space, sharing much of the Tucson's underpinnings.

Hyundai's competitors in the mid-size segment are the Santa Fe and the Santa Fe Hybrid, and Hyundai has thrown its hat into the full-sized SUV ring with the Palisade and Palisade Hybrid models.

Subcompact SUVs

We take a closer look at what each Hyundai SUV model offers in our Hyundai SUV size comparison.

Venue: The Urban Explorer

As Hyundai's smallest and most affordable crossover SUV, the subcompact Hyundai Venue is a great choice for buyers looking for a quality, purpose-built urban commuter.

Even in America, the world's largest consumer market, there's a place for a small vehicle when there's heavy urban traffic, cramped parking lots, and tight budgets. In keeping with its primary role as an urban explorer, the U.S.-market Hyundai Venue is powered exclusively by a 1.6-liter Smartstream naturally aspirated four-cylinder engine that produces 121 horsepower. More than adequate for its intended role and offering commendable fuel economy ratings.

The Venue is a solid choice for first-time car buyers seeking the elevated ride height of an SUV without breaking the bank, and the Venue's talents don't stop at the urban jungle. This little SUV can also meet the weekend adventure travel needs of small families.

2026 hyundai kona 

Kona: The Premium Subcompact

While the Venue successfully caters to those shopping on the budget end of the subcompact SUV affordability scale, the Kona goes about things a little differently.

The pricier Hyundai Kona is a stylish city slicker in the shape of a subcompact crossover SUV.

Effectively slotting in between the smaller Venue and the Tucson, the Kona is all about style, designed for city driving and weekend adventures powered by two main gasoline engine options, a standard 2.0-liter 4-cylinder making 147 horsepower for base trims and a rather punchy 1.6-liter turbocharged 4-cylinder good for 190 horsepower found in the upper trim levels, plus an electric EV variant.

Whereas the Venue impresses with its simplicity of design, reflected in its affordable price tag, the Kona's stunningly modern and bold design, loaded with top-tier goodies like HTRAC All-Wheel Drive and Remote Smart Parking Assist, makes it the stylish, ready-for-anything road companion buyers have been looking for.

Compact SUVs

Let's continue this Hyundai SUV size comparison with the compact variety. Any SUV manufacturer worth their salt should be competing in the compact crossover SUV segment. This market segment is by far the largest SUV segment in the USA by sales volume, and Hyundai is a past master at mixing it up in this space.

Hyundai's Tucson is the brand's best seller in the USA and a consistent heavy hitter, thanks to its excellent value proposition that undercuts many rivals and its standout modern styling, features, and technologies, not to mention Hyundai's "America's Best Warranty," which offers buyers complete peace of mind.

Tucson: The Versatile Everyday SUV

Manufactured right here in the USA, the popular Tucson is touted as the modern adventure SUV.

The Hyundai Tucson is all about the adventure of everyday life, seamlessly going from an everyday urban commuter to a weekend adventure without missing a beat.

Featuring modern, bold styling and powered by an 187-horsepower 2.5-liter inline-four gasoline engine, the Tucson is available with HTRAC AWD, and, feature for feature, the latest Hyundai Tucson is hard to beat.

Tucson Hybrid: Compact and Fuel Efficient

The Tucson Hybrid shares the same chassis, exterior dimensions, and interior cabin features as the gasoline-powered models, with the only differences being under the hood.

The Hybrid-powered version of the compact Hyundai Tucson adds a more powerful, robust hybrid engine: a 1.6-liter turbocharged inline-four gasoline engine paired with a 47.7 kW electric motor and a 1.49 kWh lithium-ion battery, delivering a total output of 232 horsepower and adding excellent fuel economy to the Tucson's already impressive credentials.

Mid-Size SUVs

Up next, our Hyundai SUV size comparison dives into mid-size options. Like the compact SUV segment, the U.S. mid-size SUV segment is fiercely competitive, with most of the action going to three-row, family-focused crossovers.

Models competing in this segment prioritize passenger comfort, cargo space, advanced safety, and all-around utility over truck-like off-road capabilities.

Santa Fe: The Spacious Family SUV

The refined Santa Fe three-row SUV is a modern mid-sized model that Hyundai has equipped to tackle everyday commutes and holiday adventures in style.

The latest Santa Fe's rugged, boxy styling, passenger and load-carrying capacity, and reliability make it a top choice for larger families needing more than five seating spots in their SUV.

The Santa Fe features modern exterior styling and a spacious, sophisticated luxury interior, whisked along by a 2.5-liter turbocharged four-cylinder gasoline engine producing 277 horsepower, paired with a traditional multi-speed automatic transmission and either front-wheel drive or HTRAC all-wheel drive, allowing for some off-road adventures.

Santa Fe Hybrid: Eco-Friendly Family Option

The Santa Fe Hybrid is a top choice for buyers seeking significantly improved fuel economy.

The Hybrid model adds a 1.6-liter turbocharged inline four-cylinder engine paired with a 44.2-60 kW electric motor to the outstanding Santa Fe, producing a combined 231 horsepower and delivering a fuel economy rating of approximately 36-37 mpg.

The Crossover Truck

Hyundai markets the Santa Cruz truck as a "Sport Adventure Vehicle" that parts ways with traditional pickup trucks by being based on an SUV, in this case, the Tucson.

The Santa Cruz successfully combines the Tucson SUV's passenger comfort with the utility of a traditional open truck bed.

Santa Cruz: SUV-Based Sport Adventure Vehicle

We continue this Hyundai SUV size comparison with Santa Cruz. The Santa Cruz shares much of its platform and powertrain with the Tucson compact SUV, offering similar city-friendly driving and parking maneuverability, along with the Tucson's versatile dimensions.

Available in a four-door crew cab configuration, the Santa Cruz offers competitive passenger space for both front and rear passengers when compared to similarly sized rival pickup trucks.

Full-Size & Three-Row SUVs

The Palisade may not be quite as large as behemoths like the Cadillac Escalade. However, it still offers plenty of passenger and cargo space, all in a sophisticated, premium, upscale, and highly capable package.

Palisade: The Flagship Gas-Powered SUV

Hyundai's Palisade is its largest and flagship SUV, featuring three-row space, generous cargo capacity, modern tech, a strong V6 with 287 horsepower for towing, and top safety ratings.

Palisade Hybrid: Large SUV with Great MPG

The Hyundai Palisade Hybrid SUV offers buyers the bold redesign of the gas Palisade, with a luxurious interior, spacious, family-oriented design, generous cargo space, and plenty of seating across its three rows.

The Palisade is now available for larger families to get away on holiday in fuel-efficient comfort, with 329 horsepower and an impressive EPA-estimated range of 619 miles.

Side-by-Side: Key Dimensions at a Glance

Our easy-to-read comparative tables give you all the key dimensions at a glance in inches and cubic feet, respectively.

Exterior Dimensions Compared (Length, Width, Height)


Venue

Kona

Tucson / Tucson Hybrid

Santa Fe / Santa Fe Hybrid

Santa Cruz

Palisade/ Palisade Hybrid

Length

159

171.3

182.7

190.2

195.7

200.4

Width

69.7

71.9

73.4

74.8

75.0

78

Height

61.6

63.6

66.3

69.7

66.7

69.5

Interior Space: Headroom and Legroom by Row


Venue

Kona

Tucson / Tucson Hybrid

Santa Fe / Santa Fe Hybrid

Santa Cruz

Palisade/ Palisade Hybrid

First Row Headroom/ Legroom

39.4 / 41.3

39.9 / 41.7

40.1 / 41.4

41.1 / 44.4

40.2 / 41.4

41.5 / 44.2

Second Row Headroom/Legroom

38.6 / 34.3

38.3 / 38.2

39.5 / 41.3

40.6 / 42.3

39.6 / 36.5

40.7 / 43.0

Third Row Headroom/Legroom




37.7 / 30.0


37.8 / 32.1

Cargo Capacity: Behind Each Row


Venue

Kona

Tucson / Tucson Hybrid

Santa Fe / Santa Fe Hybrid

Santa Cruz * Cargo Bed

Palisade/ Palisade Hybrid

First Row

31.9

63.7

80.3

79.6


86.7

Second Row

18.7

25.5

41.2

40.5


46.3

Third Row




14.6

*27.0

19.1

 

2025 hyundai venue vs hyundai kona 

Seating Configurations

Versatility is found in Hyundai's SUV family thanks to configurable seating options.

Two-Row Models (5-Passenger)

The Venue, Kona, Tucson, Tucson Hybrid, and Santa Cruz all offer seating for up to five passengers in two-seat rows.

Three-Row Models (7-8 Passenger)

Buyers needing more seating for larger families will appreciate the third-row seat in the Santa Fe and Palisade models.

The Santa Fe offers up to seven passengers on most trims, while opting for the second-row captain's chairs reduces the passenger count to six.

The Palisade seats eight passengers and seven when fitted with the available second-row captain's chairs.

Get Your Hyundai at Hyundai of Saco

Buying your next Hyundai from Hyundai of Saco in Saco, ME, means you get amazing service. Our Hyundai SUV size comparison makes it easy to choose the right option for you and your family.

Whether it's new car sales or used vehicles our customers will find all they need at Hyundai of Saco in Saco, ME.