Hyundai’s SUV and crossover family welcomes their smallest and most affordable member.

The all-new, 2020 Hyundai Venue is a new entry-level SUV for the masses. Designed to appeal to millennials, it is the smallest and most affordable utility vehicle offered by Hyundai.

The Venue is actually five-inches shorter than the Kona, but a taller, more upright profile makes it appear bigger and even more substantial.

Exterior design is in line with Hyundai’s latest SUV design language, with highlights including the brand’s cascading grille and squarish headlights placed below razor-thin daytime running lights and turn signals.

Inside, the 2020 Venue gets an 8-inch Display Audio touchscreen system with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility and rearview monitor. Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant connectivity are also available.

Power comes from a 1.6-liter four-cylinder engine that can be mated to either a six-speed manual transmission or Intelligent Variable Transmission (IVT) automatic, delivering fuel economy of up to 33 mpg combined.

Despite its small size, the crossover can be had with many of Hyundai’s latest safety technologies including forward collision assist, automatic emergency braking, lane-keeping assist, rear cross-traffic warning, driver attention warning, and blind-spot detection.

The Hyundai Venue appears to have the substance to go with its spunk. Sales begin in the forth quarter of 2019.

Lincoln has unveiled the all-new, 2020 Lincoln Corsair, the replacement for the MKC.

As the company’s contender in the crowded compact luxury crossover segment, the Corsair is a lot more stylish and sophisticated than the MKC, borrowing many styling cues from the new Nautilus, Aviator, and Navigator. I fact, I would go as far as to call it a baby Aviator.

The Corsair has an attractive exterior, but it’s the interior that makes the biggest statement. It comes standard with an 8.0-inch touchscreen, Wi-Fi across all trims and phone-as-key technology that allows owners to keep their key at home and use their smartphone instead, while an optional 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster and wireless charging adds more functionality. Exotic leather colors and shapely wooden inserts lend greatly to its classy atmosphere.

The options list also includes 24-way adjustable seats with massage and ambient lighting, a massive panoramic glass roof, and 14-speaker Revel audio system

At launch, the new Corsair will give buyers two engine options. There is a 2.0-liter four-cylinder unit that produces 250 horsepower and 275 pound-feet of torque and an optional, slightly more powerful 2.3-liter four-cylinder engine rated at 280 hp and 310 lb-ft. A plug-in hybrid model will join the lineup later on.

All Corsair models get Lincoln’s basic suite of safety features, which includes automatic high beams, automatic emergency braking with pedestrian detection, blind-spot monitoring, and lane-keep assist. Adaptive cruise control, lane-keep assist, reverse brake assist, and automatic park assist are optional.

Sales of the new, 2020 Lincoln Corsair begin in fall 2019. Did Lincoln do a good job?

Ford has completely “reinvented” it’s best-selling crossover.

The all-new, 2020 Ford Escape debuts with a sportier design, two new hybrid powertrain options and a long list of new tech features.

Compered to the previous model, the new Escape has a smoother, more car-like look that Ford says was inspired by high-profile sports cars. Highlights include a trapezoidal grille like the one on the Mustang, a slopping roofline and a lower front fascia that supposedly takes some styling cues from the Ford GT.

Overall, the new Ford Escape is lower, wider and longer than its predecessor, offering more interior space as a result. In fact, Ford claims significantly improved rear legroom and up to 37.5 cubic feet (1,062 liters) of cargo space when the rear seats are up, an improvement of 3.5 cubic feet (28 liters). The second-row seats can slide front to back to maximize legroom or cargo space.

Considering that the new Escape is essentially a more utilitarian Ford Focus, it has nearly the same interior design and layout as Ford’s hatchback. The optional list of tech features now includes a head-up display and new 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster.

Engineers worked hard to make it more aerodynamic. Thanks to the use of more high-strength, lightweight steel, it is also more than than 200 pounds lighter.

Buyers will be able to choose from two EcoBoost engines and two new hybrid powertrains. The base engine is a 1.5L EcoBoost that produces 180 horsepower and 177 lb-ft. of torque, while more power can be had with a 2.0L EcoBoost four-cylinder engine rated at 250 horsepower and 275 lb-ft. of torque. Both powerplants are paired with an eight-speed automatic that drives the front wheels as standard, although all-wheel drive is an option.

Those looking for efficiency above all else can opt for a hybrid 2.5-liter four-cylinder that runs on the Atkinson cycle and generates 198 hp (148 kW). A continuously variable transmission. drives the front-wheel drive as standard, but all-wheel drive is available.

Ford will also offers a plugin hybrid version of the new Escape. It can be recharged in 3.5 hours using a 240-volt charger and is estimated to have best-in-class range of at least 30 miles (48 kilometers) on electric power.

Active Park Assist 2.0 and Evasive Steering Assist join the list of driver-assist technologies. Active Park Assist 2.0 system allows the Escape to automatically park in a parallel or perpendicular spot with little assistance from the driver, while Evasive Steering Assist helps avoid an imminent collision by detecting a slower-moving or stationary vehicle ahead and providing steering support to assist the driver.

The all-new, 2020 Ford Escape goes on sale in fall 2019, with the plug-in hybrid arriving in spring 2020. Are you happy with how it turned out?

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