2021 Toyota Venza: Midsize SUV revival features standard hybrid AWD
Cars
Fans have practical SUVs rejoice.
After a five year absence.
The Toyota Venza is back and we've got your first look at the new two row midsize crossover today.
The completely new 2021 Venza has a new look with a much more upright athletic shape than the previous generation The new proportions and details look a bit like a slightly softer take on the Lexus RX is sharp angled profile which makes sense as the two are similarly sized and both based on Toyota's car platform which will also find under all All of the automakers midsize offerings from the Camry to the Highlander.
At the front end, the Venza leads with a slightly upturned nose and a massively wide grill.
That's reminding me a bit of the handsomely stout second generation Toyota MRI.
The new look will take some getting used to especially in pictures and videos, but like the MRI, I have a hunch that this look flows a lot better in person.
This go around the Venza is a hybrid only affair with just a single power train.
Pop the hood and you'll find Toyota's 2.5 liter hybrid synergy drive for banger, which matches two electric motor generators, with the combustion engine on the front axle, and a third a motor on the rear axle providing on demand all wheel drive.
This appears to be the same power train you'll find in the current Highlander hybrid.
But retuned for a little less power and a little more efficiency at 219 ponies versus 243 that should be fine.
This is of course a smaller and presumably lighter vehicle, and the advantage isn't expected 40 miles per gallon combined when this thing eventually reaches the EPA about five more than the High lander.
Inside there are a plethora of screens ahead of the driver is up to a seven inch instrument cluster display between analog Speedo and hybrid gauges and an available 10 inch color head up display.
centered on the dash is either an eight inch standard or optional 12.3 inch touchscreen with navigation and Toyotas latest generation infotainment Now I'm not a big fan of the tablet on the dashboard look or the hourglass shape that this one makes with the physical controls below.
But I'm willing to reserve judgment until I can actually use it out on the road.
Let us know in the comments below what you think.
New look inside and out.
Android Auto, Apple CarPlay, and Amazon Alexa integrations are standard, giving drivers a range a options for on-screen and voice commanded control of their tech inside and out of the car.
Also available are a digital review camera mirror, like the ones we've seen on various GM vehicles and what Toyota calls the Stargaze roof.
Fixed panoramic moonroof with electrochromic glass that goes from tinted to clear with the touch of a button.
This is a feature that we've previously only really seen on luxury vehicles.
Like most new Toyota vehicles of this generation, the family friendly Venza will also boast Toyota Safety Sense 2.0 Which roles in automatic pre-collision braking, full speed radar cruise control, lane departure alerts with lane tracing steering assist and automatic high beams.
Now lasting only seven years in a single generation after its 2008 launch, the original target event that was short lived.
But looking at the SUV heavy roads of America today, some might say it was ahead of its time so it's nice to see the nameplate getting a second shot.
The 2021 Toyota Venza will slot into Toyotas SUV lineup below the Highlander and above the rav4 well it will compete with the likes of Honda's passport.
Chevrolet's new blazer for its edge and Nissan's Murano.
That list is conspicuously devoid of any other hybrid.
So the reborn Vince's should at the very least claim the efficiency advantage and its class when it arrived in Toyota dealerships this summer.
