The Toyota Venza is a five-passenger

mid-size crossover SUV Mid-size crossover SUV is an automobile classification used mainly in North America to describe a segment of crossover SUV, a type of sport utility vehicle, between compact crossover SUV and full-size crossover SUV. A mid-size crossover SU ...

manufactured and marketed by

Toyota is a Japanese multinational automotive manufacturer headquartered in Toyota City, Aichi, Japan. It was founded by Kiichiro Toyoda and incorporated on . Toyota is one of the largest automobile manufacturers in the world, producing about 10 ...

primarily for the North American market. The first-generation model was based on the XV40 series Camry platform and sold between 2008 and 2017. It also shared the platform with the AL10 series Lexus RX. The second-generation model is a

rebadge In the automotive industry, rebadging is a form of market segmentation used by automobile manufacturers around the world. To allow for product differentiation without designing or engineering a new model or brand (at high cost or risk), a man ...

d Japanese-market XU80 series Harrier and has been sold since September 2020. The name "Venza" is a

portmanteau A portmanteau word, or portmanteau (, ) is a blend of wordsMonza". __TOC__

First generation (AV10; 2008)

The first-generation Venza was unveiled at the 2008 North American International Auto Show in

Detroit Detroit ( , ; , ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is also the largest U.S. city on the United States–Canada border, and the seat of government of Wayne County. The City of Detroit had a population of 639,111 at t ...

. It was designed at the Calty Design studios in Newport Beach, California, based on the FT-SX concept car and primarily engineered at Toyota Technical Center in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Venza's production began at

Toyota Motor Manufacturing Kentucky Toyota Motor Manufacturing Kentucky (TMMK) is an automobile manufacturing factory in Georgetown, Kentucky, United States. It is a subsidiary of Toyota Motor North America, itself a subsidiary of Toyota Motor Corporation of Japan. The plant assem ...

(TMMK) in

Georgetown, Kentucky Georgetown is a home rule-class city in Scott County, Kentucky, United States. The population was 37,086 at the 2020 census. It is the 6th-largest city by population in the U.S. state of Kentucky. It is the seat of its county. It was original ...

in November 2008. The 2.7 L model was launched in February 2009. The first-generation Venza is based on the XV40 series Camry chassis ( K platform) and is similar to the Mark X ZiO in concept. It was powered by either a 2.7 L '' 1AR-FE'' four-cylinder engine or a 3.5 L '' 2GR-FE'' V6 engine, both mated to a 6-speed automatic transmission.

Front-wheel drive Front-wheel drive (FWD) is a form of engine and transmission layout used in motor vehicles, where the engine drives the front wheels only. Most modern front-wheel drive vehicles feature a transverse engine, rather than the conventional longitu ...

and

all-wheel drive An all-wheel drive vehicle (AWD vehicle) is one with a powertrain capable of providing power to all its wheels, whether full-time or on-demand. The most common forms of all-wheel drive are: ;1x1 : All unicycles Reflecting one axle with one w ...

were available as options. The

US Environmental Protection Agency The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is an independent executive agency of the United States federal government tasked with environmental protection matters. President Richard Nixon proposed the establishment of EPA on July 9, 1970; it be ...

estimated fuel economy of in the city and in the highway with the 2.7 L engine.

Features

The Venza had a single trim level, with numerous packages and options. Standard features include fog lamps, 19-inch alloy wheels (2.7 L), 20-inch alloy wheels (3.5 L), HomeLink, XM satellite radio, 6-disc CD changer, dual-zone climate control, electrochromic auto-dimming rear-view mirror, 8-way power drivers seat, steering-wheel mounted audio controls, Hill-Start assist control and the Toyota Star Safety System. Options include automatic high beams with HID lighting, heated side view mirrors, power liftgate, leather seat surfaces, 4-way power passenger seat, panoramic glass moonroof,

smart key A smart key is an electronic access and authorization system that is available either as standard equipment, or as an option in several car designs. It was first developed by Siemens in 1995 and introduced by Mercedes-Benz under the name "Keyless- ...

system, 13-speaker JBL sound system with

Bluetooth Bluetooth is a short-range wireless technology standard that is used for exchanging data between fixed and mobile devices over short distances and building personal area networks (PANs). In the most widely used mode, transmission power is limi ...

, voice-activated touch-screen DVD navigation system,

backup camera A backup camera (also called a reversing camera or rear-view camera) is a special type of video camera that is produced specifically for the purpose of being attached to the rear of a vehicle to aid in backing up and to alleviate the rear blind s ...

and a rear DVD entertainment system with a 9-inch display and two wireless headphones. The Touring Package, which included HID headlights, push button start, Navigation and JBL Package were only available on the 3.5 L all-wheel drive configuration. The Premium Package contained the moonroof and backup camera was available on all but the 2.7 L front-wheel drive configuration, while the leather package was available on all models. For 2010, the Venza received a standard USB audio input and Bluetooth hands-free phone capability. Due to this addition, a single-CD player unit replaced the previously standard in-dash 6-disc CD changer. For 2012, the Venza featured LE, XLE and Limited trim levels for the US market, replacing the single-grade line with various option packages. The LE and XLE trims were available with all powertrain combinations: 2.7 L, 3.5 L, front-wheel drive or all-wheel drive; the Venza Limited comes with the 3.5 L engine only, in front-wheel drive or all-wheel drive configurations. Canadian models retained the single trim level, adding only a Convenience Package for the 2.7 L all-wheel drive trim.

2012 facelift

In 2012, for the 2013 model year, the Venza received a mid-cycle facelift. It was revealed at the

New York International Auto Show The New York International Auto Show is an annual auto show that is held in Manhattan in late March or early April. It is held at the Jacob Javits Convention Center. It usually opens on or just before Easter weekend and closes on the first S ...

in April 2012 and went on sale during May 2012. 2.7 L models receive restyled 19-inch alloy wheels. The 2013 model also added

's Entune System.

Engines

Safety

The Venza was equipped with

vehicle stability control Electronic stability control (ESC), also referred to as electronic stability program (ESP) or dynamic stability control (DSC), is a computerized technology that improves a vehicle's stability by detecting and reducing loss of traction ( skiddi ...

traction control system A traction control system (TCS), also known as ASR (from german: Antriebsschlupfregelung, lit=drive slippage regulation), is typically (but not necessarily) a secondary function of the electronic stability control (ESC) on production motor vehicle ...

, electronic brakeforce distribution,

emergency brake assist Brake assist (BA or BAS) or emergency brake assist (EBA) is a term for an automobile braking technology that increases braking pressure in an emergency. The first application was developed jointly by Daimler-Benz and TRW/LucasVarity. Research ...

, anti-lock braking system, smart stop technology as well as hill-start assist control,

tire-pressure monitoring system A tire-pressure monitoring system (TPMS) monitors the air pressure inside the pneumatic tires on vehicles. A TPMS reports real-time tire-pressure information to the driver, using either a gauge, a pictogram display, or a simple low-pressure wa ...

, active head restraints for front-seat occupants, 3-point seat belts and headrests for all seats, emergency locking retractors (ELR) for all seats, automatic locking retractors (ATR) for all seats (except driver's), front seatbelt pretensioners with force limiters.

LATCH A latch or catch (called sneck in Northern England and Scotland) is a type of mechanical fastener that joins two (or more) objects or surfaces while allowing for their regular separation. A latch typically engages another piece of hardware on t ...

(Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children) for rear outboard seats and seven standard airbags, including dual-stage front airbags, driver's

knee airbag An airbag is a vehicle occupant-restraint system using a bag designed to inflate extremely quickly, then quickly deflate during a collision. It consists of the airbag cushion, a flexible fabric bag, an inflation module, and an impact sensor. Th ...

, front seat-mounted side airbags, 2-row side curtain airbags and fuel pump cut-off switch with airbag deployment. The rear bumper system was awarded Toyota's top honor for innovation, and safety. Some Venza owners have reported a safety concern because the sun visor can suddenly sag and obscure the driver's vision while driving. The visor must be replaced once this occurs. An

online petition An online petition (or Internet petition, or e-petition) is a form of petition which is signed online, usually through a form on a website. Visitors to the online petition sign the petition by adding their details such as name and email address. T ...

was created to encourage Toyota to issue a safety recall due to the failing sun visors.

Crash testing

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety gave the Venza its ''Top Safety Pick'' rating in 2009. The Venza is also rated "Good" in the roof strength test, as a result the Venza also received the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety ''Top Safety Pick'' in 2010 and 2011 when roof strength became a criterion for receiving the award.

Production

The first-generation Venza began production at

(TMMK) on November 11, 2008, with over 70 percent of the Venza's components coming from US suppliers. Toyota projected sales of between 75,000 and 100,000 units of Venza per year. The first-generation Venza was one of the two North American built Toyota automobiles (alongside the

Avalon Avalon (; la, Insula Avallonis; cy, Ynys Afallon, Ynys Afallach; kw, Enys Avalow; literally meaning "the isle of fruit r appletrees"; also written ''Avallon'' or ''Avilion'' among various other spellings) is a mythical island featured in the ...

) not to be sold in Mexico. TMMK stopped production of the Venza in the American market in June 2015. Production of the vehicle remained there for export until 2017.

Marketing

During the 2008 vehicle launch, Toyota marketed Venza under the campaign "You're More than One Thing. So is Venza". In Canada, the Venza was featured as a prize in the 2009

Tim Hortons Tim Hortons Inc., commonly nicknamed Tim's, or Timmie's is a Canadian multinational coffeehouse and restaurant chain. Based in Toronto, Tim Hortons serves coffee, doughnuts, and other fast-food items. It is Canada's largest quick-service res ...

"Rrroll up the rim to win" promotion. In 2013, the Venza debuted in Russian and Chinese markets.

Classification

Determining whether the Venza is a crossover SUV or wagon isn't clear; some journalists regard it as the "Camry station wagon" (the successor to the 1991-1996 Camry wagon which was the last iteration to offer this style in Canada and the US) while other sources often describe it simply as new type of "crossover". Toyota states the Venza blends the "styling and comfort of a passenger car with the flexibility of a sport utility vehicle". According to Toyota, Venza is neither a station wagon nor SUV, rather it is targeted at customers who want more room and flexibility than the Camry sedan but desire a smaller size than the Highlander, a three-row mid-size crossover SUV. Toyota lists the Venza's competitors as the

Honda Accord The , also known as the in Japan and China for certain generations, is a series of cars manufactured by Honda since 1976, best known for its four-door sedan variant, which has been one of the best-selling cars in the United States since 1989. ...

and Nissan Altima on their website's comparison page, both being popular mid-size sedans. Meanwhile, the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) classified the Venza as a sport utility vehicle. Toyota told automotive magazine

Motor Trend ''MotorTrend'' is an American automobile magazine. It first appeared in September 1949, and designated the first Car of the Year, also in 1949. Petersen Publishing Company in Los Angeles published ''MotorTrend'' until 1998, when it was sold to ...

that it forwent entering the Venza in the publication's SUV of the Year competition. Toyota requested that the Venza compete in the Car of the Year competition. Motor Trend decided that the Venza should not compete in any competition at all since its

ride height Ride height or ground clearance is the amount of space between the base of an automobile tire and the lowest point of the automobile (typically the axle); or, more properly, to the shortest distance between a flat, level surface, and the lowest p ...

is too high to be qualified as a car.

Discontinuation

In 2015, Toyota announced that the first-generation Venza would be discontinued after the 2015 model year. According to Toyota, there are three factors that contributed to this decision: customer preference, competitiveness within the segment and deteriorating sales. Production of US models ended in June 2015 and export models ended production in 2017.

Second generation (XU80; 2020)

The second-generation Venza is a rebadged Japanese-market XU80 series Harrier, released for the North American market for the 2021 model year. It was initially planned to be revealed at the April 2020 New York International Auto Show but it was instead unveiled online in North America on May 18, 2020. Unlike the Harrier, the Venza for this market is only available with a

hybrid powertrain. While the first-generation model was produced in the US, the North American second-generation model is produced in Japan. The second-generation Venza is also sold in China by

GAC Toyota GAC Toyota Motor Co., Ltd. () is an automobile manufacturing company headquartered in Guangzhou, China and a joint-venture between GAC Group and Toyota Motor Company for manufacturing Toyota's model platform in the Chinese market. It was founded ...

and produced at the

Guangzhou Guangzhou (, ; ; or ; ), also known as Canton () and alternatively romanized as Kwongchow or Kwangchow, is the capital and largest city of Guangdong province in southern China. Located on the Pearl River about north-northwest of Hong Kon ...

factory, with alterations on the front fascia.

Yearly changes

* 2021, for the 2022 model year: The Limited grade was updated, with fog lights for poor weather conditions. * 2022, for the 2023 model year: The Nightshade package is added for the XLE model, the exterior colour Wind Chill Pearl (replaced the Blizzard Pearl), the Limited grade gets a 12.3" full digital instrument cluster, and features four drive modes. File:2021 Toyota Venza XLE, rear 4.1.21.jpg, Rear view File:Toyota Venza In Guangzhou Auto Show 2021 (cropped).jpg, Chinese-market Venza

Sales

References

External links

* {{Toyota road light truck/SUV/crossover timeline, 1985–date Venza Cars introduced in 2008 2010s cars 2020s cars Mid-size sport utility vehicles Crossover sport utility vehicles Front-wheel-drive vehicles All-wheel-drive vehicles Hybrid sport utility vehicles Partial zero-emissions vehicles Vehicles with CVT transmission Motor vehicles manufactured in the United States