Toyota is filling some remaining white space in its crossover lineup with a new Japanese import that resurrects an old U.S. nameplate on a vehicle designed to plug the gap between the compact RAV4 and the three-row Highlander.
The 2021 Toyota Venza is a two-row, hybrid-only midsize crossover built on the same TNGA-K platform as the Highlander and RAV4 and known as the Harrier in Japan. Larger than the RAV4, but shorter and with a lower roofline than the Highlander, the Venza will come standard with both an electronic all-wheel-drive system and a hybrid powertrain capable of an estimated 40 mpg in combined fuel economy, Toyota says.
It is expected to arrive in Toyota dealerships in the U.S. this summer, giving the brand a seventh crossover or SUV when Americans are increasingly shifting out of cars to light trucks.
Toyota is following other automakers — think the Ford Edge, Chevrolet Blazer, Hyundai Santa Fe and Nissan Murano — in fielding a premium, midsize crossover with two rows of seating. The segment expanded 6.4 percent to nearly 950,000 in 2019, making it one of the industry’s fastest-growing product categories.
“Both from pricing and positioning, we believe there’s an underserved market between RAV4 and Highlander,” said Toyota Motor Sales chief Bob Carter, adding the company expects annual U.S. sales of the Venza to tally 50,000, well below the RAV4 at 448,071, and the Highlander at 239,438.
“Combine that with hybrid and awd, we believe that area of the market is underserved. It’s not going to be core volume that we anticipate, but it’s a very important segment.”
Toyota discontinued the previous Venza crossover wagon after the 2015 model year because of slow sales and a changing market. The 2021 Venza debuted Monday, along with the redesigned 2021 Toyota Sienna minivan, in an online event.
Inside the cabin, the 2021 Venza features an available center-mounted 12.3-inch touch screen, a 7-inch display in the instrument cluster, a digital rearview mirror and a 10-inch color head-up display for the driver. The Venza will have an available fixed panoramic glass roof capable of electronically reducing direct sunlight while increasing light in the cabin, as well as heated and ventilated first-row seating.
As part of Toyota’s strategy to standardize its suite of safety systems, the Venza will come standard with Toyota Safety Sense 2.0, including adaptive dynamic cruise control, lane departure with steering assist, automatic high beams and road sign assist, along with collision avoidance and pedestrian detection.
The Venza is equipped with a 2.5-liter inline-four engine mated to three electric motors, delivering 219 hp. It will ride on 18-inch wheels in lower trims, while the top-end XLE and Limited trims come standard with 19-inch wheels. Cargo capacity behind the second-row seats is slightly smaller than that of the RAV4.
Pricing for the Venza was not announced. When it goes on sale, it will come with a three-year/36,000-mile bumper-to-bumper warranty and two years of factory scheduled maintenance.
Jack Walsworth contributed to this report.