The mid-size SUV segment is getting a shake-up with the all-new Toyota Venza revealed digitally. The new Venza will be offered only in hybrid form with standard electronic all-wheel drive.
The new Toyota Venza sees distinct design meets cutting-edge technology. It combines smart style with a tech-focused interior, and intelligent hybrid powertrain and standard electronic on-demand all-wheel drive. With its modern front end, sleek headlight design, dual LED daytime lights and refined body lines over its 4.73 metre length, the Venza looks distinct. And the mid-size, two-row interior layout makes it a flexible everyday car.
The Toyota Venza gets a 10-inch colour Head-Up Display (HUD) behind the wheel, a 7.0-inch full-colour LCD Multi-Information Display (MID), and a massive 12.3-inch touchscreen display as well as Apple CarPlay. Toyota offer a standard six-speaker audio system with a four-channel amplifier but pride themselves on the JBL Premium Audio System with nine speakers, including a rear sub-woofer, powered by a 12-channel, 1,200-watt amp – their most powerful system to date – designed exclusively for the Venza with unique speaker architecture and tuned to the specific cabin space. Finally, up top, it features an all-new optional Star Gaze fixed panoramic glass roof. The Venza includes S-FLOW cooling technology, first seen in some Lexus models, that directs air-conditioning only to occupied seats, for added comfort and reduced energy consumption.
Built on the TNGA-K platform, the 2021 Toyota Venza sees extensive use of high-strength steel and that allows front strut and rear multi-link suspension tuning for improved agility with a supple, quiet ride. The Venza gets a multi-stage hybrid powertrain that can deliver up to 17 km/l combined. The new-generation powertrain combines a 2.5-litre four-cylinder engine with three electric motors in a highly compact and efficient system with a total system output of 222 hp. A new lithium-ion battery pack enhances performance with its smaller size and lower weight. Selectable drive modes – Normal, Eco and Sport – fine-tune performance and responses to suit needs. Additionally, an “EV” mode allows electric-only driving at low speeds for short distances. The hybrid system optimizes the level of electric motor assistance, front and rear as needed, and the petrol engine speed without the engine running at an unnecessarily high revs.
The Toyota Venza’s standard Electronic On-Demand All-Wheel Drive takes maximum advantage of the hybrid powertrain’s benefits. Instead of a transfer case and driveshaft to the rear wheels, the AWD system packs a separate rear-mounted electric motor to power the rear wheels when needed, working seamlessly, distributing up to 80 per cent of drive to the rear wheels to help suppress front wheel slip during starts. The system also enhances cornering agility by reducing understeer. The torque distribution varies with conditions, from 100:0 in constant-speed driving to 20:80 on slippery surfaces – and is indicated on the MID and audio screen.
The Toyota Venza also gets as standard, in the US, active safety technologies including Blind Spot Monitor with Rear Cross-Traffic Alert (RCTA), integrated backup camera with projected path and dynamic gridlines, and Toyota Safety Sense 2.0. In the US market, it takes on the Honda Passport, Ford Edge and Chevrolet Blazer. No word on whether it will come to India, but it sure looks promising.
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