VENZA arrives for the new normal
With the launch of the 2021 Venza crossover, Toyota became the first carmaker in Canada to stage a live media presentation, but with a COVID-19 twist.
Instead of a collection of autowriters clustered around the car, Toyota had the new Venza on static display in its Canadian headquarters in Scarborough, ON, with four officials all masked and gloved spread out in its very large conference room.
Over two days, Toyota limited the launch to one journalist at a time to just four per day, spaced out an hour apart. Each writer was given a kit containing mask, gloves, sanitizer and wipe cloth. After I left, the remaining time was used to wipe down and sanitize the Venza for the next journo.
After some 25 years of doing reviews the “old way,” I was the first on the list of invitees to experience the “new normal”.
You may have heard the Venza name before as a crossover. It was more of an evolved minivan, if you will, which was based on the Camry passenger car platform debuting in 2008 and discontinued in 2017.
And while the name has changed, the 2021 Venza is a different animal, including standard all-wheel-drive and standard hybrid drivetrain.
Considered an intermediate size CUV, the look is more people mover than sport truck and now based on the ubiquitous Toyota New Global Architecture (TNGA) platform it shares with a wide range of products.
Introduced 20 years ago with the Prius, Venza is a “mild” hybrid, meaning the battery and electric motors give it a power boost when accelerating or at launch, with most propulsion coming from a 2.5-litre, inline, four-cylinder gasoline engine.
Running on the more efficient Atkinson Cycle, it produces 219 total system horsepower and an estimated fuel rating of 5.9L/100 km combined on the base LE model. Toyota/Lexus does not release torque figures on any of its products.
There are three electric motors, two at the front and one at the back with a Toyota eCVT.
The eCVT does not have gears in the traditional way. It is a planetary gear assembly that connects the two front electric motors and the gasoline engine. The speed at which the electric motors turn this planetary gearset is what influences the speed of the vehicle.
The driver can select from one of three drive modes – Normal, Eco, Sport. There is also a separate EV (all-electric) mode for very short hops around town.
But by using the sequential “downshift” function, the driver can increase regenerative braking to increase charging the lithium-ion battery pack, which is located under the back seat.
Part of the Toyota Hybrid System II powertrain is the electronic on-demand all-wheel drive.
The motor at the rear is not physically connected to the power module at the front, but is activated by computer when required. An example would be in slippery conditions where up to 80 per cent of torque can be routed to the rear wheels. In normal driving conditions, torque is 100 per cent to the front wheels.
In terms of utility, Venza offers 1,027 litres (36.3 cu ft) of cargo space and can tow up to 790 kg (1,750 lb) when properly equipped.
The list of standard safety aids is topped off by the Toyota Safety Sense 2 system that includes: Pre-Collision System with daytime/low-light vehicle and pedestrian detection, plus daytime bicycle detection; full-speed range dynamic radar cruise control (DRCC); lane departure alert with steering assist (LDA w/SA); automatic high beams (AHB) and lane tracing assist (LTA).
An interesting feature is the S-Flow air conditioning system that directs cooling air only at occupied seats, with the bonus of energy savings.
But the stand-out feature is the optional panoramic Star Gaze glass roof which goes from clear to frosted in one second with the touch of a button thanks to electrochromic technology. Even when clear, it filters out 98 per cent of UV light.
There are three trim levels – LE, XLE and Limited – with the XLE considered the volume model.
The LE rides on 18-inch alloy wheels, with the other two equipped with 19-inch alloys.
The 2021 Venza goes on sale in August with pricing to be announced around that time.