Sedan-style driving with SUV versatility
Before our civilization became threatened by the coronavirus, automakers liked to do new vehicle launches up big.
They would take guys like me, sometimes as many as 20 men and women, and fly us out to Newfoundland (Porsche) or Yukon (Subaru) or Utah (Mercedes) or New Mexico (Infiniti) and they would pull back the curtain and then have company experts explain what was new and exciting about whatever.
Then we would drive the new product around for a day or so before flying home.
That was then and this is now. Now is when the unveiling is virtual and, if we’re lucky, we later get to examine a car that’s sitting quietly in a display space in a company showroom. What’s missing, of course, is the drive, which is the really important part.
But giving the product the once-over is better than nothing and that was the case in recent days when I was invited to Toyota Canada headquarters to take a closer look at the new for 2021 Toyota Venza two-row crossover SUV, which will be at dealerships in August.
Right off the bat, let me say this is a fine-looking car and, although the one I sat in was a prototype, feels functional and comfortable.
There is room for five and the company says it will deliver sedan-style driving comfort along with SUV versatility. I spent much of my time the day
I was there with Philippe Crowe, a Toyota product consultant, who showed me around the car and emphasized that the Venza is equivalent to the bestselling RAV4, but will be more upscale.
I came away convinced that the automaker is particularly pleased with five offerings: the hybrid powertrain, the car’s electronic all-wheel drive, the safety package, the entertainment and connectivity package and the coup de grâce: a panoramic glass roof.
The hybrid powertrain system (Hybrid System II) matches a 2.5-litre, four-cylinder engine with three electric motors that deliver 219 horsepower and a manufacturer-estimated 5.9 L/100 km in LE trim. (XLE and Limited are the other trims available in Canada.)
There are four driving modes: EV (which means the vehicle can be driven at low speed for a short distance using just the electric motors), ECO (which allows the driver to maximize mileage), Sport (arguably more fun to drive, but making that 5.9L/100 km fuel economy challenging) and Normal (for everyday driving).
Toyota is particularly proud of its Electronic On-Demand, All-Wheel Drive. Two front motors drive the front wheels and a rear-mounted electric motor powers the rear wheels. Torque distribution varies with road conditions.
Toyota Safety Sense (TSS 2.0) is a suite of safety systems that includes a pre-collision program with pedestrian detection and daytime bicycle detection.
Toyota’s cutting-edge entertainment and connectivity is an industry leader. Premium Audio with Remote is standard on XLE and Limited trims and features a 12.3-inch multimedia touchscreen that is almost at eye level and can be operated by either the driver or the front-seat passenger.
Audio Plus with Remote is standard on LE and includes an eight-inch touchscreen.
Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are available, as is Bluetooth. The six-speaker audio with four-channel amplifier is standard. The JBL Premium Audio System is optional, but has nine speakers, a rear subwoofer and 12-channel, 1,200watt amp. Wow. The Star Gaze (which is trademarked) panoramic glass roof, a Toyota original, is sure not your average sunroof. It brightens the interior while reducing direct sunlight. The electrochromic glass technology lets drivers switch from transparent to frosted modes in, literally, a second.
Other features: 18-inch and 19-inch wheels are available, depending on trims; creature comforts include cupholders that can hold large drinks and door bottle holders that can handle 700 ml bottles. There’s 1,027 litres of cargo space behind the rear seat. There are eight airbags, including sidecurtain airbags for both rows of seats. Traction control, an anti-lock braking system and Smart Stop Technology add to the vehicle’s safety. There are LED lights fore and aft. Side mirrors are attached to the door rather than the pillar to better match your line of sight. The rear-view mirror can be, well, a mirror or a screen fed by a rear-mounted camera.
The big selling point for Crowe, though, is the hybrid. “I really like the torque you get from the electric motors when all four wheels are empowered,” he said.
“And I enjoy the hybrid because I don’t have to stop for an hour to charge it like I would with a full electric. I can stop for five minutes and fill up the gas tank.”
Vinh Pham, manager of product planning for Toyota, agreed. “The intermediate
SUV segment is growing,” he said. “The hybrid powertrain with the phenomenal fuel economy that it gets is exactly what the segment is looking for.”
Stephen Beatty, vice-president of sales and marketing, didn’t want to talk about pricing. “I won’t even put a number on it,” he said. “As always, we negotiate the price with Japan right up until the final minute.” But then he added: “This is RAV4-sized, the hybrid powertrain is from the RAV4, and there are more features ... ”
So go to Toyota.ca and click on “Build & Price” for the RAV4, which has an MSRP of around $32,000 on the low end up to $42,000. That should give you some idea of what the Venza will go for come August.