This is the just-unveiled 2021 Toyota
Venza for the US market. If it looks familiar, you’re right, it’s the all-new
fourth-generation Toyota Harrier that made its debut last month, just with a
different badge. Toyota USA says that the 2021 Venza “breaks the sameness
barrier in the midsize two-row crossover utility vehicle category”.
Sitting on the latest TNGA-K platform, the
Venza is projected to achieve top NHTSA safety ratings. The five-seater SUV
measures 4,740 mm long, 1,855 mm wide and 1,660 mm tall, and has a wheelbase of
2,690 mm. This makes it larger than the outgoing Harrier. The suspension set-up
consists of front struts and rear multi-links. 18-inch multi-spoke alloys are
standard issue, while top XLE and Limited trim levels roll on the 19-inch
multi-spoke “super chrome finished” wheels you see here.
In Japan, the new Harrier can be had with
a naturally-aspirated 2.0L engine or a 2.5L hybrid (no more 2.0L turbo), but
predictably, only the hybrid is available for the Venza. The latest Toyota
Hybrid System combines a 2.5L DOHC four-cylinder with front and rear electric
motors for total system output of 219 hp. Similar to the top E-Four option in
Japan, the rear electric motor provides on-demand all-wheel drive.
The petrol engine employs VVT by electric
motor (VVT-iE) on the intake camshaft, and VVT-i on the exhaust camshaft. A
variable cooling system (electric water pump, electric thermostat) and a fully
variable oil pump further help improve efficiency. This non-plug-in hybrid uses
a new lithium-ion battery and has Normal, Eco and Sport modes for the CVT, on
top of an EV mode for short distance, low-speed electric-only driving.
The Venza’s Predictive Efficient Drive
(PED) uses the navigation system to analyse driving habits and memorise road
and traffic conditions to help optimise hybrid battery charging. When the
driver selects PED, the system learns repeating routes and is designed to
predict when and where the vehicle is likely to slow down or stop. Then,
through optimum accelerator pedal release timing guidance, it can help reduce
energy consumption. PED can help optimise battery charging and discharge ahead
of hills or traffic congestion. When approaching a downhill section, for
example, the system is designed to apply additional engine braking force to
more efficiently charge the hybrid battery after the accelerator pedal is
released.
Toyota claims a “surprisingly quiet cabin
experience” as a Venza unique point. Besides the new TNGA-K platform (described
as the first defense against NVH), there are things like an acoustic
windscreen, a one-piece floor silencer pad with 92% surface coverage, and the
placement of two special resonance chambers under the hood that help minimise
air intake noise in the 530 Hz and 650 Hz ranges, among other measures. It’s not just sleek design that will
elevate the Venza from the RAV4, but premium features as well. Toyota touts a
12.3-inch touchscreen display with nine JBL speakers (including a rear
subwoofer and 12-channel, 1,200-watt amp), seven-inch multi-info display, a digital
rear-view mirror and 10-inch colour head-up display.
Other available features include a “Star
Gaze” fixed panoramic glass roof, a first-ever for Toyota, and
heated/ventilated front seats for “true, graceful grand touring”. The roof’s
electrochromic glass tech allows one to switch from transparent to frosted
modes within one second via a button. In the frosted mode, Star Gaze brightens
the interior while reducing direct sunlight.
Safety wise, the Toyota Safety Sense 2.0
suite of active safety systems includes Pre-Collision System with
Daytime/Low-Light Vehicle and Pedestrian Detection, plus Daytime Bicycle
Detection (PCS), Full-Speed Range Dynamic Radar Cruise Control (DRCC), Lane
Departure Alert with Steering Assist (LDA w/SA), Automatic High Beams (AHB),
Lane Tracing Assist (LTA) and Road Sign Assist (RSA). The US-market Venza will
roll off the Takaoka Plant in Japan alongside the XU80 Harrier, and will reach
American showrooms this summer.
